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
Anthony Burrill has designed a seven-storey-high mural for Leeds
Black and white lettering stretches 88ft high in the designer’s biggest artwork so far, which adorns the end of a historic canal-side building in the city
How to survive 2021: A Guide for Creatives
With the uncertainty and challenges of 2020 following us into the new year, we talk to a number of industry experts about the ways that creatives can survive – and even thrive – in 2021
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
Burger King unveils a tasty new look
Created in collaboration with JKR, the fast food giant’s first rebrand in over 20 years features a more digital-friendly burger logo and an appropriately named brand font, Flame
How I Got Here: Joseph Rodriguez
As a taxi driver in the 70s and 80s, photographer Joseph Rodriguez captured the intensity of New York City from the driver’s seat. He talks to us about his childhood, learning from the greats, and his ‘get close’ mantra
Photographer Sydney Rahimtoola explores myth and heritage in her work
Images of mythical creatures and domestic sorcery are all part of artist and photographer Sydney Rahimtoola’s attempt to document the “little magical moments” of everyday life
Do advertising creatives need a union?
As the ad industry moves increasingly quickly towards a freelance model, our advertising correspondent Ben Kay asks whether it’s time for creatives to unionise
New trailer for the BBC celebrates the broadcaster’s creativity
At a time when criticism of the BBC feels more intense than ever, the broadcaster has put together a two-minute film to remind us all of the quality programming it delivers
Why simplicity is the way ahead for social media in 2021
As We Are Social releases its annual trends report, chief strategy officer Mobbie Nazir reveals evidence of a move towards simpler and kinder social media habits that look to brands for assistance rather than aspiration
Trends of 2020: The year in film and TV
Streaming giants ruled the roost once again in 2020, while many of us also sought comfort in the familiarity of public service broadcasters, in a year where we’ve essentially been forced to stay glued to our sofas
The best magazine covers of 2020
In a year of flux, magazine covers were dominated by radical change, calls for change and the changemakers themselves. We look back at ten of our favourites
The Creative’s Gambit
The Netflix hit series The Queen’s Gambit has brought chess back into the limelight. Here, ad creative Marta Morientes – an avid chess player in her youth – explains how the game has helped her to be a better creative
What will British branding look like post-Brexit?
Is branding’s post-Brexit future a sea of Union Jacks, or does the UK’s exit from the European Union offer a chance for companies to explore what being British actually means?
Inside Ricardo Cavolo’s wild drawings
As he releases a new book, the Barcelona-based artist talks to us about his creative process, and what it’s like to be introduced to the visual arts from the day you were born
A QR Code Renaissance?
QR codes have received an unexpected resurrection during Covid-19, becoming a vital tool for navigating pandemic life. But will they sink back into the depths when no longer needed? Stink Studios’ James Britton hopes not
Malika Favre’s sexy Kama Sutra alphabet is now available in book form
The illustrator’s 26 saucy letters have been immortalised in print, thanks to a glossy hardback book from Counter-Print
Ben & Jerry’s: Peace, love and ice cream
Ben & Jerry’s global social mission officer Dave Rapaport talks to Anna Burzlaff, head of cultural insights and strategy agency Truth, about the brand’s approach to activism, and what it takes to make credible change in the world today
Can creativity save restaurants from Covid-19?
Hospitality has been hit hard by the pandemic, but in the midst of increased restrictions restaurateurs are finding creative ways to reach hungry punters at home. Here, we delve into how restaurant brands are adapting to the new normal
Xinmei Liu’s images are inspired by old Chinese propaganda posters
With commissions from the New York Times and Medium, Xinmei Liu enjoys combining nostalgia with satire to create surreal and surprising illustrations
Getting to know Tony’s Chocolonely
The Tony’s Chocolonely brand started as a way to change the cocoa industry. Here, we get an insight into its visual branding and what being a responsible chocolate brand means
How I Got Here: Brian Rea
Modern Love illustrator Brian Rea recounts a childhood filled with stories, shares the struggles of embracing his style and tells CR why words have gained a new importance for him later in his career
The BakeKing’s hyperrealistic cake creations
Ben Cullen has built up a cult following for his mesmerising illusion cakes, which have appeared everywhere from Slowthai’s recent music video to Jurgen Klopp’s birthday party. He talks about how his career journey took him from graphic design to tattooing to cake artistry
Oxford Circus’s tube signs are now PlayStation-themed
TfL’s hallowed roundel has been transformed into the iconic PlayStation symbols, as part of a stunt to celebrate the launch of Sony’s latest console
Teenagers dress for proms that never happened in Alys Tomlinson’s Lost Summer
The photographer’s portraits of teenagers, taken after the cancellation of milestone events such as proms and graduations, emphasise the impact of 2020’s summer lockdown
Can an algorithm unpick gender bias in storytelling?
A new illustrated book of classic fairytales uses technology to illuminate gender bias by reversing the gender of the characters and narratives
Irvine Welsh on creativity and cancel culture
The author explores the rise of cancel culture in new documentary Offended by Irvine Welsh, where he discusses the threat that the phenomenon poses to the creative industries and why he thinks Trainspotting wouldn’t be published today
Stanley Donwood takes uplifting new artworks to the streets
The artist and long-time Radiohead collaborator has left his “depressing flyposters” behind in favour of new artworks designed to spread joy in ten cities across the UK
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
Logos are losing their taches for Movember
Julius Pringles and Colonel Sanders have both been subjected to a shave to celebrate the month-long Movember challenge
