Gradwatch 2016: Alec Mezzetti
Fresh graduate Alec Mezzetti uses graphic design to comment on the housing crisis. Here he discusses his investigative approach to design.
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Does Design Twitter need a code of ethics?
Snarky comments do little to help the creative industry, but can Twitter be salvaged as a place for useful design discourse? Nicole Phillips and Craig Oldham discuss how to deal with negativity, and whether design Twitter needs a dose of online etiquette
Simon Bailly creates striking images set in a retro-future world
Working mainly on commissions for newspapers, Bailly adopts a ‘ligne claire’ style to create crisp, clean-cut illustrations
Navigating a career as a self-taught creative
Photographer Luis Alberto Rodriguez and designer Jordi Ng both forged a career without a formal arts education. They reflect on how they learned their craft, coping with insecurity and what taking an alternative route has brought to their practice
Bloomsbury’s Greg Heinimann on creating beautiful book covers
Greg Heinimann discusses his career journey from Waterstones bookseller to Bloomsbury deputy creative director, plus the secret to designing an eye-catching book cover
Creatives on the books that shaped them
We speak to figures from the worlds of design, advertising, and more about the books they’ve learned the most from over the course of their careers
Who will win the online education arms race?
E-learning, bootcamps and workshops are all booming, but what does it take to survive long term in the world of learning? Mastered’s Perri Lewis and SuperHi’s Rik Lomas discuss the big questions education providers face
One Hundred Years tells the story of Hackney through the ages
Published by Hoxton Mini Press, Jenny Lewis’ new photo book features 100 portraits of 100 Hackney locals – from a newborn through to a centenarian
How I Got Here: Hillary Coe, AKQA
Designer, drag racer and analogue astronaut Hillary Coe has joined AKQA as principal of experience, following a position as director of design at SpaceX. She talks to us about creating roles for herself that didn’t exist and embedding adventure into her life and work
The Fandangoe Kid on creativity as catharsis
Artist Annie Nicholson, aka The Fandangoe Kid, shares how grief has shaped her practice, and discusses the complexities of using creativity to work through trauma
Polly Irungu on creating Black Women Photographers
The platform Black Women Photographers was set up in 2020 to create a community that empowers Black women and non-binary photographers. Here Irungu discusses her motivations and the journey she’s been on
Penguin’s Len Deighton covers are a twist on classic 60s book jackets
A new Modern Classics collection of the British writer’s spy novels reinterprets the chevron graphics of Raymond Hawkey’s original Penguin paperback covers
Inside the VFX boom
The VFX artists behind Disney’s award-winning film The One and Only Ivan talk about tapping into their secret inner thespian and why VFX is in the midst of a golden period
Making sense of the NFT gold rush
NFTs have been all over the news, spreading a mix of confusion and excitement in equal measure. Here, James Britton, group managing director at Stink Studios, explores what opportunities they might open up for artists and designers
Donald Graham Burt on making a career in production design
The Oscar-winning production designer discusses his journey from night janitor to one of David Fincher’s most trusted collaborators, plus his work on the director’s latest film Mank
How design is bringing new places to life
The past year has created a new emphasis on our surroundings, leading to an acute awareness of whether areas really serve their communities. We explore how place branding and marketing have been adjusted to reflect this
Inter Milan introduces stripped back ‘I am’ logo
Bureau Borsche is responsible for the updated visual identity, which is tailored for digital environments and, according to the club, aims to “establish itself as an icon of culture as well as sport”
Why portrait photography is all about trust
CR speaks to three portrait photographers about why they were drawn to the art form, and the importance of trust and collaboration when working with a subject
Rachel Seidu’s photography captures what she sees around her
The Lagos-based photographer is inspired by her environment and favours close crops to capture the emotions of her subjects
Kara Haupt on art directing for daily news websites
Haupt is senior art director for the websites of NBC News, Today and MSNBC. Here she talks about the importance of commissioning and the pressure of millions of viewers every day
My breakthrough moment: Simon Buckley
“I wanted to be Ultravox, but sometimes I worry I’ve ended up like Joe Dolce.” Simon Buckley’s photograph of Manchester in the rain became a viral sensation in 2019. He explains what happened next
