The advertising and design industries have always been obsessed with the future, but this infatuation has entered warp speed over the past six months or so, since the mainstream arrival of the metaverse and NFTs.

In this issue, we examine what this might mean for the creative industries and how it will impact how we work, shop and play.

As part of this, we take a closer look at some of these burgeoning technologies and how to navigate them, while asking what they mean for creativity and culture at large.

We also uncover how to make brands and products future-fit, unpack the meaning of brand activism today, and hear from D&AD president and Central Saint Martins dean Rebecca Wright about the role of design education in the creative industries of tomorrow.

Elsewhere, we investigate where the beauty industry is heading with Lauren Bowker, and discuss how it overlaps with tech in a conversation with digital artist Claudia Rafael, who created this issue’s abstract cover.

On the topic of evolution, regular readers will notice some changes in this issue: we’ve stripped out the front and back sections of the magazine, which featured our columnists, and have moved these pieces online, where they are able to more immediately respond to trends and changes in the industries.

Instead, we want CR in print to become a reference tool for our readers – a very beautiful one, naturally, and you’ll see we’ve refreshed our design to illustrate this. We want each issue to be something you can keep and refer to over the years, and that will hopefully have a lasting value more akin to a book than a magazine in its traditional, more ephemeral sense.

Hopefully this issue offers a snapshot of the now, which will be both useful today but also in ten, even 20, years’ time too.

STOCKISTS