New Age Thinking
The ageing populations of Western economies pose huge social and political challenges, but they also offer a great opportunity. Patrick Burgoyne reports
CR Club: Alan Kitching talk and tour of GraphicsRCA
To launch CR Club – our new subscriber initiative – we are holding a free invite-only event: a talk by the world-renowned typographer and letterpress practitioner, Alan Kitching, which will take place at The Royal College of Art in London coinciding with their GraphicsRCA: Fifty Years exhibition
TM: The Untold Stories Behind 29 Classic Logos
New book TM is the result of eighteen months of research to expand our 2011 ‘logos’ issue into a collection of in-depth case studies on 29 of the world’s best examples – from British Steel, Centre Pompidou and ERCO, to the Musée d’Orsay, Pirelli and UPS
David Abbott: gentleman genius of advertising
David Abbott, one of the true greats of British advertising, passed away on Saturday, aged 75. He will be remembered for a very rare combination of creative skill, business acumen and humanity
Ken Sequin’s Polish Adventure
Showing at the Kemistry Gallery in London is an enticing display of Polish posters from the 1960s. The collection belongs to designer and artist Ken Sequin, who acquired the works in 1964 having secured £200 for a student research trip to eastern Europe
Mike Dempsey at Typo Circle
One of the UK design industry’s true greats, Mike Dempsey, is to give the next Typographic Circle lecture
A century of good coverage
An exhibition on the history of the Radio Times reveals much about the changing state of the magazine industry
Phil’s Found Folk
As part of the Jerwood Space’s After Hours show, which contributor Nick Asbury wrote about on the blog on Monday, Phil Carter’s Found Folk series is proving to be a highlight. So here are a few more pictures of his wooden creations, along with some further details on how he makes them
Alan Fletcher archive goes live
A few minutes ago the Alan Fletcher archive, Work and Play, went live online. It looks to be both a fantastic resource and tribute to the late British designer’s work
50 (sometimes) glorious years
As part of its 50th birthday celebrations, D&AD has put together a history of its half century as told by its Presidents. Together, they remember the good, the bad, the arguments and the annuals. And a few take the opportunity to grind some axes too…
EnsamaidART’s delicious designs
To raise funds for a local charity, Majorca-based designers Astrid Stavro and Pablo Martín invited designers from around the world to create stickers to adorn a special edition series of boxes containing the island’s national cake, the ensaïmada
“D&AD? That was all my idea”
50 years ago, a group of designers and art directors came together to create a platform for showcasing the best work in London
Creatives on the books that shaped them
We speak to figures from the worlds of design, advertising, and more about the books they’ve learned the most from over the course of their careers
Who will win the online education arms race?
E-learning, bootcamps and workshops are all booming, but what does it take to survive long term in the world of learning? Mastered’s Perri Lewis and SuperHi’s Rik Lomas discuss the big questions education providers face
One Hundred Years tells the story of Hackney through the ages
Published by Hoxton Mini Press, Jenny Lewis’ new photo book features 100 portraits of 100 Hackney locals – from a newborn through to a centenarian
How I Got Here: Hillary Coe, AKQA
Designer, drag racer and analogue astronaut Hillary Coe has joined AKQA as principal of experience, following a position as director of design at SpaceX. She talks to us about creating roles for herself that didn’t exist and embedding adventure into her life and work
The Fandangoe Kid on creativity as catharsis
Artist Annie Nicholson, aka The Fandangoe Kid, shares how grief has shaped her practice, and discusses the complexities of using creativity to work through trauma
Polly Irungu on creating Black Women Photographers
The platform Black Women Photographers was set up in 2020 to create a community that empowers Black women and non-binary photographers. Here Irungu discusses her motivations and the journey she’s been on
Penguin’s Len Deighton covers are a twist on classic 60s book jackets
A new Modern Classics collection of the British writer’s spy novels reinterprets the chevron graphics of Raymond Hawkey’s original Penguin paperback covers
Inside the VFX boom
The VFX artists behind Disney’s award-winning film The One and Only Ivan talk about tapping into their secret inner thespian and why VFX is in the midst of a golden period
Making sense of the NFT gold rush
NFTs have been all over the news, spreading a mix of confusion and excitement in equal measure. Here, James Britton, group managing director at Stink Studios, explores what opportunities they might open up for artists and designers
Donald Graham Burt on making a career in production design
The Oscar-winning production designer discusses his journey from night janitor to one of David Fincher’s most trusted collaborators, plus his work on the director’s latest film Mank
How design is bringing new places to life
The past year has created a new emphasis on our surroundings, leading to an acute awareness of whether areas really serve their communities. We explore how place branding and marketing have been adjusted to reflect this
Inter Milan introduces stripped back ‘I am’ logo
Bureau Borsche is responsible for the updated visual identity, which is tailored for digital environments and, according to the club, aims to “establish itself as an icon of culture as well as sport”
Why portrait photography is all about trust
CR speaks to three portrait photographers about why they were drawn to the art form, and the importance of trust and collaboration when working with a subject
Rachel Seidu’s photography captures what she sees around her
The Lagos-based photographer is inspired by her environment and favours close crops to capture the emotions of her subjects
Kara Haupt on art directing for daily news websites
Haupt is senior art director for the websites of NBC News, Today and MSNBC. Here she talks about the importance of commissioning and the pressure of millions of viewers every day
My breakthrough moment: Simon Buckley
“I wanted to be Ultravox, but sometimes I worry I’ve ended up like Joe Dolce.” Simon Buckley’s photograph of Manchester in the rain became a viral sensation in 2019. He explains what happened next
Confessions of a former Trump designer
As the founder of social impact agency Smakk, Katie Klencheski’s mission feels a million miles away from the Trump Hotels brand that she helped establish in the early noughties. She discusses how the experience taught her the importance of practicing what you preach
Photographers finding humour in the streets
Everyday life is packed with unintentionally comical moments – if only you have the skills to spot them. Here, three photographers discuss ways of capturing humour on our streets
Documenting the drag explosion
Armed with her camera, Linda Simpson found herself at the heart of New York’s burgeoning drag scene in the 80s. Her new book gives an insight into the hedonistic heights and melancholic lows that came to define the era
Radio 2 becomes one of the family in quirky new campaign
Presenters including Sara Cox and Rylan Clark-Neal join some enjoyably awkward family photos, complete with matching outfits, disgruntled children and swathes of 80s lycra
An oral history of the Old Spice ads
First launched in 2010, Wieden + Kennedy Portland’s shirtless one-shot ads for P&G brand Old Spice turned heads and spawned a cascade of spinoffs. We retrace how the ads were made with the creatives as well as The Man himself, Isaiah Mustafa
Alex Merto on his less is more approach to book cover design
Having designed book covers for around ten years, Merto says his process is driven fully by the book rather than his own personal style
Tackling graphic design’s relationship with race
In new book The Design of Race, Peter Fine discusses how technology, graphic design, typography and photography have all influenced ideas of race in America
The golden age of webcomics
Dwindling attention spans and a hunger for immediate punchlines mean webcomics are flourishing – and they have plenty to teach us about what the internet finds funny. We talk to artists Alex Norris, Sarah Andersen and Reza Farazmand to find out more
