Creative Insight

Analysis of significant creative projects, people and trends

Plant power: the changing face of veganism

Going vegan (or at least flexitarian) is set to be the biggest food trend of our times. We speak to jkr’s Head of Strategy Adrian Jarvis about the rise of vegan junk food, and how plant-based brands became the new cool

How street food became sophisticated

Perceptions of street food have rapidly changed from greasy hotdogs to haute cuisine, with some start-ups even opening fully-fledged restaurants. We speak to the teams at Street Feast and Honest Burgers about the importance of design in street food’s success story

KFC: Why it pays to be brave

KFC has weathered significant storms this year, with the help of clever and upfront advertising. We talk to Hermeti Balarin, ECD at KFC’s agency Mother, about advertising in a crisis, and how mutual respect between brand and agency is still essential in making great work

How alcohol-free got a refresh

Non-alcoholic spirit Seedlip has kickstarted a new category, blending 17th century distillation techniques with botanical-themed design to win drinkers over. Here’s how the brand reinvented alcohol-free

Could the right branding have us all eating bugs?

The foods of the future are better for our planet and our conscience, but not necessarily our appetite. As insect-based products and unfamiliar alternatives to meat and dairy spring up, we explore whether design can help us overcome our aversion

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What do you do?

In his latest column, our correspondent Daniel Benneworth-Gray finds himself trying to explain his job, and in turn what design is, to his six year-old son

Is creativity in need of rescue?

In his book Against Creativity author Oli Mould questions whether being ‘creative’ means becoming a cog in the machine. CR met with him to discuss how creativity can become more than part of a production line

On technology and hype..

In his latest column for CR, Perry Nightingale, Executive Creative Technologist at Grey London, addresses how hype can affect our attitudes towards technology, and why the journey to real technological change is long

Re-making Manchester

The Manchester Design Manifesto is an ambitious long-term programme to put design at the heart of the city’s future.  Kasper de Graaf outlines the plan and explains the role that creativity has played in Manchester’s ongoing regeneration

Jan Wilker on graphic design in America

What does it mean to be a graphic designer in America today, particularly if you were born in another country? Karlssonwilker’s Jan Wilker, discusses his adoptive country and how it influences his work with Adrian Shaughnessy

Paris gets greater

A hugely ambitious project, involving 68 new Metro stations, seeks to expand our idea of Paris beyond the old city and into the suburbs. Eliza Williams talks to Rémi Babinet, of advertising agency BETC, about what the changes might mean for the city

Tourism campaigns, the good ones

The world is packed with wonder and variety, but genuinely original tourism ads are few and far between. Mark Tungate tracks down some of the most innovative campaigns of recent years

On transforming London’s neglected spaces

As a hybrid between property developer and social enterprise, Make Shift is overhauling London’s neglected places and reopening them to local people. CR met with Make Shift Managing Lead James Leay to find out why the model works

Chris Stein’s New York

Point of View, a new photography book from Blondie co-founder Chris Stein, reveals New York in the 1970s and 80s in all its gritty glory. Eliza Williams talks to him about what remains from those creative times

How to brand a place

Today’s place branding is about much more than logos. Rachael Steven talks to five experts about the challenges and complexities of designing visual identities for countries, cities and neighbourhoods

Bringing the Guardian’s advertising in-house

Faced with the challenge of creating a wide variety of messaging across multiple channels with a tight budget, the Guardian, like many brands, has switched to a largely in-house model for its advertising. We talk to the team about why it works

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