Industrial Designer · Designer
In this Creative Boom insight piece, Mother Design’s Bentzion Goldman argues that branding has become overly safe and forgettable. He calls for a return to creative risk-taking and 'weirdness' in 2026, highlighting recent projects by Cotton Design, Mother Design, and Clue Perfumery as examples of bold, emotionally resonant work. The article positions experimentation and eccentricity as essential to revitalizing brand identity design.
Steven Heller revisits Thomas Maitland Cleland’s 1940 essay 'Harsh Words,' a sharp critique of modernist design and functionalism delivered at an AIGA event. The article contextualizes Cleland’s neo-classical stance against the rise of modernism and industrial design, highlighting his defense of craftsmanship and typographic tradition. Heller reflects on how Cleland’s arguments still resonate in today’s debates about originality and technology in design.
Steven Heller revisits Thomas Maitland Cleland’s 1940 essay 'Harsh Words,' a scathing critique of modernist design and functionalism delivered at an AIGA event. The piece highlights Cleland’s defense of craftsmanship and ornamentation against the rise of industrial and modernist aesthetics, showing how his arguments still resonate in today’s debates about technology and design standards.
The article explores the 1970 corporate identity redesign of SPAR by Raymond Loewy and his Paris-based studio C.E.I. Commissioned to unify the retailer’s international presence, the project introduced a simplified fir tree logo, extended sans-serif logotype, and a flexible red stripe system. The design retained SPAR’s recognizable colors while modernizing its image for global consistency and longevity.