The joy of friction
Most brands are on a mission to create customer experiences that are as simple and smooth as possible. Yet, argues Wayne Deakin, ECD, EMEA at Huge, sometimes a bit of friction is a good thing
How car UX design is leapfrogging into the future
Paul Woods, CEO and CCO of Edenspiekermann, discusses the sci-fi future of car interface design, and the challenges of taking drivers from buttons and levers into a new screen- and voice-led experience
Is UX design the final frontier of the streaming wars?
In the ever-expanding world of streaming, content is undoubtedly king. But is the battle for eyeballs leading streaming giants to neglect their users in the process? CR investigates
Saiman Chow on maintaining freedom in your work
The illustrator, animator and designer talks about personal style, the benefits of working digitally and the ways he’s ensured his creative independence
The changing face of ecommerce
The pandemic has thrown the need for a strong ecommerce platform into sharp relief. We explore the balance between creativity and practicality, and what’s next for the field
Why Covid-19 has expanded the creative sector’s horizons
The pandemic has brought much more than digital acceleration to the creative industries. It has shone a light on career opportunities that exist beyond the capital, and boosted accessibility and inclusivity, says Charlie Butterfield, partner at fst
A decade in logo design: what’s changed?
As Michael Evamy publishes a revised version of his book Logo, he looks back at the big developments in the field over the past decade or so
The rise of the editorial gif
We speak to three illustrators and an art director about the benefits of using gifs over traditional illustration for editorial commissions
A look inside in-app advertising
With audiences increasingly turning to their phones and tablets for entertainment in lockdown, in-app advertising is booming. Yet it is often creatively uninspiring and annoying – why? Emily Gosling investigates
The art of Arlo Parks
Fresh from releasing her debut album, we speak to Arlo Parks and regular collaborator Molly Burdett about the series of thought-provoking music videos they’ve created together, and the value of the artist-director relationship
How Calm created a billion dollar wellness app
Apps have gone from digital curiosities to big business, and the market has never been more competitive. Calm creative director Andrew Schapiro tells CR how great design, user feedback and a sprinkling of ‘whimsy’ is key to the company’s success
Is it time for a radical simplification of digital design?
Digital platforms designed to hijack attention and bloated with features are doing little for people’s collective wellbeing, but is it too late to embrace a more simple, human approach?
The future of virtual influencers
We speak to the creatives behind Gen Z icon Lil Miquela and the first virtual influencer to age over time, Sylvia, about the process of bringing them to life – and why the virtual influencer industry needs a rethink
Nick Meyer on creating a project that’s close to home
The photographer talks to us about his new book The Local, a personal reckoning with the realities of his hometown in Western Massachusetts caught between affluence and poverty
Inside ACMI’s ambitious museum design
As Melbourne’s newly revamped screen culture museum reopens, we talk to chief experience officer Seb Chan about building a multiplatform experience that straddles analogue and digital
Ask Anna: What does data-driven business mean for creativity?
In her latest column, CR’s agony aunt Anna Higgs breaks down the benefits that data can bring to making creative work, but explains why it shouldn’t be leading all the decision-making
DIA on turning typography on its head
Meg Donohoe and Mitch Paone, co-founders of the influential design company DIA, talk about why process should come before aesthetics and how using motion design in their work felt radical at the beginning
The history of the open plan office
From its surprisingly radical roots to its role post-pandemic, Jennifer Kaufmann-Buhler – assistant professor of design history at Purdue University – talks CR through the legacy of the open plan office
Is creative education falling behind?
The government has been clear about the importance of the creative industries to the economy, but if it wants to support them, it needs to rethink the increasing lack of support for studying creative subjects, says Kingston University vice-chancellor Steven Spier
Inside the design boom at ad agencies
We talk to Wieden + Kennedy Portland, Droga5 London and Mother Design about bringing together design and advertising work under one roof, and the perception of design work produced at ad agencies
Could the New European Bauhaus inspire the UK?
The UK can no longer participate in the EU’s ambitious new initiative, but perhaps it will inspire the British design community to define its own visions for the future, says Patrick Burgoyne
Trends report offers reasons for cautious optimism in 2021
The annual Future 100 report is out, and demonstrates how the pandemic has prompted a wave of creative responses that are likely to influence our world long into the future. Emma Chiu highlights some key points
How and when to rebrand your business
CR investigates the thorny process of rebranding a business, from how you know it’s time to overhaul your visual identity to making sure your new look fits into your plans for the future
Oliver Jeffers on changing plans
The artist and children’s book author shares how Covid derailed his travel and career plans and how he’s adapted his life and creative practice as a result
The unexpected revelations of home schooling
As the UK entered a third lockdown last month, our design correspondent Daniel Benneworth-Gray found himself as his son’s teacher: a process that has proved educational for both father and son
How adaptability can make or break a studio
Mike Moloney, founder of design and animation studio, Art&Graft, reflects on how being adaptable, in all senses of the word, has allowed him to build a business that is now celebrating its tenth birthday
Sam Pilling on his cinematic approach to directing
Sam Pilling has crafted brilliant music videos and ads for everyone from DJ Shadow to Ikea. Here, the director discusses the importance of grabbing any opportunity that comes your way when you’re starting out and the beauty of a creative brief based on a single idea
Denizen Works: in praise of off-kilter creativity
Murray Kerr, founder of architecture practice Denizen Works, shares his purposefully ‘naïve’ approach to design and discusses the challenges of leading his studio off the beaten path