At home with Michael Wolff
The latest issue of YCN’s members’ magazine features an interview with Wolff Olins co-founder Michael Wolff. To accompany the article, YCN has also released a short film shot at the designer’s home in North London…
Collector’s Edition: the cover bomb series
Artists, designers and musicians including Stanley Donwood, Wayne Coyne, Nick Cave and Robert ‘3D’ del Naja have ‘cover bombed’ copies of limited edition packaging book Collector’s Edition. The one-off designs will be auctioned online by author Stuart Tolley to raise money for The Alzheimer’s Society.
CR September: Graduate issue
This year we’ve approached our graduate issue slightly differently. Covering the shows (and talent) on the blog, in print we decided to see just where a creative education can take you – from becoming production designer on Game of Thrones or Rihanna’s creative director, to working as head of visual creative for Save the Children
Jude Law stars in new Johnnie Walker ad
Johnnie Walker Blue Label has released a new ad-cum-short film online, which features actors Jude Law and Giancarlo Giannini engaging in a ‘gentlemen’s wager’ over the ownership of a beautiful sail boat…
Sagmeister and the ‘bullshit’ around storytelling
Stefan Sagmeister has vehemently dismissed the current vogue among creative types to label themselves ‘storytellers’ as ‘bullshit’.
TDC: Judges’ Choices
Ahead of the announcement of the winners of this year’s Type Directors Club awards, we have the judges’ choices of their favourite projects this year
Sagmeister & Walsh rebrand New York’s Jewish Museum
Sagmeister & Walsh has designed a new visual identity for New York’s Jewish Museum based on the same ancient geometry as the Star of David.
Stories from Cape Town
Collaboration was a strong theme at this year’s Design Indaba, with talks from a diverse range of speakers
Design Indaba Day 3
The final day of Design Indaba featured some moving, funny and uplifting presentations rom Stefan Sagmeister, Alt Group’s Dean Poole and South Africa’s most treasured photographer, David Goldblatt. Here’s a look at some of the best bits…
Design Indaba: Day 2
Day 2 of Design Indaba featured talks from Pentagram designer DJ Stout, South African photographers Zanele Muholi and Nandipha Mntambo and AlmapBBDO creative director Marcello Serpa…
What’s On
CR’s pick of exhibitions, design events and creative activities for the week ahead including data visualisation exhibition Beautiful Science at the British Library, Erwin Blumenfeld in Zürich, Design Indaba in Cape Town, scrap metal graphics from David Buckingham in London, a letterpress masterclass at the Ditchling Museum, Hipgnosis album artwork talk and signing in Birmingham, Letizia Battaglia in Liverpool, and the Arctic Design Week …
Design Indaba 2014
Global creative conference Design Indaba returns to Cape Town on February 26. The line-up so far is impressive, with talks from Thomas Heatherwick, Stefan Sagmeister, Experimental Jetset and photographer David Goldblatt…
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
