Angela Kirkwood’s punky, vintage-style graphics have found a legion of fans on social media – and the story behind her distinctive style is one of gleeful rule-breaking...
Speed is of the essence for video production success
A telling statistic stood out in the opening keynote for this year’s Adobe MAX: according to David Wadhwani, chief business officer at Adobe, four in five creative professionals find it challenging to keep up with content creation demands. Nowhere is this more evident than video production, where processes and workflows are complex, multiple overlapping variables can shift the goalposts with...
On client work vs personal work
With commercial creativity becoming ever more rewarding, working solely for clients can be a fulfilling and lucrative path for creatives today. But balancing this alongside personal projects will benefit everyone, says Ravi Amaratunga Hitchcock...
The big Christmas get-together is back in Argos’ festive ad
“So how many are coming?” is a question many of us will have nervously asked, pre-party. But in this year’s Argos Christmas ad it takes on a fresh significance after years of uncertainty and Covid restrictions. The ad – entitled Avalanche and created by The&Partnership – opens on a couple preparing for what looks like a quiet Christmas at home,...
Vincenzo Ragona on learning on the job
Vincenzo Ragona began his career in design learning from YouTube videos but – via a degree at Ravensbourne – is now working with clients including Jamie xx and Apple Music. He explains his hopes for a changing industry...
John Lewis’ festive ad shows a different side of a family Christmas
We’re all well used to John Lewis tugging on the nation’s heartstrings when it comes to the Christmas ad season. Last year brought a change in tack from the retailer’s tried and tested cute character formula, telling the story of a young space traveller called Skye. In the wake of another challenging 12 months, this time around its festive campaign...
In praise of silliness
Providing the perfect antidote to our serious times, Leanne Rule’s illustrations and animations have caught the eye of everyone from femcare brand Libresse to the makers of Love Island...
The beauty and chaos of the UFC brand
In 30 years, mixed martial arts organisation Ultimate Fighting Championship has gone from scrappy upstart to entertainment behemoth, and a big part of that is down to branding...
An overdue look at influential female sleeve designer Gee Vaucher
Record sleeves and album artwork are often cited as the things that get people into graphic design – or even get people knowing what the discipline is in the first place. For many, they’re the most obvious site where art meets commerce; where collaboration between a particular visual artist and musician(s) becomes evident. As such, there’s certainly an established, if...
Maira Kalman’s new book explores the many things women ‘hold’
Building on a limited edition booklet of work that she released last year, titled Women Holding Things, American artist Maira Kalman has published another book of the same name, featuring all of the images from the original, plus 67 new pieces. Working with the same concept, Kalman explores the complexity of women’s lives, understanding their roles in society and the...
Magic saves the day in NRMA Insurance’s new ads
Australian company NRMA Insurance has joined forces with Sydney-based creative studio Bear Meets Eagle On Fire for a new national campaign. Going out across cinema and television, and alongside large-format OOH and press, the core of the campaign comprises two 60-second short films that open up a new world of storytelling for the brand. Titled Runaway and Duel, the films...
Creating an authentic voice
Accra-based photographer David Nana Opoku Ansah has carved out a style that is thoughtful and evocative. Here he talks about teaching himself his craft and the challenges facing African creatives...