Design District: Canteen wayfinding design
Category: Wayfinding; Entrant: Magpie Studio
The best games of the year 2021
Once more, gamers enjoyed a year of immersive storytelling and novel formats, from Returnal’s looping narrative to Unpacking’s soothing tidy-up sim. Here’s ten of CR’s favourites
Only Studio creates new branding for cultural research hub network BIRI
Manchester-based Only Studio has created a new identity for BIRI, the British International Research Institutes, described as a network of hubs acting as “centres of research excellence” for arts, humanities and social sciences
Trends of 2021: The year in film and TV
After productions ground to a halt in the wake of the pandemic, the cinema attempted a comeback this year. Meanwhile, streaming platforms served up a glut of bingeworthy series to ensure that we all remained glued to our tellies
Watch your step with Alex Chinneck’s uncoiling staircase sculpture
The artist’s new installation in Brighton, called A Spring in Your Step, climbs to an ambitious 25 metres in height. Thankfully it’s one for the eyes, not the thighs
&Smith creates a “creative, curious, happy” identity for GuestHouse
The new hotel business has unveiled crisp, type-led branding to help propel its mission of opening a hotel in each of the UK’s “most intriguing” cities
The best magazine covers of the year 2021
In another year of flux, magazine covers addressed everything from the Covid vaccine rollout to the climate crisis in creative new ways. We look back at ten of our favourites
Trends of 2021: The year in photos
In 2021, we saw the photography industry attempt to adjust to a changing world, with the cautious reopening of exhibitions for the first time since the pandemic, and the continuing embrace of new voices. Here, Diane Smyth looks back on a complex year
Camille Walala’s first monograph is an ode to her spirited approach
The book, entitled Taking Joy Seriously, documents the designer’s milestone projects – from her first big commission to her recent revamp of an entire east London street
Experience a surreal night out with FKA twigs in her latest video
Ever wondered what it would be like to go clubbing with FKA twigs? The singer give us a good idea in her new collaboration with The Weeknd, Tears in the Club
The best record sleeves of the year 2021
Our favourite sleeve designs from this year range from everyday realism to futurism and fantasy, featuring painting, mosaic and 3D art
Wine investment company Cult’s palate cleansing new identity
Building on its expansion into North America, the wine investment company has been given a crisp branding update by Output
Creative Review’s Annual Awards 2025 are officially open for entries
One of the most respected and trusted awards for the advertising and design industries are back for 2025. Run, don’t walk to get your entries in before the Early Bird Deadline on 25 October
How to scale your design business
Growth is a dream for many businesses, but it comes with challenges. Daisy Crowder, brand and marketing director at design recruitment agency Craft, offers advice on how to navigate the change and keep staff on side
Cultivating community with Ganni
The Danish luxury fashion label has spearheaded the characterful evolution of Scandi style. Here, chief brand officer Priya Matadeen discusses its approach to collabs, the pressures of being a responsible brand, and how Ganni Girls grew from a hashtag to a badge of belonging
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 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