With its apparent distaste for any names not traditionally ‘British’-looking, the computer spellcheck illustrates a wider issue: that our supposedly neutral technology is skewed by the bias of those who built it, says Hannah Ellis
From social media to fixed odds betting machines, designers are intimately involved in feeding our addiction to the screens that dominate our lives
The creative industry views Brexit as a Bad Thing. But what if its resulting skills shortage prompts us finally to address a much older issue – the lack of access to a creative career for those without a privileged background?
“Like a band that stays together forever,” says Browns’ Jonathan Ellery in a new film about design studio Why Not Associates made for their 30-year retrospective show at Sheffield Institute of Arts. At the opening of the show, Hannah Ellis reflects on what makes the studio tick and the affection with which its founders are held by their peers
Kingston has become the latest institution to reclaim the title ‘School of Art’. Is this trend merely a rebranding exercise or does it herald a more ambitious re-examination of the role of art and design within higher education?
At Ideas on Revolt, the third annual Graphic Design Educators’ Network conference, there were calls for students to become more involved in resistance and rebellion. But perhaps their teachers should be leading by example, suggests Hannah Ellis
Star speakers, networking and bad coffee – is this all we want from a design conference? Or, asks Hannah Ellis, could smaller events such as Copenhagen’s POST point the way toward a more enriching, two-way model?
As degree show season comes to an end for another year, Hannah Ellis asks whether it’s time to rethink a concept that favours the spectacular over the thoughtful and fails to accommodate many aspects of design practice
In the UK General Election, support for progressive politics is far more visible in the creative community than pro-Conservative messages are. Yet surveys reveal that not all creative people are left-leaning. Hannah Ellis goes in search of designers on the right and examines the contradiction inherent in an industry predominantly ‘of the left’ that spends much of its time enabling an economic system that is at odds with many leftist ideals
With publishers turning away from the traditional monograph, a new form of self-written design book – part showcase, part ‘studio portrait’ – has emerged. Hannah Ellis wonders what their lasting value will be
GBH’s self-penned monograph promises a deep dive into the branding and design studio’s psyche. But while the book is good on the ‘how’ it works for its clients, it has less to say on the ‘why’ or even the ‘should we really be doing this?’ of modern design practice
The much-loved brand enters its tenth decade with a series of celebrations across the world, including films featuring stars from Yotam Ottolenghi to Alicia Keys
We talk to the curators of How to Win at Photography, now on show at the Photographers’ Gallery in London, about how imagemaking turned into a numbers game and why artists are using humour to examine it in their work
Market researcher, avid reader, trend analyst, social media strategist – the modern book designer wears many hats, says multi-award-winning Micaela Alcaino, who’s capitalising on a renewed interest in beautiful covers. And she always reads the manuscript
Netflix has recently announced that it will offer a lower-priced subscription featuring advertising. Here, Ben Kay explores what opportunities it might offer the ad industry
Nostalgia marketing is rearing its head once again with a spate of brand comebacks and collabs that are channelling the Y2K aesthetic. But what role should brands be playing in the trend, if any?
Following the opening of Figures of Speech, a retrospective of Virgil Abloh’s work at the Brooklyn Museum, curator and collaborator Antwaun Sargent talks about Abloh’s wide-ranging influence on culture
With San Pellegrino and Lilt embracing stripped back looks, we discuss what’s going on in drinks branding, the dangers of minimalism, and how brands including Full Circle Brew Co and Sprite are getting it right
The car manufacturer has updated its branding, adapting the 95-year-old wing logo with what Saville describes as “subtle but necessary enhancements”
As the American workwear brand marks its 100th anniversary, we speak to global CMO Sarah Crockett about how Dickies balances different customer bases
A new McKinsey reports shows that placing designers at the heart of businesses enhances growth. But to truly work, designers might need to let go of some long-established habits
Fresh from working on Nike’s new spot to mark the Euros this month, Wieden + Kennedy London’s Ankita Tobit talks to us about how the narrative around the women’s game has moved on in the last few years and where opportunities lie for brands
Images of people facing suffering and financial hardship have often stumbled into ‘poverty porn’ and objectification. Is there a right way for an imagemaker to navigate this kind of work?
Are we on the verge of trading in traditional titles like graphic designer and illustrator for AI whisperer or prompt designer? CR discusses the current wave of AI art generators with Modem co-founder Bas van de Poel
A more sophisticated approach to branding and marketing is bringing crypto to new audiences. But with a ‘crypto winter’ looming, should creatives be helping to legitimise what is still a highly volatile market?
Published by Prestel, the new book provides a detailed insight into the many ways Aicher influenced contemporary design practice and theory
Speaking at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity last week, actor and marketer Ryan Reynolds shared his thoughts on humour, responding to culture, and managing anxiety; and also introduced his new talent initiative, Creative Ladder
Pay rises, day rates, dilemmas about prioritising money or creative opportunities – young creatives have a lot to get their heads around. We asked OMSE founder James Kape, copywriter Ellen Ling and the Talent Business partner Anna Green for advice
Is it a creative industries myth that bigger budget client work can’t be creatively fulfilling? Design studio DR.ME, photographer Emily Stein and branding studio NB weigh in
Slides in the office and wellbeing workshops aren’t going to cut it anymore. We speak to design studios taking a more considered approach to mental health
McCann London discusses how it made one of the most recognisable — and polarising — pieces of sonic branding around today
