Why neutrality is a powerful tool for grassroots abortion campaign graphics
Designing graphics around abortion is a tricky balance: too strident, they further alienate the people a campaign needs to reach; too plain, they risk being ignored
How CALM moved away from mental health’s ‘sad lad’ image
Simon Gunning, CEO of the suicide prevention charity, explains why its “hit-driven” brand partnership approach works – and why more nonprofits should behave like brands
Rebranding health and fitness for a new generation
As brands adopt new ways of representing health and fitness, semiotics specialist Julius Colwyn reflects on how health and hedonism converged, and why Gen Z is partly – but not wholly – responsible
Does the NHS need a rebrand?
The blue-and-white ‘lozenge’ is an iconic symbol in the UK and beyond, but is it time for an update, or is the logo still in rude health? Design critic Alice Rawsthorn, St Luke’s ECD Richard Denney, and Nalla Design owner Vicki Young take its pulse
Imagining our future bodies
How will new ways of designing our bodies and our health, including gene editing, affect our future selves? Lucy McRae explores these concepts in her art, presenting radical sci-fi ideas that are rooted in science fact
How to design a successful health app
We examine some of the key design considerations that go into making an effective health app – from making the UX as seamless as possible to taking inspiration from out-of-category
How design is steering the CBD category
We look at how branding and packaging design are helping CBD products stand out in an ever-changing wellness market
The strange role of disgust in health advertising
Traditionally, adverts have used disgust to disturb consumers and in turn warn them about health dangers, but it turns out there is a thin line between aversion and attraction
Live, love but don’t laugh: making the case for inspirational quotes
They’ve been memeified, mocked and parodied, but inspirational quotes are taking on a new lease of life in the hands of illustrators and designers
Ione Gamble on chronic illness and creativity
The editor of Polyester zine reflects on being diagnosed with a life-changing illness aged 19, and how it’s led her to chart her own path through the creative industries
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
Creativity Sucks! podcast returns with an episode on humour
We ease you gently into the fourth series of Creative Review’s podcast with a discussion on humour in advertising, looking at what works and what doesn’t
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
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
Loewe’s brand film finally explains how to pronounce its name
Aubrey Plaza stars in a spelling bee contest through the ages as part of a new short from Loewe, which addresses the long-standing confusion over how to pronounce the fashion brand’s name
What happened to NFTs?
Non-fungible tokens experienced a gold rush a couple of years ago, before mainstream interest waned and the market went into decline. Artist Robert Alice, who has edited an extensive new book on NFTs, talks to us about one of the most elusive, and divisive, web3 developments
Dawn Baillie’s famous movie posters go on display
The Anatomy of a Movie Poster exhibition brings together the award-winning designer’s portfolio of posters for films including The Silence of the Lambs, Little Miss Sunshine, and The Grand Budapest Hotel
Why brand language matters
Opening Line founder Zosia Swidlicka discusses why the world of brand language remains so misunderstood, and how it inspired her to create her new publication Between the Lines
Tracing the influence of prolific art director Alexey Brodovitch
An exhibition and accompanying monograph sheds light on the work of the photographer, designer and art director, who transformed the pages of Harper’s Bazaar over nearly a quarter of a century
From advertising to Hollywood and back again
It’s easy to assume that making the leap into movies is the holy grail for those in advertising, but the path between the two industries is far from one way
How to bring online fandom into the real world
Shifting online success into the real world requires a delicate balance of staying authentic to the digital community while allowing space for others to join, says Paul Tynan, creative director at I-Am