In an age of accelerating AI adoption and rising user fatigue, Japan’s design principles offer a different path forward – one that prioritises trust, usability and human need over noise and novelty, says Experience.Lab’s Joe Oliver...
Soda brand poppi on following its gut
Poppi has redefined what a soft drink can look like by borrowing the codes of fashion, beauty and internet culture. CR speaks to the team behind its creative strategy as it expands into the UK...
New Ikea Sweden ads come with a twist
Furniture ads tend to show a minimalist vision of life. Yes, there might be the odd book or blanket slung casually on a chair but the homes featured in ads are broadly free of the clutter that the vast majority of us live with. A new ad from NoA Åkestam Holst in Sweden aims to highlight the reality of our...
Why Burbia is building a creative world beyond brand briefs
The London-based studio’s founder and creative director, Tan Gillies, reflects on five years of pushing against the agency machine, and the freedom that comes with staying small...
Gradwatch 2026: Harry Murray, London College of Communication
For the vast majority of people, university is an opportunity to hone their skills and expand their knowledge of their chosen subject. While that is true of Harry Murray, who recently graduated from London College of Communication with first class honours in photojournalism and documentary photography, he is also that rare example of someone who started their degree with a...
Big Issue marks 35th anniversary with city-wide protest art show
The weekly British street paper Big Issue turns 35 this year, and to mark the occasion they’re putting on a show. Presented by creative studio Grow Up in collaboration with Uncle, Paste Present Future is a visual history of protest and street art bringing together 35 contemporary artists. Taking place throughout London, the project features some big hitters from the...
Advertising’s new era of weird
Advertising has never shied away from the strange, but today’s campaigns are pushing it to new extremes. As audiences become harder to surprise, CR speaks to the agencies keeping the unhinged grounded in something meaningful...
Gradwatch 2026: Katelyn Lee, Parsons School of Design
Conceptually, graphic designer Katelyn Lee says much of her work is inspired by technology and her relationship to it, often finding herself fascinated by how embedded digital culture has become in everyday life. “Beyond that, what I crave most in response to my work is relatability: for people to engage with it and feel seen and understood, playful and a...
Gradwatch 2026: Charlie Scott, Falmouth University
Graphic design is an increasingly broad discipline, and this is something that Charlie Scott, who has recently graduated in the subject at Falmouth University, particularly enjoys. “It’s increasingly harder to define; it’s unbound by medium, and can look endlessly different,” he explains. “This keeps it exciting, and you never know what topic you’ll be doing next. “Studying design… Source...
The story behind the new French football identity
Last month, the French Football Federation unveiled a sharpened identity for its national teams. We talk to the studio about how they approached the update...
Grow’s debut ads aim to challenge perceptions of therapy
This week, US-based mental health platform Grow Therapy is launching its first-ever national brand campaign. Developed in collaboration with independent agency KDSP (formed by Wieden+Kennedy alumni Brock Kirby, Jeff Dryer, Scott Sullivan and Mollie Partesotti), it looks to challenge public discourse around mental health; specifically: what it is, who needs help with it, and where to find that help. Source...
McDonald’s brings Xbox game food to its real-world menu
McDonald’s has built on its Side Missions platform, teaming up with Xbox and a roster of major gaming franchises including World of Warcraft, Fallout, Halo: Campaign Evolved and Candy Crush for a limited-time menu and 360 campaign. The 60-second hero film, created with Leo UK, opens with a scene from Halo: Campaign Evolved, where two marines detour from their mission...