The creative opportunities of the metaverse
Everyone is talking about the metaverse, but what opportunities does it really hold for creatives and designers? John Cassy of immersive content studio Factory 42 offers some advice on how to get involved
Introducing Unboxed: A festival of creativity for the UK
Headed up by chief creative officer Martin Green, Unboxed will showcase free events, installations and digital experiences right across the nation next year
Inside the French Dispatch
Wes Anderson’s star-studded film follows the dramas that unravel in a fictional French city, told from the perspective of expat journalists. We look at how graphic design and illustration brought the movie to life
How OnJam adapted live performances for the pandemic
As part of a new series where we speak to creative businesses founded during the pandemic, OnJam co-founder Emily Ingram talks about starting a business with a stranger, combining skillsets, and how to survive in the long term
Leading Shakespeare into the digital forest
In the wake of a new virtual and digital interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by the RSC and Marshmallow Laser Feast, director Robin McNicholas discusses the challenges of recreating theatre magic in a game engine and the immersive future that awaits us all
Fortnum & Mason calls on theatreland creatives for joyful displays
The historic department store hired six artists who work in theatre and set design to create cheery window displays
How the tech revolution failed creatives
Tech firms once claimed they could set us free. But, as a new book points out, for those working in the creative industries, the offering has proved a particularly bad deal
English National Ballet goes virtual for the festive season
The ballet company is marking its first digital season with five original dance films that are being released every week up until Christmas on its new digital platform, ENB at Home
The theatrics of Lucy Prebble
Following the release of her explosive phone-hack series I Hate Suzie, Lucy Prebble talks about her belief that every story benefits from a little drama, and how an ongoing infatuation with tech inspired her to write for video games
Paula Scher’s 2020-21 Public Theater identity reflects the times
Paula Scher teamed with the institution on a ‘work in progress’ design for its 2020-2021 season, featuring stencilled typography to show how theatre has had to improvise in more ways than one
Can creative events ever be sustainable?
Events are one of the largest challenges for creatives who are aiming to be sustainable in their practice. Here, Megan Williams talks to industry leaders across art, fashion and music who are finding ways to respond to the climate emergency in events and production without compromising on creativity
What Would I Change: Kaye Dunnings, Shangri-La
As part of CR’s series exploring what creatives would change about their industries following this enforced period of lockdown, Shangri-La creative director Kaye Dunnings reflects on the future of events
Why the creative industry needs Channel 4
With the UK Government planning to privatise the 40-year-old broadcaster, CR speaks to current and former C4 employees about what makes it special, and the unique role it’s played in pioneering creativity
New Lacoste campaign emphasises the brand’s ageless style
Via a series of print ads and commercials, Lacoste demonstrates how its clothes will make you look cool, whatever age you are
What should the metaverse look like?
We look at how environments in the metaverse should be designed if they’re going to attract and maintain the interest of audiences – and who should get to design them
What Charles and Ray Eames can teach designers today
Charles & Ray Eames didn’t just create iconic pieces of design – they thought of themselves as ‘tradesmen’ whose job was to create better, longer-lasting products. Llisa Demetrios, Eames Institute chief curator and granddaughter of the pair, discusses what we can learn from them
JKR rebrands Magnolia Bakery in New York, home of the cupcake
The brand, which leapt to fame after an appearance in Sex and the City in the 90s, has a new identity as it announces growth plans
Can you actually design a creative district?
Traditionally, creative communities have formed organically — but development companies believe that infrastructure and a ‘build it and they will come’ approach can be just as vital as following the hip crowd
Woo is on a mission to rebrand wellness
Backed by ITV, the new media brand is ditching the wellness industry’s well-worn tropes in the hope of redefining self-care for Gen Z audiences
Campbell Addy’s journey to Feeling Seen
In just six years, photographer Campbell Addy has carved a distinctive place within the fashion industry. Here he talks to Gem Fletcher about his new book Feeling Seen and the importance of friendship, community and intimacy in his work
Home is where the art is: how the pandemic sparked creativity
While the pandemic has been difficult for many creatives, others have found that an enforced period of time in one place has proved highly productive. We talk to a mix of photographers and filmmakers about the advantages of staying put
Why hasn’t digital technology led to better ads?
The access to information, ideas and inspiration that advertising creatives have today is mind-boggling. Yet it hasn’t necessarily made ads better. Ben Kay examines the reasons why
What makes an album cover iconic?
A new show at the Photographers’ Gallery in London examines the historic role imagemakers have played in helping build musicians’ brands. We explore why this relationship is more vital than ever in the streaming age
Susan Kare’s pioneering Macintosh icons are on display in France
The Icons exhibition, hosted at Lyon’s Museum of Printing and Graphic Communication, shows Kare’s pixelated artworks alongside Byzantine and Egyptian iconography and other historic pieces
The great gardening rebrand
A gang of upstart new gardening businesses are tapping into the world’s collective plant addiction, and design and branding is pivotal to their success
Greg Hoffman’s lessons from a creative life at Nike
Following his departure from Nike after almost three decades, the former CMO’s new book discusses what businesses large and small can learn from the brand’s innovative approach to creativity
The creatives making and illustrating their own radio shows
Jiro Bevis and Joseph Melhuish discuss how they landed their own radio shows, and what it takes to make the brilliant imagery that accompanies them
How School injects humanity into digital spaces
The New York-based creative studio School aims to spark curiosity, joy and interaction in its designs. But none of it is frivolous, its founders explain
Why pet food is having a design moment
In the past decade the pet food market has transformed: traditional kibble is out in the cold and a new breed of innovative, design-friendly brands represent our evolving relationship with our furry friends
How NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio makes stories out of stats
Creating viral science graphics requires design, storytelling and a bit of careful rule-breaking. Mark SubbaRao, lead at NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio, tells CR how they turn complex data into compelling visual narratives
Harry Ead on leaving – and going back to – DixonBaxi
While returning to a previous place of work can sometimes be viewed as a step backwards for career progression, creative director Harry Ead’s experience has been quite the opposite. Here, he tells us why
Big Type celebrates the joy of supergraphics
Oversized typography gets its day in the sun thanks to Counter-Print’s new book, which examines what it is we love about really big letters
