Time’s Trump cover – a revealing portrait
There was an outcry over the ‘horns’ supposedly given to Donald Trump on Time’s cover, but the really chilling effect is in the composition of the image
Tech comes to The Tempest in new RSC production
The Royal Shakespeare Company has joined forces with Imaginarium Studios and Intel to create a digital version of the sprite Ariel in its latest production of The Tempest. We find out how it was done.
Why Stop Funding Hate deserves answers
The Stop Funding Hate campaign is gaining traction and giving brands difficult decisions to make
From the ‘K’ to the Super 8: why Kodak is looking back to move forward
Kodak is looking to the past to reinvent its consumer business, reviving a 1970s logo, updating its iconic Super 8 camera and launching a smartphone inspired by a camera from the 1940s. We spoke to Dany Atkins, VP of global brand and creative, about looking to Kodak’s heritage for inspiration…
Björk’s virtual world
As Björk Digital continues at Somerset House in London, we talk to her and two of her key collaborators about how she is exploring the creative possibilities of virtual reality
Shelter at 50 – campaigns, communication and the ongoing fight for housing
Shelter has fought to raise awareness of homelessness and housing issues in the UK since the late 1960s. As the charity marks its 50th year, we look at how it has communicated its aims over that time and why, as a new crisis emerges, its work remains as vital as ever
Stranger Things: Analysis of a TV hit
The hit of the summer of 2016 wasn’t a pop song, or a blockbuster movie, it was a TV show: Netflix series Stranger Things. But why was it so, so popular? Let’s break it down.
The Pilcrow: pints and placemaking
Can you build a community by building a pub? Via weekly workshops on everything from furniture to food, a group of designers and volunteers in Manchester are helping to create a pub that will form part of a major new development in the city
Imposter Syndrome and how creatives can deal with it
Ever felt like you are about to be found out? That you really don’t deserve to be a global chief and that any day now someone’s going to rumble you? Worry not: Imposter Syndrome is a recognised psychological trait common to many creative leaders. Executive coach Tanya Livesey has some advice on how to deal with it
“You’re no longer the genius — you’re the idiot”, Iain Tait
Wieden + Kennedy London ECD Iain Tait on how the agency is changing its creative process, the difference between real and fake collaboration and why creative leaders come in all shapes and sizes
Brexit: How design made the difference
A month on from the vote that changed everything – and nothing – Rob Coke analyses the role of design in winning the argument for Leave
We’re Here Because We’re Here – A silent commemoration of the soldiers of the Somme
Thousands of soldiers dressed in First World War uniforms appeared in towns and cities across the UK today as part of a live public memorial on an unprecedented scale. The project, marking the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, was conceived by artist Jeremy Deller and the National Theatre’s Rufus Norris – the latest commission from 14-18 Now.
“Branding without walls”: Mozilla’s open-source rebrand
Internet advocacy and software group Mozilla is rebranding with help from johnson banks. In an unusual move, the company has decided to document the process online – from strategy and concept development to refinement – inviting its community to help shape its new positioning
How the Toronto Symphony Orchestra uses graphic design to guide audiences
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s ‘listening guides’ make use of symbols and morse code-like notation to aid the experience of a live performance. We talked to their creator, Hannah Chan-Hartley, about how she is helping the TSO to visualise its repertoire
The Co-op returns to its clover-leaf logo from 1968
At its AGM today the Co-op unveiled a new logo – and it’s one that will already be familiar to millions across the UK. Forgoing designing a completely new identity, studio North have reunited the company with its classic logotype of the 1960s.
Too long; didn’t read
When social media came along, it created a new realm of possibilities and potential pitfalls for copywriting. What happened next will amaze you…By Nick Asbury
Aston Villa’s new badge: no, it didn’t cost £2million
Redesigning football club badges is notoriously tricky, with passionate fans and a hostile press ready to pounce on any false move. That process can be even more problematic when the club in question is facing relegation, as SomeOne found out when its redesign of Aston Villa’s badge was announced. We talk to ECD Gary Holt about the project
Creativity, autism and ADHD – why we should all embrace neurodiversity
The creative industries will miss out if they don’t embrace different minds, says Neil Ayres. To mark World Autism Awareness Week, he talks to a group of artists and designers – including Alan Gardner, The Autistic Gardener – about the advantages that neurodiversity can bring.
The Met and the maelstrom
Many major rebrands today are greeted with a storm of online snark but the row that ensued after New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed its new look hit a new high (or low, perhaps). Here, we trace the key moments in the debate, from initial horror through attempted justification and on to calm
Hail, Caesar! production designer Jess Gonchor on recreating 1950s Hollywood
Set in Hollywood in the 1950s, the Coen brothers’ new film Hail, Caesar! is a visual treat, with lavish sets and handcrafted designs throughout. We spoke to production designer Jess Gonchor about recreating cinema’s golden age, embracing old-school techniques and collaborating with the Coens
Inside High-Rise
For Ben Wheatley’s new film, High-Rise, graphic artists Michael Eaton and Felicity Hickson designed a wide range of props, from books and cigarette packs to the entire contents of a supermarket. Here, they reveal how they worked with production designer Mark Tildesley to help cement the look and feel of 1970s apartment living – with a dystopian edge.
Sharon Horgan on scriptwriting
How do you write a hit TV show? We ask Sharon Horgan – co-writer and star of Catastrophe, Pulling and creator of the forthcoming HBO comedy-drama Divorce – about getting started, working as a team, and coping when things don’t quite work out as planned…
DesignStudio rebrands Premier League
The Premier League has launched a new visual identity for the 2016/17 season, with an updated lion icon designed to communicate a new side to the world’s most popular football league
Taste the mixed feelings
Coca-Cola’s new global tagline ‘Taste the Feeling’ ticks all the boxes of a vacuous, formulaic, 21st-century brand line, writes Nick Asbury. But it’s attached to a smart strategy and looks like being the cornerstone of a great campaign. That should give copywriters a queasy feeling.