Creative Boom's March 'Booms & Shakes' roundup by Tom May highlights major movements across the design and advertising industry, including Ian Millner stepping down from Iris after 26 years, new creative leadership appointments at Bray Leino, Particle6, and BBC Creative, and the launch of Capel Group and Allwyn’s Studio 59. The article captures a month of expansion, new ventures, and evolving creative priorities across global studios.
The Brand Identity interviews Modem co-founder Astin le Clercq about the studio’s unique decision to operate with an expiry date set for 2030. Le Clercq discusses Modem’s hybrid model blending a think tank and design studio, its decentralised network of collaborators, and its open-source product ventures like Dream Recorder. The conversation explores how temporality, research, and collaboration shape Modem’s experimental approach to design and technology.
Creative Boom's article by Tom May highlights a curated selection of independent illustrators and studios selling prints online for summer 2025. It encourages readers to support artists directly, showcasing diverse styles from risograph collectives to digital-analogue illustrators. The feature celebrates craftsmanship, sustainability, and the personal touch of independent creators.
Little Black CatRaum Für IllustrationGoogle Arts and CultureV&Aillustration
Wax Poetics and Chanel collaborated on a creative roundtable in Paris featuring Solange, Angèle, Neneh Cherry, and Yukimi to celebrate the launch of Chanel’s new Chance Eau Splendide fragrance. The filmed discussion explored creativity, intuition, and the parallels between music and scent, later documented in a zine with photography by Vincent Catel. The project highlights Chanel’s continued emphasis on artistic experimentation and collaboration across disciplines.
Creative Boom’s feature by Garrick Webster explores the growing field of live event illustration, highlighting how artists like Jacqueline Bissett, Esther Springett, Elise Lee, and Jo Bird are turning real-time drawing into lucrative opportunities. The article showcases how illustrators work across fashion, corporate, and cultural events, using both traditional and digital tools to create memorable experiences for clients and audiences alike.
Elizabeth Goodspeed explores the complexities of credit in design through the case of Athletic Greens’ AG1 identity, originally rebranded by Creech and later evolved by The New Company. The article examines how subtle design updates can blur the line between a rebrand and a refresh, raising questions about authorship and recognition in the creative industry.
CreechThe New CompanyPorto RochaAthletic Greens / AG1Twitchbranding
In this column, US editor-at-large Elizabeth Goodspeed explores the growing trend of food imagery in fashion and advertising. She traces its cultural and historical roots, from Dutch still lifes to modern campaigns by brands like Jacquemus and Rhode, arguing that food has evolved from a symbolic subject to a key narrative device in brand storytelling. The piece examines how food’s visual and emotional associations are leveraged to shape consumer perception and cultural meaning.