There has been a huge cultural shift in the way we view the great outdoors in recent years, particularly in the wake of the pandemic and our increased desire to spend time in nature for both our physical and mental health. Couple that with technical outdoor retailers’ newfound appeal to style-conscious consumers (see the North Face x Gucci collab that...
Creativity Sucks! looks at the role of design in politics
It goes without saying that we are living through complex political times. With division rife across the political spectrum, and voters often turned off by infighting and game-playing, the role of communication and design for politicians is more important than ever. So for the latest episode of Creativity Sucks!, CR’s new podcast which looks at some of the challenges facing...
Joel Holland’s book of NYC stores is a visual homage to the city
Like many a great project, NYC Storefronts was born from the creative limitations that lockdown presented. Authored by New York-based illustrator Joel Holland, and recently published as a book by Prestel, the series of over 200 drawings features the façades of shops all over the Big Apple. From record stores and bookshops to florists and salons, the city’s dizzying array...
Kavi Pujara’s photos retrace his steps back to Leicester
Kavi Pujara’s newly released body of work sees him rediscover a pocket of Leicester near to where he grew up – a multicultural stretch of the city known as the Golden Mile. It’s an area he describes as “the last mile of a long journey to Britain”, but it’s the surrounding neighbourhoods feeding into it which have Pujara’s attention. The...
Anna Johannes on why good design is design for everyone
Interbrand strategist and Paralympian Anna Johannes discusses how disability has to stop being an afterthought in the design process, and why creatives need to spend more time talking to disabled people...
Remembering Dan Wieden
“I’m an old hippie, a wayward child. We never expected to be this successful.” This was Dan Wieden in 2012, reflecting on 30 years of Wieden + Kennedy, the agency network that he co-founded with David Kennedy in 1982, on April Fool’s Day. The irreverent, slightly cheeky choice of April 1 as a founding day set a precedent for the...
John Nolan on the enduring appeal of animatronics
The director and animatronics designer behind Harry Potter and the latest Jurassic World film discusses how he found his creative niche, plus why he loves making ads...
Why ad agencies need to up their game on the climate crisis
Well-intentioned ads featuring scenes of disaster are not enough to change people’s minds. The industry needs to do a better job on climate change, says Ben Kay...
Viðar Logi on making Björk’s earthy album art
The Icelandic imagemaker talks about his friendship with Björk, the process of building a visual underworld for her 10th studio album, Fossora, and the parties that inspired it...
Good Reads: MacGuffin magazine explores the lives of “things”
Based out of the Netherlands, MacGuffin magazine was born as a platform for fans of inspiring, personal, unexpected, familiar or utterly disregarded ‘things’. The independent publication’s founders and editors, Kirsten Algera and Ernst van de Hoeven, both work in the design world, and at the time of starting the magazine felt that the industry was too heavily focussed on the...
DesignStudio’s Casavo rebrand is unapologetically orange
Casavo is a digital platform for buying and selling homes, offering a mix of properties from trusted agents, as well as houses acquired by Casavo directly. To date the focus has been on properties in Italy, Spain and Portugal, however a recent round of investment means the business is now expanding across Europe. DesignStudio has rebranded the company to reflect...
Clients, creativity and the importance of walking to the lift
While flexible working brings many joys, the opportunities for serendipitous casual conversations with clients are hard to repeat remotely, says Jaime Mandelbaum, CCO, Europe at VMLY&R...

