How to be an independent
If you’re going to self-publish, you need a passion for your subject and a unique take on it
Fight for your copy rights
Great long copy ads and the skills that go with creating them are in danger of extinction. It’s time to take a stand
The word on the street
A new survey of typographic installations shows how using the right words can make a big difference to civic experience
In Search of Hanna
Intrigued by the illustrated covers of 1950s magazine Country Fair, Nick Asbury blogged an appeal to find out more about the artist responsible. Four years later, a comment left by the illustrator’s son began a process of filling in the gaps and rediscovering the career of Australian commercial artist John Hanna
Julia Pott
There’s a certain darkness at the heart of Julia Pott’s work which leaves the viewer wondering about what sort of character could dream it up
Educationally challenged: my love-hate relationship with academics
Academics can really test a designer’s patience (see bullet points), but their enduring love of books makes up for it
Get your CR/Uniqlo T-shirt here
Creative Review has teamed up with Uniqlo and 12 more magazines and journals around the world in the UT Creative Journal Direction project. Each magazine has commissioned a local designer or artist to create a T-shirt for the range which is on sale in Uniqlo worldwide
PSG dreams bigger with new identity
Qatar Sports Investment’s takeover of Paris football club PSG has brought big-name players and a Champions’ League quarter final spot. But an ongoing row over the club’s new logo reveals that not all fans are happy with their club’s wealthy new owners
Healing spaces
The new children’s hospital at The Royal London has done away with uninspiring corridor art and instead offers a colourful, interactive space where patients and families can relax and play – thanks to arts organisation Vital Arts
If all else fails, use cats
As a new app aims to unpick the formula for creating a successful viral ad, we explore the ideal equation to make content supremely shareable
Safety is Their Concern
Health and safety may currently have a bad reputation, but for almost 100 years The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has helped combat risk on the roads, in the workplace and at home using images, type and illustration. The recent rediscovery of its archive reveals a rich design history
New York Times’ new website design: an early appraisal
We asked a few editorial designers to assess how the NYT’s proposed website redesign is shaping up…
Accessibility and Creativity
We explore how the worlds of design, advertising, gaming and illustration are responding to accessibility needs
Creativity Sucks! podcast looks at diversity in the ad and design industries
Diversity, equality and inclusion have been hot topics in the creative industries in the past few years, but are we really making any progress? We discuss in the latest episode of CR’s podcast
How comic books are becoming more accessible
Sound, tactile materials and new technologies are all being used to help bring the visual storytelling of comics to life for blind and partially sighted people
A new campaign spells out the reality of the sewage crisis
AMV BBDO’s campaign for COPI shines a light on sewage spills in UK waterways with the help of a faecal-inspired font
Adam Morse on his journey to directing
Since losing his sight at the age of 19, the filmmaker has gone on to write and direct his first feature film, shoot a Super Bowl ad for Google, and set up a non-profit to help the next generation of disabled creative talent
How accessible wayfinding is going beyond the visual
Speaking to experts in architecture and design, CR looks into how accessible wayfinding has improved by subtly tapping into other senses, and what it needs to do to be truly inclusive
RSPCA reveals first major branding update in 50 years
The UK’s largest animal welfare charity has launched a vibrant, flexible identity by JKR, along with an upbeat campaign created by AMV BBDO that asks for a little respect
How can brands play with controversy in risk-averse times?
In a consumer landscape that favours virtue, with audiences that will call out bad behaviour at the drop of a hat, courting controversy is a risky move. But brands can still use it to their advantage
Matty Matheson’s new branding embraces the basics
The chef, TV personality and The Bear actor has launched a line of pantry staples that lovingly references classic food packaging design
Good Reads: Erotic Review relaunches with a suggestive new look
Studio Frith is behind the creative direction and design of the reincarnated magazine, which is exploring desire in its many forms and complexities today
How Hay built a cult home brand
Mette and Rolf Hay have spent the last two decades elevating everyday objects. Here, the husband-and-wife founders discuss how Hay continually pushes boundaries while sticking to its democratic design values
The Monthly Interview: Glenn Kitson
In the first of a new interview series, Anna Higgs talks to Glenn Kitson about combining a career as an ad director with being a ‘meme lord’, and his strategies to stay centred and fresh in a world which can often just want more of the same