An interview with Von
Illustrator Von’s latest solo exhibition, Elsewhere, opens at KK Outlet in London next week. We spoke to the artist about the show, his creative influences and balancing commercial and personal work…
Record sleeves of the month
This month’s pick of the finest album artwork we’ve spotted in the past few weeks features an animated cover for Bombay Bicycle Club, script generated work by Atyp and some intriguing photo collage work for Black Devil Disco Club.
Fontsmith’s FS Emeric launch campaign
London type design studio Fontsmith has launched its latest font family, FS Emeric, with a specimen book designed by Blair Thomson of Believe in – plus a set of type posters designed by eleven top studios…
Nice publications
This month we’ve got five new publications for your discerning eyes: the latest from both Victionary and Nobrow, issue two of Fourth & Main Journal, issue eight of Popshot magazine, and a look at new magazine, Perdiz…
Press play: the future of music magazines
Mainstream music magazines may no longer be as vital to fans as they once were, but a new wave of independent titles is keeping the relationship alive
Nokia’s new Pure type
To celebrate the launch of a brand new bespoke typeface created by Dalton Maag for Nokia, branding and communications agency DesignStudio has commissioned a raft of new posters by the likes of Build, Cartlidge Levene, Hello Von, North and Alex Trochut…
A Honda full of hipsters, and two new music videos
Hipsters in Hondas, forced smile weirdness, and animal photofit. All in one blog post!
The everyday airbrush we take for granted
Photoshop is 20, but has the creative industry gained, or lost, from its ubiquity?
Penguin Classics team up with (RED) for typographic covers
Penguin has collaborated with AIDS awareness fund (RED) and a team of designers to produce new covers for eight Penguin Classics. Each cover replaces the usual black band with red, employing a quote from the text of the book as the visual hit (covers by Coralie Bickford-Smith shown left and Non-Format, right)
Salford students’ CR covers
Students from Pendleton College in Salford design their own covers for CR
Art Vinyl’s sleeves of 2008
1st place: Fleet Foxes’ Fleet Foxes. Design: Dusty Summers, Sasha Barr and Robin Pecknold (original painting: Netherlandish Proverbs by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1559)
Art Vinyl, the London-based gallery (and purveyor of the Play and Display sleeve frame), has revealed the results of their competition to find the best vinyl sleeve of 2008. With all online votes counted, Fleet Foxes’ debut album emerged as the winner. Interestingly, both it and third placer, Coldplay’s Viva la Vida, make use of historic paintings. Click through for highlights from AV’s list and a few of our favourites that didn’t quite make their top 20…
The history of the open plan office
From its surprisingly radical roots to its role post-pandemic, Jennifer Kaufmann-Buhler – assistant professor of design history at Purdue University – talks CR through the legacy of the open plan office
Inside the design boom at ad agencies
We talk to Wieden + Kennedy Portland, Droga5 London and Mother Design about bringing together design and advertising work under one roof, and the perception of design work produced at ad agencies
Inside the surreal world of Slowthai
As Slowthai reveals his introspective side with new album Tyron, we speak to frequent collaborators Crowns & Owls about the album art’s attempt to crack the glossy veneer of fame, and why the Northampton-born rapper is still the voice of a generation
CR’s pick of the 2021 Super Bowl ads
While the pandemic inevitably ushered in some changes to this year’s Super Bowl, we saw some familiar trends in the advertising around the big game
Lakwena on belief, mythology and making a statement
The London-based artist discusses the motivation and process behind her epic painted murals, which combine vibrant colour palettes with uplifting messages that are rooted in spirituality
Twitter’s new identity reflects the messiness of life online
Created by Twitter’s in-house team and French studio Irradié, the social media platform’s refreshed branding features an “intentionally imperfect” aesthetic and new brand font, Chirp
Oliver Jeffers on changing plans
The artist and children’s book author shares how Covid derailed his travel and career plans and how he’s adapted his life and creative practice as a result
The changing nature of book cover design
Donna Payne, Faber’s creative director, explains her creative process when designing a cover, and touches upon the impact of the pandemic and the boost in online sales it’s prompted
How I Work: Bukola Garry, adam&eveDDB
The ad agency’s new head of diversity, equality and inclusion talks to us about her experiences in advertising, her plans for the role, and why it isn’t about being the ‘PC police’
Denizen Works: in praise of off-kilter creativity
Murray Kerr, founder of architecture practice Denizen Works, shares his purposefully ‘naïve’ approach to design and discusses the challenges of leading his studio off the beaten path
Reverting to Type exhibition features protest posters by 100 letterpress artists
The online exhibition features a mix of famous names and less-heard voices, who all use letterpress techniques to express their feelings on a range of contemporary issues
The evolution of street art
While art shown indoors may have temporarily lost its audience to the pandemic, street art is on the rise. Here, Hazel Davis reflects on how the medium is growing ever more part of the art establishment, yet can still be used as a force for change
Behind the scenes of Burger King’s juicy rebrand
JKR executive creative director Lisa Smith explains why the fast food giant ditched the glossy buns and embraced a bit of nostalgia, to become “how you imagine BK to be on its best day”
Jack Forrest’s daily poster project puts an emphasis on bold typography
Having just graduated, the designer experiments with different styles and imagery in his posters to challenge himself and connect with the design community
How crucial is luck in making great work?
Lucky Generals founding partner Andy Nairn talks to us about why brands and organisations should embrace strategies to encourage a stroke of luck – and also recognise the positives in bad fortune
Seesaws along US-Mexico border named the Design Museum’s top pick of 2020
Teeter-Totter Wall has been announced as the overall winner of the Beazley Designs of the Year, while category winners include a Covid-19 visualisation and a portable school
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
