How I Got Here: Leanne Shapton
As a writer, artist, and publisher, Leanne Shapton is a master of spinning plates. CR finds out how a love of Push Pin Studios and growing up immersed in dark tales shaped her creative approach
Material design: creating a sustainable future
We explore how an inventive use of materials can help pave the way for a more sustainable future – whether it’s finding new uses for waste or plant-based alternatives to plastics and leather
The brands taking sustainability seriously
Going green is set to be big business in the coming years, thanks to huge demand for products that are also good for the planet. We speak to Ikea, Ren and Freitag about their approach to sustainability, and how to spot the brands that are simply jumping on the bandwagon
A future without brand purpose
If we’re serious about brands doing less harm and more good in the world, then we need to drop the flawed idea of brand purpose – and retain the good intentions behind it
How artists co-opted surveillance technology
From cameras built into walking sticks to the satellites, drones and harvesting software of the modern day, the birth of photography has enabled an age of total surveillance. How have contemporary artists responded?
The future of food
Rethinking the way that we grow, farm and consume food is set to play a huge role in helping us preserve the planet for future generations. But is our aversion to lab grown meats and ‘frankenplants’ holding us back? CR investigates
How wearables could transform our cities and transport experiences
Brands using wearable tech should be looking beyond the health and entertainment sectors to how these products could change our entire relationship with the city, including its transport, says Luke Miles of New Territory
Flying cars and drone deliveries: how transport design is changing
With self-driving cars poised to take over, designers have the potential to fundamentally alter our relationship with transport. CR spoke with PriestmanGoode’s Paul Priestman and Waymo’s Ryan Powell about what the future might hold
How Ikea is bringing the smart home to the masses
We’re on the cusp of remotely controlling every aspect of our homes – from heating and lighting down to putting the kettle on for a cuppa. Ikea is chasing that dream with its Home Smart initiative, which is proving that connected devices should put people, not technology, first
Do we need a code of ethics for design?
Designers have come under increasing pressure to consider the ethics and potential impact of their work. But what does this mean in practice – particularly if you’re working for a large corporation?
How do film production designers create the future?
CR speaks with High Life production designers Jagna Dobesz and Mela Melak on the challenges of imagining and creating a sci-fi future, and what it takes to bring alternate realities to life
Brands and ‘surveillance capitalism’
With companies capturing information on everything from how we sleep to what we feel, it’s easier than ever for brands to overstep the line with our personal data. Are we sleepwalking into a disaster, or can companies embrace a more ethical use of our information?
Monotype redesigns Helvetica “for the 21st century”
After almost four years of painstaking work, Monotype has created a new version of Helvetica – the ubiquitous typeface used by everyone from Apple to Nestlé and Lufthansa. We talk to Type Director Charles Nix about the challenges of updating a much-loved design
Can we get over our aversion to AI?
Scaremongering news headlines and TV shows like Black Mirror have got many of us fearful that ‘the robots are coming’, while the Japanese have been happily frolicking with robot dogs for decades. We delve into the differing perceptions of AI in East and West
What’s next for personalisation?
Access to better data – and better tech – is allowing brands to experiment with more creative approaches to personalisation. We take a look at some innovative examples – and explore what the next wave of tailored experiences might look like
Designing ourselves: The future of cyborgs
In our tech-obsessed world, merging man and machine could be the next logical step – but comes with a whole host of ethical questions. We speak to activist and artist Neil Harbisson about life as a cyborg, and what the future holds for ‘transpecies’
A new creative dawn for Stoke
Stoke-on-Trent is rebranding itself as a creative industries hub and trying to shed the reputation of being ‘Brexit capital of Britain’
The rise of the grotesque in beauty
Our obsession with perfect beauty is subsiding and being replaced with grotesque, ugly or alien looks. Emma Chiu, Creative Innovation Director at Wunderman Thompson New York, explores the trend
Future of Work: How AI may impact the creative industries
While automation and programmatic technologies have been infiltrating advertising and design for some time now, most designers and creatives still believe they are broadly safe from the invasion of AI. But are they?
Are we expecting too much from Gen A?
In the first edition of a regular column for CR, Patrick Burgoyne reflects on Generation Alpha, and the hopes, dreams and expectations that future-gazers and brands are already placing on their shoulders
Future of Work: Flexible Working
Flexible working is no longer a rarity, but has yet to become the norm that its advocates expect it to be in the future. We examine the challenges that need to be overcome by businesses and wider society before we can all get with the flex
The CR podcast episode 22: photographer Nadav Kander
As Nadav Kander prepares to pick up the Outstanding Contribution gong at the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards later this month, we talk to him about his life in photography
The blurring lines between man and machine
With Alexa, Siri and other voice-controlled ‘virtual assistants’ we are seeing machines take on more and more human attributes. Is this a good thing?
Future of Work: freelance vs full-time
A full-time staff job at an ad agency was once the holy grail for creatives. But as employees seek a more flexible working life, freelancing is becoming increasingly attractive. We look at what it’s like to take the leap, and whether the industry is ready for a new way of working
On getting your advertising noticed
Creating advertising that gets noticed is vital, yet this central point is all too often forgotten, says CR’s ad columnist Ben Kay
Future of Work: How to make the four-day week work
There’s few that wouldn’t jump at the chance to enjoy three days off every week. But how feasible is it for the creative industry, and can design studios and ad agencies get over their always-on mentality? CR finds out
How The Front is giving a voice to female filmmakers
After stepping down as ECD at Vice Media, Thalia Mavros launched The Front: a majority-female production company making stories by women and underrepresented voices. Here we talk to Mavros about the company’s work and its inclusive approach to filmmaking
The changing face of women’s football
Ahead of the hotly anticipated World Cup this summer, we look at whether brands are taking a fresh approach to marketing the women’s game, and the lessons they can take away from the success of campaigns like This Girl Can