Why design needs magick
UX and Design Thinking are leaving designers neutered and constrained, says Graham Wood. Through the applied combination of imagination and craft, it’s time to put the magick back
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The power of brand: the fintech challenge
As fintech is maturing entrepreneurs and legacy institutions will have to take a brand-led approach to user experience, says Territory Projects’ Lee Fasciani
Designer Matthew Young on turning the Penguin Monarchs series paperback
Penguin’s popular Monarchs series is now available in paperback, featuring colour-coded covers and a clever graphic family tree system. We talk to designer Matthew Young about the process behind their creation
Beyond: Rebranding funeral care
London agency SomeOne has created a surprisingly cheerful identity for funeral comparison service Beyond – one that avoids clichés and sympathy in favour of a bold colour palette and a friendly mascot
Faber & Faber focuses on illustration for short story collection
Covers for the Faber Stories collection bring together 80 years of writing using classic Berthold Wolpe type and a neon coral colour palette
Wolfgang Tillmans on his set design for the ENO’s War Requiem
Turner Prize-winning artist Wolfgang Tillmans is making his debut as a set designer this month, for a new production of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem at the ENO in London. We talk to him about the project
Ask Anna: How important is data when producing creative?
Data is a popular buzzword throughout the creative industries. But how can it help the creative journey? This is the question posed to CR’s agony aunt, Anna Higgs, in her latest column
How Kate Dawkins Studio helped mark Armistice Centenary
Working to a five-week deadline, the design studio created two video projection sequences for the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. Here’s how they did it
How I Work: Elizabeth Galbraith, BBC Good Food
BBC Good Food is a culinary behemoth, reaching millions via its online and TV channels, magazine, apps and live events. Here we speak to Acting Creative Director Elizabeth Galbraith about designing in an ever-changing media landscape and how they pick their recipes
A design system for Sainsbury’s
Luna combines both visual guidelines and design solutions for common tasks across Sainsbury’s digital products and services. What are the benefits and challenges of introducing such a design system?
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
Pentagram adds a Japanese twist to the American diner for Ichibuns
Partner Angus Hyland has taken inspiration from the London-based restaurant’s colourful, post-war ‘Shōwa Era’ interiors, refreshing its visual identity and other graphic materials
Paul Simonon on creating the artwork for The Good, The Bad & The Queen
Paul Simonon contributes to the music on Merrie Land, the second album from The Good, The Bad & The Queen, but has also created the visuals for the release. We talk to him about his inspirations, creating art with Nescafé coffee, and Brexit
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
The CR podcast episode 15: Stefan Sagmeister on beauty
In this special edition of CR Podcast, recorded at Sagmeister & Walsh’s studio in New York, we talk to Stefan Sagmeister about why beauty matters in design
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