The secret art of the engraver
You may well own a piece of Tony Maidment’s work. As one of the UK’s leading hand engravers, his images appear on banknotes worldwide. But this secretive, beautiful craft is in danger of dying out
Incomplete Dictionary of Show Birds
Photographer Luke Stephenson’s Incomplete Dictionary of Show Birds is the latest manifestation of his ongoing quest to document the eccentric side of British culture. This little chap is a Gouldian Finch.
Making the cut…
La Boca’s recent work for Black Swan may suggest a renaissance in film poster design but, with multiple executions and a tortuous approval process, this remains a complex, frustrating industry to work in.
Drawn from life: Gerd Arntz
Working with Otto Neurath, Gerd Arntz designed pictograms to represent every aspect of life. His designs brought warmth, humanity and a political edge to an area of cool statistical detachment
Just the sizzle, not the sausage
Polaroid might just be onto something in taking
advantage of Lady Gaga’s greatest asset: her balls
Designed, but only in a rudimentary fashion
The Daily iPad app launched to much fanfare but its clumsy design approach lacks the personality needed to truly engage readers
The Dutch masters of the photobook
Two recent publications confirm the pre-eminence of Dutch art direction when it comes to marrying photography with print
Good artists borrow, great artists steal
In their pursuit of new forms of engagement with audiences, ad agencies continue to look to media artists for ideas and inspiration
Authentic, inspiring, principled: the importance of being Crass
On the eve of a New York exhibition devoted to the band’s graphic output, artist, designer and punk aficionado Toby Mott explains the visceral appeal of Crass
Pictograms
As a politically engaged graphic artist and designer Gerd Arntz (1900-1988) portrayed the world in wood and linoleum cuts.
A Selection of Interesting New Magazines
We’ve had a number of unusual magazines sent to us at CR Towers recently, so thought we’d share a glimpse into a few of them here…
Brit Insurance Design Awards 2011: Category Winners
The Design Museum in London has announced the seven category winners in the Brit Insurance Design Awards. They include the Plumen lightbulb by Hulger and Sam Wilkinson in Product; Forsman & Bodenfors’ recipe book for Ikea in Graphics; and TFL’s Barclays Cycle Hire scheme in Transport
Why are brands apologising so much right now?
Brands are saying sorry at a more rapid rate than ever. CR’s advertising columnist Ben Kay delves into why sorry is no longer the hardest word and whether this is an effective strategy for winning audiences
How Guinness embraced social
By loosening its approach to advertising, and engaging with its audience directly, the drinks brand has transformed with the times and won a whole new set of fans
Tracing Banksy’s art history remixes
Kelly Grovier’s new book charts the artist’s persistent dialogue with classic and contemporary art
How Lego creates meaningful brand experiences
We speak to Lego’s VP of global brand development Alero Akuya about the brand’s rare ability to straddle the physical and virtual worlds with ease – whether through its immersive new art exhibition in Paris or collaborations with Epic Games and Nike
Matt Willey brings a human touch to Kaos titles
The Pentagram partner has created the titles for the acclaimed new Netflix show, which reimagines the Greek myths in a contemporary setting
A visual history of movie posters
A new book from Reel Art Press collates the first comprehensive history of film posters. We explore why they remain an underappreciated area of cultural design
The Leaders Issue is out now!
The Autumn 2024 issue of Creative Review looks at the brands and individuals who are pushing creativity forward on their way to the top
The Monthly Interview: Rob Lowe, aka Supermundane
Mark Sinclair talks to the artist and designer about his new book, Lost Ordinary Magic, and the importance of recognising the power of simplicity and the everyday wonders that surround us
Unravelling adland’s obsession with 90s nostalgia
We explore how the 90s, an era the UK looks favourably upon for its thriving culture, are continually inspiring a stagnated creative industry
Building the visual world of Fontaines DC
The band’s surreal new album visuals explore a darker, more grotesque side of romance. We speak to the creative team behind the campaign about challenging the visual tropes of rock music
Jessica Walsh ventures into the world of type
As the &Walsh founder launches her agency’s new offshoot Type of Feeling, she discusses why typography’s ability to evoke emotions makes it one of the most powerful tools at a brand’s disposal
Can neuroscience make you a better creative?
Kinda Studios is tapping into the emerging field of neuroaesthetics to help creatives and brands make more impactful work that benefits people’s wellbeing