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
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
Studio Sutherl&’s identity for St Albans Museum + Gallery
The identity for St Albans’ new museum and arts centre takes inspiration from its medieval coat of arms – and features a clever use of triangles and negative space
Paloma Dawkins: “Games are the future of storytelling”
With their non-linear narratives, trippy hand-drawn imagery and ambient electronic soundtracks, Paloma Dawkins’ experimental art pieces offer an alternative to mainstream gaming. We talk to her as part of our week-long special on gaming
Hackney Arts Centre to open in September, rebranded as EartH
The team behind London’s Village Underground have resurrected the old Savoy cinema in Dalston as a multi-purpose arts space. Going forward it will be known as EartH, and feature a graphics-led identity by 72andSunny Amsterdam
Only Fortnum’s campaign delves into the department store’s history
Fortnum & Mason has commissioned a series of new illustrations for a print campaign celebrating some of its lesser known stories – like the fact that it invented the Scotch egg, and fed hungry sherpas at the summit of Mount Everest
The V&A opens up the ‘black box’ of video game design
In a landmark exhibition dedicated to video games, the V&A is uncovering the behind-the-scenes design of some of the most groundbreaking titles of the last decade. As part of a special week on CR devoted to gaming, we talk to its curator, Marie Foulston
Burberry, Calvin Klein and the changing face of fashion branding
From Burberry to Berluti and Calvin Klein, global fashion brands are replacing historic logos with more minimal designs. We take a look at what this says about the world of haute couture
A new tiger for Tiger of Sweden
Clothing manufacturer Tiger of Sweden has launched a new brand identity, with a tiger symbol based on an illustration found on a suit in the company’s archive
National Geographic, Elle and The Plant announced for ModMag 2018
The ModMag conference is an annual exploration of what makes magazines tick – uncovering the hard work that goes into keeping indie titles afloat, as well as the creatives behind some of the biggest names in publishing
Why is writing the ‘about’ page on a website so hard?
In his latest column, our correspondent Daniel Benneworth-Gray expresses the agonies of writing the ‘about’ page on his website, and why the easy answer is to just keep putting it off
Artomatic brings the joys of print and packaging alive online
Artomatic, makers of ‘exquisite physical objects’, has created a series of films using ASMR for its website that bring some of its best known products to life in all their tactile glory
Paul Pensom on picking a space to set up your studio
In his latest column on life as an independent designer, Paul Pensom discusses the importance of finding the right premises to establish your studio, and how this can be achieved
Lucienne Roberts explores the meaning of ‘nice’
A provocative poster created by graphic artist Oddly Head provided the starting point for Lucienne Roberts’ residency at the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography