Great crowdsourced video from Moniker
Design studio Moniker in Amsterdam has created this excellent music video-cum-website for the song Kilo by the band Light Light which is super fun to play with…
Together in electric dreams
Nexus Productions made its name in animation but is now branching out into the interactive arts, with a new roster of artists skilled in creating everything from iPhone apps to large-scale installations
Chicken Bones, Ikea cats, a DIY film and more nice work
Looking for a way to while away the last few hours of the working week? Well, look no more, for here is a round-up of some of the wonderful work we’ve seen at CR Towers recently, for your delectation…
The Wouters work their Rainbowgun
Job and Roel Wouters’ film 1234567 is part of the If You Could Collaborate show in London, but you can also watch their Rainbowgun in action on CR Blog
If You Could Collaborate
The fourth annual If You Could exhibition has opened: CR was lucky enough to have a preview of the 33 collaborative projects on show
If You Could Collaborate
For their fourth annual exhibition, the If You Could team will be showing the fruits of some intriguing creative collaborations in January
The website on a trolley
This is the homepage of the site for W139, an Amsterdam-based exhibition and production space for contemporary art. All the elements sit on a trolley that is wheeled around the space and photographed from above
Letman: tickling the eye
Job Wouters, aka Letman, puts a modern spin on the archaic practice of handlettering. CR asks him about his work…
TheYouTube dilemma
YouTube provides a steady stream of inspiration to ad creatives, but it leaves directors vulnerable and agencies open to rip-off claims
It’s Nice That (it’s now in print as well)
HudonBec’s It’s Nice That blog has just been turned into a printed magazine. Issue 1 is out now
The YouTube Dilemma
YouTube provides inspiration to creatives, but it also leaves young directors vulnerable and agencies open to accusations of plagiarism. What’s the solution?
Great New Videos
Running With The Beast by zZz, by Roel Wouters
Here’s a selection of some of the most interesting new videos that have passed through CR Towers of late. First up, Roel Wouters courts controversy in his latest video for zZz, for new track Running With The Beast. (Warning: some viewers may find this film upsetting.)
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
