Creative Boom is on the ground at Glastonbury Festival, where the art-led Shangri-La area has just opened its gates. Here's why those without tickets should care.

So here's the thing about art galleries. Typically, they're the antithesis of what art should be. Sterile, white-walled mausoleums where people shuffle around in hushed reverence, pretending to understand why a blue square is worth more than most people's houses.

To my mind, art should be vibrant, messy, alive, and invigorating. It should make you think while you're having a laugh. Well, that's precisely what you'll find in Shangri-La, the quirky south-east corner of Glastonbury, which has once again turned into the most subversive and interesting "art gallery" on the planet.

I put those words in quotes because many festivalgoers won't actually recognise their surroundings as art and just think of it as "crazy weird stuff". But that's okay. In fact, it's understandable. Because this year, Shangri-La has really gone for it.

Everything has gone

Last year's Shangri-La theme, Everything Must Go!, was already pushing boundaries harder than a drunken teen stumbling into the wrong tent. But with this year's fresh theme of "The Wilding", it feels like they've torn up the rule book, set it on fire, and planted wildflowers in the ashes.

In the words of Shangri-La's creative director Kaye Dunnings: "When we said in 2024 'Everything Must Go', we meant it; everything has gone. The Wilding is a complete reset."

She wasn't kidding. Gone are the familiar dystopian street scenes and consumer hellscapes of previous years. Instead, we've got this sprawling natural wonderland that's somehow even more radical and thought-provoking than before.

What's exciting about this year's outdoor installations is how they've managed to be both gorgeous and meaningful without being preachy. Take Amnesty International's 'Threads of Resistance'. It's this incredible interactive tree sculpture where festivalgoers can add their own messages of solidarity with women worldwide.

Sounds potentially worthy and dull, right? Wrong. It's actually very moving watching people from all walks of life contributing to this growing artwork of hope and defiance.

Then there's Ellie Davies' billboard series scattered throughout the space. Ellen has been working in UK forests since 2007, and massive prints of her Stars Series photographs draw you into the heart of mysterious forests, creating pockets of genuine wonder amidst the constant revelry.

It's art that stops you in your tracks, which is no mean feat when you're surrounded by people in inflatable unicorn costumes.

Then there are the smaller, more interactive pieces. Broken Hartist's 'Whispers of the Wood' is pure magic – two sculptural trees connected by vintage telephones scattered across the field. When someone picks up one receiver, the other tree starts ringing.

You end up with these beautiful moments of strangers having intimate conversations through wooden sculptures while the trees pulse with light. It's like the mycelial networks of real forests, but for humans, having a chat about life at 3 a.m.

Bugging out

Kestra Laurent's Bug Rave installation is equally brilliant. One person pulls a chain to operate a massive snapdragon flower that bounces light towards a disco ball, while another person cranks a handle to make it spin. It's pointless in the best way and somehow profound. Kids are having the time of their lives, adults are giggling like idiots, and everyone's learning about pollination through the medium of disco.

This isn't just art for art's sake or to serve as an investment vehicle. It's art that genuinely changes how people think about creativity, community, and the world around them.

For anyone working in the creative industries (or who wants to), The Grow Room is where things get really interesting. This contemporary greenhouse structure houses a radical print studio where people can make their own work using letterpress, risograph and collage.

Artists, including Kennard Phillipps and Black Lodge Press, are running workshops, teaching people that creativity isn't something you consume – it's something you do. The entire space is powered by solar energy and soundtracked by a jukebox where buying songs plants wildflower seeds. It's sustainability meets creativity meets pure joy.

Then there's the Allotments section: 12 plots where multidisciplinary artists and activists explore themes of autonomy, resistance, and hope through the medium of horticulture.

The Anarchist Gardeners Club by Black Lodge Press positions growing a garden as a radical act. The Hive, by Meg Lane, Paula Palazon and Maria Wiecko, is a visual tribute to the bee, the importance of communal living and the need to rewild our cities. Elsewhere, Foka Wolf and Reel News have created a rewilded urban landscape that evokes historic battles for common land.

I could go on, but you get the point. These aren't just pretty installations – they're asking genuine questions about how we live, how we create, and what kind of world we want.

Accidents will happen

What's just as engaging are the things you discover by accident. Chris Hopewell's mini secret sculptures are scattered throughout the field like creative Easter eggs. Edible Bus Stop's "BloomBastic" mirror-tiled bombs catch the light and throw it back at you in unexpected ways. Dr D's "Sinking Feelings/Sinking Signs" appear when you least expect them, making you question what's real and what's art. Greenaway and Greenaway's roaming projections explore chaos in nature, turning random surfaces into temporary canvases.

Then there's Darren Cullen's deliciously savage Anti-Bird Bird House: hostile architecture for a hostile garden, complete with bird spikes. His Bug Hotel is the flipside – a five-star accommodation for insects. It's art that makes you laugh and think simultaneously, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.

Tonight, the main centrepiece will come to life, and it promises to be bonkers in the best way possible. The PoliNations Trees, originally created by arts charity Trigger, loom magnificently around the main Shangri-La stage. These aren't your garden-centre shrubs; they're towering sculptural beasts that come alive every night with a spectacular AV show.

Picture this: you're watching some funky electronic act when suddenly the trees around you transform into living canvases, telling the story of our relationship with nature through mind-bending visuals. I imagine it'll be like being inside a nature documentary directed by someone who's had one too many mushrooms... but I'll have to wait and see.

Art that means something

What makes all of this genuinely important isn't just that it's happening – it's where it's happening and who's experiencing it. We're talking about tens of thousands of people encountering radical, thought-provoking art while having the time of their lives.

The truth is that most art galleries are failing at their basic job – getting art to people. They're exclusive, intimidating and often completely disconnected from how normal humans actually live.

Meanwhile, here at Shangri-La, I've watched a group of teenagers having deep conversations about environmental destruction while sitting in toyStudio's Mewa pavilion, a stunning sculptural space that filters daylight through intricate patterns and glows with LEDs at night.

Why it's important

Ultimately, Shangri-La is reinventing itself for 2025, and the result is something that feels both completely fresh and utterly authentic. The installations work because they're not trying to educate you – they're trying to engage you. Everything here invites participation rather than passive observation.

It's all proof that art doesn't need white walls and hushed voices. It needs mud, laughter, and the kind of genuine human connection that happens when barriers come down.

The future of art isn't in galleries. It's wherever people are brave enough to plant seeds of creativity and let them grow wild. And right now, that future is blooming beautifully in a field full of brilliant lunatics who've figured out that the best art happens when you stop taking yourself so seriously but start taking the world around you very seriously indeed.

Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a disco ball that needs cranking and a tree that wants to have a chat.

Some of the spreads in the new Willis Wonderland pop-up book took two months to perfect, and for illustrator and designer Neal McCullough, it was a labour of love.

For Northern Ireland-based designer Neal McCullough – a lifelong devotee of Americana – briefs don't get much sweeter than this. For the last year or so, he's been meticulously painting illustrations for Willis Wonderland: The Legendary House of Atomic Kitsch Pop-up book. And the outcome is gloriously bubblegum groovy with sprinkles of retro stardust.

The book invites you into the home of the legendary songwriter Allee Willis, AKA the Queen of Kitsch, who penned hits such as September and Boogie Wonderland for Earth Wind & Fire, as well as the theme for Friends. Her Hollywood home became the epicentre of the entertainment set in the 1980s and was renowned for its outrageous, retro-modern décor.

Celebrating the landmark, this publication is unique in several ways. It's a pop-up book, but it's not aimed at children, although it might be aimed at your inner child… The topic it covers is architecture and décor, and while the format is perfect for the subject matter, we've never seen a pop-up about décor before.

Neal, whose studio is called Hand Drawn Creative, was invited by design and culture author Hillary Carlip, who led the project, to illustrate all the items that appear in Willis Wonderland. The paper engineering was carried out by Mike Malkovas, and work began late in 2023.

"Designing the pitch deck helped us all visualise how the book was going to roll out, starting in the front garden and driveway, then moving room by room and ending up in the back garden," says Neal. "From the outset, Hillary did warn me this was going to be a serious challenge. Allee's home was and still is filled with interesting ornaments, pieces of furniture and super kitsch artwork and collectables – it would be my job to recreate and fill this book with many of her favourite keepsakes and curios in painstaking detail."

Of course, Neal couldn't dive straight in. First, Mike and Hillary would need to agree on how the pop-up mechanisms would work for each vista, so Neal actually began with the jacket illustrations. When templates began coming through for the spreads, Neal worked from Mike's Adobe Illustrator templates, which included die lines, bleed and crease layers. Videos and sketches demonstrating the mechanics of each spread were also provided.

"The pop-up part of the project did fill me with dread, initially. I've always illustrated in 2D," admits Neal. "But by the time I'd got my head around Mike's first template, and he'd informed me of what I was doing right and wrong, I dove straight in and really took the bull by the horns. It was such a rewarding project."

Growing up in Northern Ireland, Neal was bewitched by Bewitched and loved the bigger, bolder, louder aesthetic of California. "Real life in early 1980s Ireland just couldn't compare to the bubblegum pink daydreams of cars with enormous fins and seafoam green over-the-top neon motel signs," he says.

When he set up Hand Drawn Creative in 2008, 'mod atomic retro Americana' was the descriptor Neal used, so he felt naturally locked in on the pop-up book's style from the get-go. It helped that he had previously helped develop a visual identity for the Willis Wonderland Foundation, which is publishing the book.

Inside, you'll find eight pop-up spreads showcasing the Art Deco architecture of the Willis home, along with its furnishings and collectables. There are plenty of Easter eggs, and no 3D glasses are required.

Even after a year of working on it, creating around 1000 illustrated components, Neal is in awe of the book. "I still love the opening spread of the book, where you open the flap on the left and reveal Allee's 1955 Studebaker Commander car popping out of the driveway. It's just such an unexpected and clever pop-up element. It was a real challenge to illustrate and never fails to pay off each time I open that page," he says.

As part of our Caregiving & Creativity theme, we speak with Kelly Mackenzie, founder of White Bear, about learning to delegate, redefining hustle, and how becoming a parent reshaped her relationship with work.

For Kelly Mackenzie, hustle isn't something to be ashamed of. It's part of what's fuelled a decade-leading branding agency, White Bear. But becoming a mother forced her to rethink how she works, set clearer boundaries, and delegate with purpose.

In our latest Q&A for In Her Own Words, Kelly reflects on protecting creative headspace, finding balance (at least most of the time), and how parenthood sharpened her focus on what really matters at work and at home.

Have you ever struggled with setting boundaries in your career, and how did you handle it?

Yes, 100%. And I still struggle with it.

As a business owner, a mother, and a hopeless people-pleaser, it can be really difficult to protect your time. There are only 24 hours in a day, and when you're juggling multiple responsibilities, you need to be laser-focused on where your time will add the most value.

Surprisingly, since having kids, I've actually become better at delegating. In the past, I was guilty of working all hours, turning up to the opening of an envelope, and saying yes to everything. Now? I just can't do that anymore. I need firmer boundaries around my work hours because I want to be home for dinner.

I've become more efficient at delegation and daily triaging. I trust my team; we operate on a traffic light system. Everyone has clear responsibilities, and each week, we triage projects together. That gives the team a chance to raise any 'amber light' issues so we can solve them early before they escalate into 'red lights'. It also stops me from getting too stuck in the weeds, which can slow everyone down.

I'm still working on getting better at saying 'no' and accepting that it's completely okay to do so.

How do you protect your creative energy while managing deadlines and demands?

It's definitely a challenge. We all know the best ideas don't appear in a boardroom or a brainstorming session; that's just where the brief starts. The best ideas come when you're relaxed and have the mental space to daydream.

For me, they don't show up at a gallery or an event either. They tend to arrive on a morning run while walking the dog or, most often, in the shower (probably because no one can pester me there!). It's about protecting blocks of time each day that are free from deadlines, demands, and decision-making.

Have you ever felt pressure to constantly 'hustle', and how do you push back against that?

Oh yes. I am and always will be a hustler. It's nearly my middle name (it's not, but it could be!). Much like Samuel Johnson's famous line, "Tired of London, tired of life," I think the same applies to hustle when you run an agency. If you lose the drive, the love, or the hustle, it's time to check out.

While I've learned to manage it better, I still sometimes find myself pitching in the middle of a holiday, texting clients late at night, or (embarrassingly) emailing a new lead from my hospital bed just hours after my son was born. If it's in you, it's in you. The hustle is part of what keeps me going and feeling alive.

What does a balanced life look like for you, and how do you work towards it?

Right now, just at this very moment, I've got the balance pretty right (remind me, I said that when I'm pulling my hair out in a few weeks!), but this changes month to month. I rarely work late, and I haven't properly worked a weekend since the business started 10 years ago.

That said, when an exciting pitch lands or we've got a big creative presentation coming up, I'm there, reporting for duty, welcoming the heavy workload, and reminding myself why I love this job. In the past, I've absolutely been guilty of neglecting friendships, missing family dinners, and getting far too obsessed with White Bear. But having kids has helped me reassess what matters and get my priorities in order.

White Bear was my first baby, but now it knows that my family comes first.

Glitterbox's fresh global campaign is complete with five dance floor muses, punchy palettes and a rallying cry that it's all 'Made For The Dancefloor'.

When Glitterbox burst onto Ibiza's club circuit in 2014, it promised the purest joys of disco, house and soul for everyone who could squeeze into the booth or shimmy under the mirror ball. Eleven years, countless jet-lagged after-parties and a devoted international following later, the label-cum-nightlife-phenomenon has called in London design outfit Studio Moross to tune up its visuals for 2025.

The studio, founded by designer and art director Aries Moross in 2012, knows a thing or two about spectacle. Their back catalogue includes neon-drenched tours for Kylie, stage design for the Spice Girls and global branding for MTV.

Yet, rather than tearing up Glitterbox's feather-boa rule book, the brief asked for a careful polish. In other words, turn up the colour and keep the soul.

Studio Moross anchored the refresh around five archetypal "muses": The Waacker, The Pink Punk, The It Girl, The Lovers and Playa del Pole. Each one channels a familiar club-kid energy, instantly legible whether you've spent nights at Hï Ibiza or only watched Glitterbox sets on YouTube at 3 am. The campaign team, led by art director Fancy Shews and photographer Paul Perelka, captured the muses in a high-octane shoot.

Instead of stamping the same logo onto every flyer, the studio assigned a distinct colour palette, graphic texture and Serial font weight (from Dum Dum Studio's gloriously distorted type family) to each persona. The result is a modular system that can flex across a year of tour posters, social stickers and nine-by-sixteen Reels without sinking into sameness.

Threading the project together is a no-nonsense tagline: 'Made For The Dancefloor'. Simple, yes, but it doubles as a manifesto for Glitterbox's radically inclusive ethos.

In a club landscape still prone to VIP ropes and monochrome techno chic, the phrase is a friendly shove to get everyone moving – stilettos, Crocs, or mobility aids are all welcome.

Studio Moross amplifies that openness through motion graphics and short-form video, nudging Glitterbox beyond static print heritage and into TikTok-native territory. Expect looping animations where Serial's blurred weights shimmy in time with thumping hi-hats and LED banners at events that drench pavements in candyfloss pink long before the bass drops.

Of course, you can't talk about Glitterbox without mentioning Mark Wardel. The British illustrator's pop-infused portraits have been a visual signature since day one, and the refresh wisely keeps him centre-stage. Wardel's new series of bold, stylised heads pop up alongside the muses, providing a familiar anchor for long-time fans while slotting neatly into the updated type grid.

The logotype – that curling, fast-scribbled word-mark – survives intact too. Studio Moross treats it like a masthead, letting it ride shotgun on posters and merch while the supporting graphics riff wildly beneath.

Glitterbox never was a homebody, and the 2025 calendar is proof. The refreshed brand will debut at Glastonbury's Dance Village, storm NYC Pride, add sparkle to Brunch Electronik in Barcelona, light up Glasgow's Galvanizers Yard and round things off at London's cavernous Drumsheds. Each stop will showcase a different muse and palette, creating what Aries calls "visual buckets" that keep the year-long campaign feeling fresh without losing cohesion.

Behind the scenes, Studio Moross has produced an extensive toolkit – brand guides, motion templates, social overlays – so Glitterbox's in-house team can riff on the system as new gigs stack up. It's pragmatic design thinking: give the DJs and dancers their cues, then let them improvise.

Glitterbox's success has always hinged on community. The parties are famous for mixing ages, genders, body types and dance styles with the abandon of a YouTube autoplay queue. The new identity amplifies that inclusivity visually, making space for difference rather than squeezing everything through a single stylistic funnel.

In sustainability circles, we talk about "longevity by adaptability" – building a system that can evolve and reduce the need for constant rebranding (and the inevitable waste of reprinting everything in sight).

There's also a subtle refusal to chase the current obsession with Brutalist minimalism. Neon gradients, distressed type and cheeky portraits might feel retro-camp to some, but they reject the greyscale anonymity that still clings to much of club culture. In short, colour is back on the menu, and it's ordering the house special.

This boundary-blurring F&B brand from M — N Associates proves that two stories are better than one.

There's no shortage of rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City, but few offer quite the experience of Dạ-Hợp. This new two-floor concept pairs cabaret dining with open-air nightlife, woven together by a brand identity that's equal parts refined and rebellious.

Dreamed up by M — N Associates, the brand behind some of Vietnam's most progressive F&B identities, Dạ-Hợp occupies a unique perch in more ways than one. Sitting atop a corporate office tower, it merges two contrasting experiences under a single, unified concept, with a moody indoor restaurant below and a vibrant rooftop bar above.

Rather than treat the levels as separate venues, the design team proposed a more strategic approach: a dual-concept brand that could function independently yet feel meaningfully connected.

"We were inspired by the magnolia coco flower," says Duy Nguyen, executive creative director at M — N Associates. "It only blooms at night — just like Dạ and Hợp. That metaphor helped us shape everything."

The name Dạ-Hợp (meaning "night" and "together" in Vietnamese-Chinese vocabulary) reflects the layered nature of the brand. It's also as practical as it's poetic, and the floral symbolism underpins everything, from the logo and naming system to the custom typography and spatial transitions.

The result is a brand that feels like a story unfolding across two chapters, each with its own mood, rhythm, and energy.

For the custom type system, the team designed what they call "sister letterforms", defined as a typographic pairing that balances tradition and modernity.

"Dạ's typeface has soft brushstroke curves and calligraphic structure, while Hợp's is a minimal sans-serif — rhythmic, adaptable, and built for nightlife applications," Duy explains. The tall, vertical orientation of the letters nods to the height of the venue while creating a cinematic flow across signage, menus, and digital content.

Visual consistency was key across both spaces, especially since Dạ-Hợp hosts a rotating lineup of live DJs, cabaret acts, and themed dining events. However, instead of building a rigid brand system, the studio opted for one rooted in principles rather than prescriptions.

Core elements, such as the magnolia motif, a moody palette of deep reds and muted shadows, and tonal contrast in type, provide an emotional through-line, allowing the brand to flex while staying recognisable.

The contrast between Dạ and Hợp isn't just visual but experiential. Downstairs, the atmosphere leans into cinematic cabaret: dark, dreamlike, and intimate. Upstairs, the energy flips, and Hợp is open, contemporary, and buzzing with skyline views and sound.

"We worked closely with the architecture and operations teams to make sure the brand's personality could be felt in every detail – from lighting temperature to how people move through the space," says Duy.

That close collaboration extended to materials and spatial design. From the petal-like forms in signage to the soft glow of menu lighting, each touchpoint reflects the venue's central idea: two experiences that only come alive after dark. Even the uniforms and event visuals follow suit, blending elegance with edginess and ritual with revelry.

The biggest challenge, though, was strategic rather than creative. "Developing two distinct yet cohesive brand voices was complex," Duy admits.

"The in-house team initially struggled with how to balance and implement both identities across operations, especially under a tight timeline. It required close collaboration and lots of refinement." But the effort clearly paid off. Since its launch, Dạ-Hợp has become a talking point in HCMC's F&B scene. The glowing rooftop DJ cube has become a visual landmark, pulling curious passersby up from the street.

"People are sharing it without prompt – the duality gives them something unexpected," says Duy. It's a brand that feels elevated yet not exclusive, modern yet still rooted in cultural familiarity.

At a time when many F&B venues lean hard into one aesthetic or experience, Dạ-Hợp dares to do both. It's a cabaret and a rooftop bar, a restaurant and a music venue, a story told in two voices that come together at nightfall. As far as fusion goes – conceptually, culturally, and visually – Dạ-Hợp is making it work.

From band rehearsals to brand strategy, principal designer Louiza Cookson-Rabouhi reflects on her creative journey so far and on why empathy, intuition, and curiosity continue to shape her work at Magnetic.

For Louiza Cookson-Rabouhi, design was never a career she simply fell into. It was something instinctive that she grew into. "I designed a logo for my dad's business when I was eight years old, and he still uses it to this day," she laughs. "Though I did eventually upgrade it from Microsoft Paint to Illustrator."

That early project planted the seed for what would become a rich, winding, creative journey. Louiza studied at the University of the Arts London before taking an unexpected detour into the world of music.

"Being in a band taught me the importance of collaboration and rhythm," she says. "You feed off each other's energy to create something bigger than you could alone." It's an approach that still informs her work today, particularly when tackling complex brand identities that need more than just aesthetic flair.

Louiza's time in fashion photography sharpened another skill: storytelling. "It taught me how to tune into mood and meaning without relying on words," she explains. "There's always an emotional core I'm chasing in my work, not just surface-level visuals."

Pushing boundaries

After years of experience across different creative industries, Louiza's hunger for growth only intensified. Her move from NEXT! Foods, where she worked closely with in-house teams, to Magnetic, was driven by a craving for variety and challenge. "I missed being around brilliant people solving wildly different challenges," she says.

Now principal designer at Magnetic – a practice that sits somewhere between consultancy and creative agency – Louiza works at the intersection of brand, experience, service, and systems design. It's a role that's pushed her to reframe her thinking.

"We often begin with the question behind the brief," she says. "I've had to unlearn a lot – start from curiosity, not assumption."

At Magnetic, the creative process is less about jumping to solutions and more about immersing in the problem. It's an iterative approach that blends research, workshops, and experimentation. "I'm learning to design from insight, not just instinct," Louiza notes. "It's been a humbling and exciting shift."

Finding joy in the messy middle

Louiza describes the heart of her process as the "messy middle", which you could describe as that chaotic but thrilling phase where stakeholder input, cultural insights, and creative sparks begin to connect. "It's like solving a beautiful puzzle," she says. "You're swimming in all this information, and then suddenly, it starts to click."

One standout project has been Magnetic's work with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on the launch of the MBacc, a technical education pathway designed to provide young people with meaningful alternatives to traditional academic routes.

Louiza and her team led the creative strategy and storytelling for the launch, developing a film that captured voices from students, educators, employers, and even Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. "It wasn't just about announcing a policy," she says. "It was about starting a movement rooted in optimism and opportunity."

For Louiza, it's moments like these that highlight the true power of design. "Helping to tell that story and seeing the reaction from the young people and communities it's designed for was incredibly powerful."

Designing from the inside out

Louiza's approach to brand strategy and visual identity is firmly rooted in depth over decoration. "It's never just about how something looks," she says. "It's about building something cohesive that lives across every interaction."

She likens brand-building to character development. "I start by digging into the 'why' – who are we speaking to, what's the emotional and functional job to be done? From there, it's about building from the inside out: tone of voice, behaviours, systems, all the way through to visual expression."

Guided by a balance of intuition and intention, Louiza blends a human-centred lens with a designer's instinct for rhythm and composition. "If it doesn't resonate with people, what's the point?" she says simply.

Shifting landscapes and new inspirations

Looking outward, Louiza is excited by the surge of creativity emerging from MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries. "It feels as though, after decades of favouring westernisation, people from the region are now reclaiming and celebrating their heritage."

For Louiza, the graphic design of old Rai music albums, brands like Nol Collective, and the photography of Sara Benabdallah are constant sources of inspiration. She's energised by the richness and authenticity flowing from these creative scenes and how they challenge prevailing design narratives.

As for the future of design more broadly, Louiza sees a shift on the horizon. "AI is here, and it's reshaping workflows, but it can't replace human intuition, cultural nuance, or lived experience," she says. "I think we'll see a return to slower, more intentional design, where storytelling and empathy matter even more."

Beyond the studio

When Louiza isn't working at Magnetic, she's busy mentoring emerging creatives and shaping the future of design closer to home. Recently appointed to the Northern Design Festival board, she's committed to elevating voices from outside the usual creative hubs.

"There's something so grounded and experimental about Northern creativity," she says. "It's raw, honest, and often rooted in community and purpose."

Louiza's advice for aspiring designers is straightforward but potent: "Find your people. Seek out mentors and collaborators who lift you up. Don't wait for permission – start the thing even if you're only 70% ready. And be kind. You never know who you'll be working with within five years."

At Magnetic, Louiza is focused on deepening the studio's partnerships with forward-thinking organisations and nurturing the next generation of creative leaders. "Jenny, our CEO, has built such a values-led environment," she says. "I want to help nurture that by championing our team's talent, strengthening our creative discipline, and making sure we stay curious and courageous as we grow."

Acrylicize's inaugural Joy festival brought together artists, designers and cultural explorers for two days of creative exchange in East London.

In a world saturated with digital noise and division, the idea of gathering creatives in a physical space to simply be together might seem almost radical. Yet that's exactly what the design studio Acrylicize achieved with Joy, their inaugural two-day festival that took place at The Art House in East London on 19-20 June.

"We're at a time where we need to see the joy in life more than ever before," explains James Burke, founder of the global design studio. "With so much division, so much polarisation, and so much emphasis on what we see in the news and on our social feeds, we tend to miss the other side. The side that doesn't shout as loud but is right there in front of us."

The festival emerged from Acrylicize's core philosophy: "For the Joy of Expression." While the studio has built a reputation for public art installations and collaborations with brands like Spotify and LinkedIn, Joy represented something more intimate: a deliberate step away from the typical industry panel format towards hands-on, visceral creative experiences.

Beyond the panel talk

The curation, led by Connor Rankin, head of creative programmes at Acrylicize, was intentionally experiential. Rather than the familiar talking-heads format, attendees found themselves making kites with SPF50's Jeanne Harignordoquy, getting their hands dirty in life drawing sessions with celebrated sculptor Wilfrid Wood, or participating in screen printing workshops with the Working Class Creatives Database.

"Each artist involved was invited to move beyond the typical panel talk format and instead bring the audience into the heart of the experience," James explains. "Much of the programme was designed to engage participants directly."

This simple fact captures something essential about Joy's approach. Rather than positioning creativity as something rarefied or exclusive, the festival embraced the messy, collaborative reality of making things together.

The human element

The timing of Joy feels particularly significant given the seismic shifts currently reshaping the creative industries. "Obviously, the big change is AI and its effect on human relationships and the act of creation as a whole," James reflects. "I think we're all exploring what this means and where the risks and promises of this tech lie. The more we explore it, the more it forces us to engage with what it means to be human."

This question of humanity runs through Joy's programming like a thread. Auntie Flo (Brian d'Souza) presented his innovative project exploring music creation from plants, while performance artist Harriet Richardson explored themes of love, addiction and protest through immersive performance. Salomé Wu debuted new work alongside live performances, and Worms magazine hosted spoken word performances celebrating underrepresented voices.

The festival also featured art historian and comedian Verity Babbs as host, Dutch multidisciplinary artist Helmut Smits delivering talks, and sculptor Holly Hendry exploring her materially rich, site-responsive practice.

Authentic connection

What emerges from James' reflection on the festival is a sense that Joy succeeded precisely because it refused to be overly strategic about its approach to community-building. "For us, we've always thought that the best form of marketing has been to be ourselves and be as authentic as we can," he says. "The whole concept of the Joy of Expression is just the way we see the world and find meaning, inspiration and energy."

This authenticity seemed to resonate with attendees. He recalls walking into The Art House and immediately feeling "a really great energy in the room across the two days that was felt as soon as you walked in. The overwhelming feedback was that you could feel it in the air."

The festival's success lay partly in its recognition that creativity isn't the preserve of professional practitioners. "Creativity isn't just for the lucky few who get to work in it; it's for everyone," James notes. "Art and creativity have the most amazing ability to break down barriers—things like age, race, gender and political stance—and connect people around a visceral and emotive experience."

The art of being present

Perhaps most significantly, Joy created space for something increasingly rare in contemporary creative culture: genuine presence. In James' words, the festival was designed as "a space for people to step away from the constant noise of the news and media and simply be present with each other."

This commitment to presence over performance extended to the festival's collaboration with The Art House's existing programme partners. Rather than importing external talent, Joy chose to "give them space within the festival and to co-create something special together".

As Joy establishes itself as an annual fixture in London's creative calendar, it seems to offer something that many in the industry are craving: a return to the fundamentally human aspects of creativity. In James' vision, "It feels like quite a radical act to be talking about Joy right now. However, I feel it will play a crucial role in our path through these challenging and disruptive times by holding onto and remembering that there is a lot to celebrate."

The festival's success suggests that in an age of increasing digitisation and AI disruption, there's something irreplaceable about gathering in physical space to make things together. As James puts it: "Way back when I originally conceived the idea of The Art House, I always said that I wanted people to come in, have a look around and think 'I don't know what the f*ck is going on here, but I want in!' I think this was achieved."

In a creative landscape often dominated by dull networking events and industry panels, Joy offered something rare: permission to be human, to be present, and to find connection through the simple act of making things together. For two days in East London, that felt like revolution enough.

Bringing together fitness, wellness, and lifestyle businesses worldwide, Playlist sets a new vision for a more personalised, human-centred experience economy powered by technology but led by connection.

Personalisation and real-world connection are becoming increasingly valued in our evolving digital world. In response, two of the biggest names in fitness and wellness technology – Mindbody and ClassPass – have launched a new parent brand that reflects a significant shift in how consumers engage with wellness.

Enter Playlist, an umbrella brand that brings together Mindbody, Booker, and ClassPass under a unified vision designed to power experience-driven businesses and make well-being more accessible and intentional. Announced earlier this month, Playlist is the latest step in an evolution that has seen these brands grow independently into leaders within their sectors.

Now, under one roof, the ambition is clear: to create an infrastructure that not only connects businesses and consumers but also amplifies the meaning and quality of the experiences they share.

"We've grown into a portfolio of highly successful businesses that serve different audiences, categories, and customer needs," says Fritz Lanman, CEO of Playlist. "Creating Playlist as our new parent brand allows us to unify that mission under a shared identity and better position ourselves for long-term innovation."

Importantly, while the new parent brand brings clarity and cohesion to the group's future direction, it won't disrupt what's already working. Mindbody, Booker, and ClassPass will continue to operate as they always have, delivering the services that businesses and consumers know and trust.

The name 'Playlist' is more than just a rebranding exercise. It serves as a reflection of the company's belief that wellness should be as personal and customisable as a great playlist – varied, dynamic, and tailored to the individual.

"Wellness should be personal, flexible, and intentionally curated," Fritz explains. "We want people to build their own mix of fitness, wellness, and lifestyle experiences to get off their screens and into the world."

It's a philosophy that extends beyond branding. Using AI and automation, Playlist surfaces personalised recommendations for users while helping businesses tailor their services to evolving customer needs. The platform's underlying technology is designed not to replace human interaction but to enhance it, reducing operational friction so that wellness businesses can focus on what matters most: delivering meaningful, personal experiences.

"Rather than algorithmically manipulating people for attention and ad dollars, each one of the brands in our portfolio is purpose-built to get you off of your screen and into studios, salons, gyms, and wellness spaces," says Fritz.

It's a stance that positions Playlist as something of an 'anti-tech tech company' that uses digital tools to drive real-world engagement rather than compete for it.

With more than 40,000 Mindbody-powered businesses, over 73,000 ClassPass partners, and a presence in over 30 countries, Playlist's reach is substantial. This scale creates powerful opportunities for innovation, allowing the company to test new ideas quickly, share insights across its network, and develop solutions that serve both businesses and consumers more effectively.

The shared infrastructure also opens up possibilities for smarter discovery and deeper cross-brand integrations, enabling consumers to find, book, and enjoy experiences with greater ease. "Our scale gives us a powerful ability to test and scale ideas quickly, share insights, and drive innovation on both the consumer and business sides of the experience economy," Fritz explains.

Playlist has been built with flexibility at its core. As consumer expectations continue to shift towards more personalised, in-person experiences that support well-being, Playlist is positioned to meet those needs with a platform that is responsive, connected, and user-centric.

"We created Playlist to be flexible by design," says Fritz. "As people increasingly seek real-world experiences that support their well-being, our focus is on making those moments easier to find, book, and deliver."

By combining technology with a deep respect for the human elements of wellness, Playlist represents a thoughtful evolution for Mindbody, ClassPass, and Booker. It's a vision for the future of the experience economy that prioritises connection, choice, and joy over clicks and screen time.

In an industry that can often feel saturated with sameness, Playlist offers something distinct: a curated, intentional approach to wellness that's as diverse and dynamic as the people it serves. Whether you're looking for a yoga class, a massage, or a fresh way to reconnect with yourself and others, Playlist aims to make the experience not just accessible but meaningful.

From AI and authenticity to the rise of the creator CEO, these are the big ideas shaping the future of creativity, as heard on the Croisette.

Cannes Lions 2025 felt like a festival in flux. Yes, there were still the yacht parties, beachfront billboards and branded rosé bars. But under the glitter and glow, the real conversations were different this year: more grounded, more urgent, and more human.

From AI and algorithm angst to the pressures facing independent creators, the Croisette buzzed with big questions: What does creativity look like in an age of automation? How do we build trust, not just attention? And what will it take to not just survive this moment – but shape what comes next?

Here's our roundup of the biggest trends and takeaways from a week where creativity, tech, and humanity collided – and where the quietest voices sometimes had the most powerful things to say.

AI is not the enemy and is here to stay

Unsurprisingly, AI dominated the conversation, but the mood has matured. The sentiment was more about, "How do we work with it in a way that feels human and helpful?"

Creative entrepreneur Sun Yi, founder of Night Owls, put it succinctly: "If you're a creative and you're not adopting AI, you're making a huge mistake. AI can't replace artists, but it can power commercial art. That means learning to use it to sell yourself better, tell your story more clearly, or simply work faster."

There was also a growing appetite for nuance and ethical adoption, resisting the binary of "AI good vs AI evil". Lucy Guo, CEO of Passes, discussed the potential for creators to augment – not replace – their creativity.

That said, the rise of AI was also met with a quiet countercurrent: a renewed desire for genuine, in-person connections. Oleha Riden from startup Uberall noted, "Amongst the AI hype, there's a huge appetite for more immersive, human brand experiences."

Ala Ho, founder of AndHuman, agreed: "The moments that stuck with me weren't on the main stage. They were in brand houses, attending side events, and engaging in long conversations. That's where the future took shape – slowly and off-schedule. What stands out is the stuff with soul – the friction-filled, very human process behind it."

Creators are the new cornerstone

Two years ago, the festival introduced creator and startup passes – and this year, you couldn't miss the impact.

From keynotes to collaborations, creators weren't just attending – they were driving the programming. But it's still not an equal playing field.

Charlotte Stavrou from SevenSix Agency was invited to speak this year to unveil their 2025 Influencer Pricing Report, which revealed a 21.5% racial pay gap between black and white influencers in the UK, with persistent disparities linked to race, age, skin tone, disability, and hair type.

She also highlighted the strain caused by unrealistic brand demands – from faster turnarounds and shifting briefs to long payment terms, often between 30 to 120 days, leaving creators under disproportionate pressure.

"If you're a creator, brand, agency or platform, use it to set better expectations, push back, and build something fairer," said Stavrou.

Her call to action for the future? Openly share pricing frameworks – and move beyond diversity as a performative PR line.

Building Owned Audiences

One of Sun Yi's most screenshotted slides read: "One email is worth 100 followers."

He's part of a growing chorus urging creators – especially underrepresented talent – to produce long-form content, such as newsletters, books, or podcasts.

"Most of the successful people aren't the most talented," he said. "They're just the best at selling themselves."

Sun encouraged all creatives, regardless of their medium, to stop relying on algorithms and start investing in community and long-form storytelling. "Short-form might get attention, but it's long-form that builds trust."

The Rise of the Creator CEO

There's growing momentum for founders and leaders to build their personal profiles – not just their companies.

"Even in B2B, people want to connect with people," said Sun. "It's not about becoming an influencer; it's about being visible in the right neighbourhoods."

While authenticity has become something of a creative cliché, Sun stressed that it deserves a revival – not as a buzzword, but as a strategic tool for growth.

"Your weakness is your strength," he said, sharing a personal story about undercharging clients early in his career – and how overdelivering helped him build a portfolio that attracted major brands.

Instead of trying to fix your faults, he advised: "Ask your closest friends and family: Where are my strengths? What are my blind spots? Then use those traits – even the uncomfortable ones – to stand out."

The future looks bright for the intentionally human independents

Cannes Lions 2025 might have had the usual glamour and brand theatre, but a new narrative was emerging beneath it all. Cannes Lions judges saw 18% more submissions from independent agencies than in the previous year – a clear sign that smaller players are gaining ground and getting noticed.

What's the real advantage going forward? Not just using technology – but using it to enhance what makes us human.

The creatives who show up, speak up and share what they know on their own terms are well-placed to shape what comes next.

Creative Boom was on the ground at Cannes Lions, where amid the noise and spectacle, The Neu Project quietly created something radical — a calming, neuro-inclusive space designed by and for neurodivergent creatives. Here’s why it mattered.

In a week known for rosé-fuelled rooftop panels and big brand bravado, The Neu Project offered something different: the first pop-up space centred around neuro-inclusion. A sensory sanctuary at the heart of Cannes Lions.

'Calm on the Croisette' was a self-funded activation, open daily on the eighth floor of Givsly, who partnered on the project.

The space was created by Megan Henshall, chief impact officer and Rachel Lowenstein, chief creative officer, both of whom are autistic and have struggled with burnout from attending networking events.

The space felt more like a spa than a typical Cannes venue — soft lighting, welcome silence, and blessed air conditioning after the relentless heat and crowds. A simple sign greets guests.

According to research by Understood.org, this kind of space is more vital than ever: nearly one in two people (48%) in the creative industry identify as neurodivergent.

While they bring unique strengths and value to business, they still face systemic challenges in conforming to "neurotypical" norms.

We Built This With Ourselves in Mind

Returning for her sixth visit to the festival, Rachel Lowenstein reflected on the inspiration behind the project: "Why do we prohibit some of our most creative thinkers from flourishing at these events?".

With no alternative space available and unmet needs, she and Megan chose to self-fund the activation. "We built this with ourselves in mind - we needed this space".

Inside, guests found thoughtfully designed "kits" — including visual stimulation toys, fans that could be decorated, and gentle activities that didn't require a screen.

"A lot of the folks speaking on stage are neurodivergent," Megan shared. "So we have stimming toys to help them prep and feel grounded."

Emergency kits included noise-cancelling earphones, stimming tools, affirming stickers for water bottles, and a "social battery" pin to signal your energy level.

An Alt-Social Takeover

On the final Thursday of the festival, The Neu Project hosted an 'Alt Social Happy Hour', a low sensory alternative to the usual loud mixers. "This is the antithesis of every Cannes event I have ever been to", said Rachel.

There were no flashing lights, no DJS and a carefully curated soundscape to help neurodivergent people flourish from a creative perspective.

Megan and Rachel, who both find eye contact challenging, also added a painting station as an option for those who want meaningful conversation without the pressure of eye contact.

Other mindfulness activities included local chocolate tasting, iced tea and herbal tea tasting and a counterpoint to the alcohol-fuelled norm.

More than a nice-to-have

Alicja Nocon, autistic coach and founder of Expand the Circle puts it: "Having access to a quieter, visually calming space in a busy event environment is a must for neurodivergent brains. While being exposed to new people and ideas is stimulating, we can easily get overstimulated by the high levels of noise and information to process."

She points out that sensory setups have become common at UK music festivals, but professional events still lag behind. "I'd love to see more spaces to regroup and decompress in professional settings. They make knowledge-sharing events far more accessible and would generate more powerful ideas for very little extra cost."

Neurodiversity on the Main Stage

On Monday, several programming strands focused on neurodiversity in celebration of Neurodiversity Pride Day.

Inside the main Palais, there were two keynotes on the topic, while agency Havas launched its 'Beyond the Brief' campaign, a global initiative focused on neurodivergent minds as the future of creativity.

Havas also hosted a panel at the Havas Cafe titled: 'The New Creative Alchemy: Neurodivergent Minds and AI as Industry Catalysts'.

Rachel Lowenstein stressed the importance of listening. "Companies need to truly ask their employees what they need."

Nathan Friedman, Co-President and Chief Marketing Officer, Understood.Org echoed this: "We're seeing progress, but this isn't going to change overnight. Our 2025 Neurodiversity at Work Survey found 77% of all adults agree that neurodivergent employees feel pressure to "mask" or conform to neurotypical behaviours at work due to this stigma.

Even more worryingly, "(53%) agree that neurodiversity programs are mostly for optics."

Friedman's takeaway?

"If companies implement neuro-inclusive practices into their day-to-day culture, it's a win for everyone: when people feel supported, their experience and work will flourish."

The Neu Project's pop-up may have been the quietest space on the Croisette — but it delivered the loudest message.

A few thoughtful, inexpensive changes can radically improve how a huge number of creatives experience major festivals and events.

The most inclusive spaces don't shout. They listen.

After a decade of flying under the radar, the design studio behind Saie Beauty, Away and The Nue Co. is finally stepping into the spotlight. In an exclusive interview, Abbey Bamford speaks with Combo's founders about building trust, resisting trends, and redefining what a creative partnership truly means.

On Bowery in New York's Chinatown, there's a space that doesn't quite behave like an agency. There's a retail showroom, a library of vintage fashion catalogues, and upstairs, there's a team that has spent the last decade quietly shaping some of the most culturally resonant brands in beauty, wellness, and travel.

This is Combo – the design and branding studio behind Saie Beauty, The Nue Co., Away, and Gap's 2017 rebrand – and, until now, one of the industry's best-kept secrets.

Founded in 2014 by former Mother creatives Brennan McGrath and Kapono Chung, Combo has deliberately resisted the hype cycle for most of its life. Its four partners now include Phil Graham and Greg Matson, alongside Brennan and Kapono.

"Big things take time," says Brennan. "It's easy to come out of the gate and make promises you don't intend to keep, but it's quite hard to build something that means something – to clients, to the industry, and our team."

That 'something' has been a slow-burning, unusually durable creative model, as Combo doesn't just launch brands; it grows with them. Relationships last years, not quarters – a decade with Away, a decade with Diageo – and often evolve into genuine creative partnerships.

Would you believe that some even move in? Vowels, a boutique fashion brand and Combo client, launched its first-ever retail concept inside the studio's own ground-floor space earlier this year. "We span from strategy to design to creative," explains Kapono. "So we're invited in early and asked to stay through the entire journey. It's easier to develop long-term relationships when you're being asked to stay."

This summer marks 10 years of Combo, and it's the first time the agency is actively telling its story. "We have the best clients and an otherworldly staff," says Brennan. "It's been a long path, and it's time to invite people in to see what we've been building."

Scale doesn't equal success

Combo's resistance to scale-for-scale's-sake is no accident. The studio grew up in the shadow of 2010s-era DTC brands, where rapid scaling and investor optics often took precedence over strategic longevity. Brennan calls it "the biggest con of our generation."

"When we look for solutions that can mean everything to everyone, we end up with nothing," he says. "We're obviously in the business of helping our clients grow. But the singular obsession with disengaged scale has left us with a dead reef."

Combo's response has been to double down on focus: designing brands that endure by staying close to people – not just 'audiences'.

"Fragrance and wellness now share a wall," Kapono notes of The Nue Co.'s functional fragrance line, which Combo helped shape from insight to identity. "We built this for a savvy audience that understands beauty is wellness, and wellness is beauty."

A different kind of speed

Despite their contrarian stance on scale, Combo embraces speed – just not the kind that drives sameness. "Right now, the industry is using fast to get stuff done quickly," says Brennan. "Combo likes to use fast to create more."

That ability to toggle between long-term thinking and fast-moving culture is at the heart of the studio's appeal. It's also why their name, Combo, fits so well.

"We say we're smart and stupid," Kapono laughs. "Smart enough to find valuable, unexpected opportunities, and stupid enough to act on them."

That duality also runs through their approach to team structure and tools. While many creative businesses have pivoted entirely to remote work, Combo still invests heavily in its Chinatown HQ, not as a relic of pre-pandemic work culture but as a living extension of its creative philosophy. "Productivity survives when you're apart," says Brennan. "But vision suffers."

The Vowels effect

That vision comes to life most tangibly in Combo's street-level retail space. It was here that Vowels, the design-forward fashion label, launched its debut store, showroom, and library. With Combo's encouragement, they transformed the brand deck into a living, breathing space that curates rare design books, photography, and vintage magazines around the brand's point of view.

"Most clients launch a brand and then walk away," says Kapono. "But Vowels was brave. They leapt out of the deck and into the real world – and that's when the real fun began."

It's a move that speaks volumes about the trust Combo has cultivated and how they've managed to create something rare: an agency that feels more like a collective than a service provider.

Learning from the long haul

Away is one of Combo's longest-standing partners, with a relationship that began when the brand was still an idea in a pitch deck. Combo built the positioning and the identity from scratch, intentionally avoiding fad-driven trends (USB suitcases, anyone?) in favour of a more timeless vision.

"We worked hard to imagine a brand that could live above gadgets," says Kapono. "It had to have emotional longevity, not just functional appeal. Something closer to the romance of Pan Am than a piece of luggage tech."

That longevity, he adds, only works when the brand is built on truth. "But truth doesn't mean stuck. With the right strategy underpinning it, a brand can evolve without betraying its DNA."

A new kind of creative business

If Combo is now stepping into the spotlight, it's doing so on its own terms, not as a 'hot shop' or trend-chaser, but as a business trying to define a new creative paradigm.

"We're going crazy, in a good way," says Brennan. "It's a very uncertain time for our industry. But that's exactly when you have to go out on a limb and find what's next."

That 'next' includes a growing international presence (with future hubs in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Barcelona) and continued experimentation in format, function, and ownership. Combo is investing in new businesses and alternative ways to support creativity, especially the kind that leads to lasting careers.

"There are some serious headwinds facing our industry," says Kapono. "But we feel so lucky to do this work, and we're motivated to help others build lives around creativity."

Creative Boom was on the ground at Cannes Lions 2025 and spotted a shift: more indie creatives, more opportunities, and a new wave of passes designed to open doors. Here's what you need to know – and why it's no longer just a festival for the big players.

If you need the cliff notes, the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity began over 70 years ago and this year officially hosted more than 12,000 attendees for 200 talks featuring 500+ speakers. Everyone from big brands and A-list celebrities to emerging artists makes the annual sun-soaked pilgrimage to the French Riviera.

And it's huge. While it began as an awards festival for creative work in the 1990s, panel events, keynotes, networking, and community activations have become equally important.

Every hotel and venue along the Croisette (and beyond) seems to be claimed by a brand, with many attendees clocking up 20,000+ steps a day. Some estimate over 100,000 people now show up outside of the official programming and awards tracks.

The Changing Demographic

I first attended the Cannes Lions in 2011 as a PR account manager, working with global advertising agencies and household brands. When I launched my own boutique agency in 2014, I didn't think Cannes was for smaller players like me.

But twice, I managed to get clients keynote speaking opportunities and attended on the fringes. Since relocating to France and living just down the road, I've dipped back in over the past few years — and I've noticed a shift.

This year, I wasn't just running into big agency peers. I met independent branding and media agency owners, freelance photographers, emerging talent and solo creatives.

I was there wearing multiple hats: as a writer with press accreditation and as a solo business owner. I was pleasantly surprised by how many others like me were also there.

This sentiment was echoed by Sun Yi, founder of Night Owls and a Cannes speaker: "I've been in the advertising world my whole career, but it's my first time here. My perception was that it was for TV commercials or print ads and more traditionally big agency work, so I was surprised that creators are the biggest hot topic here."

New Passes You Probably Haven't Heard Of

One of my misconceptions was that the only way to go was to hustle the fringe events. But in 2024, Cannes Lions introduced two new official pass types:

Start-up Pass: For independent, early-stage start-ups (not owned by another business or holding company).

Creator Pass: For those working in the creator economy — including indie creator marketing agencies, talent agencies, and consultants.

The pricing is more accessible than the full delegate pass, and all pass holders can use the LIONS app, which includes daily networking events and a welcome drinks evening for first-timers and solo travellers.

Still, every single small player I spoke to had never heard of these options.

There are now many more pass types available — including those for students, Young Lions (under 30), the Creative Academy, and five different funded opportunities that can be applied for.

How to Navigate a Big Event Like Cannes

Cannes is hot, hectic, and can be quite overwhelming. Fringe events occur in villas, beach cafés, restaurants, and throughout the entire town.

Jimmy Gordon from OK Social — a small studio of five — attended for the first time after friends encouraged him to just book a flight and find an Airbnb. His advice?

"Go with the flow. We had a rough agenda, but we didn't overplan because there was just so much happening. Besides, you'll meet people who suggest new events. Honestly — it's been completely mind-blowing, some of the people you run into on the street or at a party."

Kwasi Dwimoh, a creative designer from the OLIVER agency, echoed the sentiment: "I'd heard stories about Cannes but never expected it to be this good. I met so many people and got in rooms with people I never thought I'd be in front of anytime soon."

His advice?

"Don't worry about where you are in your career. Don't think you don't belong in this space — you have every right to be here."

Designer Ala Ho agrees and already intends to return next year — this time with new business prospects in mind.

Creatives Activating, Not Just Attending

It wasn't just big brands making noise. Risotto Studio ran a pop-up at the Pinterest beach with a 'Riso Remix' activation, letting guests design their own risograph posters with Gabriella Marcella and her team.

Adobe doubled its investment this year and showcased creative collaborations with 3D artist Siddhant Jaokar, Future Mood's mood-altering glasses, and designer and illustrator Yann Valber.

It's not just that doors are opening for smaller creative players — it's that there are real opportunities to collaborate with the brands who run the show.

The Creator Rooftop, open for the second year in a row, provided space for brands and creators to connect — and for once, it feels like the big players want to learn directly from those who actually use their products.

It's no longer just about getting into the room. It's about building relationships and collaborating with the people at the top.

What Still Needs Work

Looking ahead to 2026, it'll be interesting to see whether more independent creatives and boutique studios are invited into the main speaker line-up.

That said, there is still a subtle stigma surrounding being a small business owner. A few times, I caught someone glance at my lanyard, realised I wasn't with a big agency, and moved on.

It worked both ways — sometimes, I felt intimidated when, in reality, the person I was talking to was genuinely interested in what I was doing.

But here's the thing: Regardless of where they stood in the job title hierarchy, those who took the time to ask questions ended up having the deepest, most nourishing conversations.

The takeaway? Don't judge a person by their lanyard.

Rising rents and remote work are driving a creative exodus from London and other major cities, transforming once-overlooked towns across Britain.

When did you last look at your rent and feel positive about what you're getting for your money? When did you last walk out your front door and feel inspired rather than overwhelmed? If you're shaking your head at these questions, you're not alone.

There was a time when being a creative meant living in the thick of it — the noise, the neon, the chaos of a big city like London, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast or Bristol. That's where the opportunities were, right? But here's the thing: maybe that was never really true. Or maybe it was true once, but it certainly isn't any more.

Right now, creatives across the UK are asking themselves a fundamental question: what if the best place to build a creative career isn't where everyone says it should be? What if the most inspiring place to live isn't the most obvious one?

Some are leaving cities by choice, seeking more space, fresh air, balance and community. Others are being pushed out by rising rents and squeezed opportunities. But whether it's choice or necessity driving the move, the result is the same. Smaller towns are getting a creative boost that's transforming them completely.

So here's the question: if you're feeling stuck, stressed, or priced out, what's holding you back? Because from Hastings to Macclesfield, creatives are discovering that the most exciting opportunities might just be in the places they'd never thought to look.

Why creatives are leaving cities

Liam Jackson, a graphic designer who spent 18 years in London before returning to his hometown of Southport, captures this sentiment perfectly. "Being in the bubble of London, I was excited that the move would be great in terms of buying a house and being closer to family and friends," he explains. "But it scared the shit out of me in terms of creativity and business."

He needn't have worried, though. "After a year of being back up north, I can tell you that my fears were unnecessary," Liam reports. "There's a great creative scene and buzz in Southport and the north in general. I've been to lots of awesome creative events, with a highlight being the Northern Design Festival in Lancaster, where I made so many friends and connections.

"I'm getting lots of work from local Southport businesses," he adds, "and also continuing to work with the relationships I'd built up down south. I'm really happy we made the move. Reconnecting with my hometown and its people has proven you don't need to be in a big city to get creative inspiration, find work or live a fulfilling life."

Fresh opportunities

With remote work far more accepted these days and digital tools making it easier to work from anywhere, more and more creatives are realising they don't have to be in London, Manchester or Bristol to build a thriving career.

Lisa Campana, head of design at Vira Health, is among them. She left London three years ago to live on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth Cove. "It probably seemed a risky move for a female designer about to turn 50," she reflects. "But I made it work. I'm able to work from home and still commute into London to work in our office a couple of times a month."

Beyond just saving cash and avoiding crowded Tube journeys, there's something more intentional happening, too. Creatives want to feel part of a community. They want to make a difference. And in smaller towns, they're finding not just space but purpose.

Stockport: overlooked to up-and-coming

Stockport's transformation, a decade in the making, offers a great example. Once dismissed as Manchester's sleepy sibling, the news that the Metrolink will finally connect it to the city centre isn't just about transport; it's confirmation that Stockport has stepped out of Manchester's shadow and into its own light.

Essentially, as creatives priced out of Manchester began to seek alternatives, many turned to this underappreciated town, just 10 minutes down the train line. They saw potential, while others saw a decline. And so they moved in, set up studios, opened bars, launched businesses, and built something new.

Today, the town is buzzing with activity. From the regeneration of the Underbanks to venues like Bask and The Spinn Off, there's a renewed energy that's impossible to ignore. Rightmove reports that house prices have surged as more people flock to the area. And it's easy to see why.

Repeated pattern

Stockport isn't the only town enjoying a revival. Stephen McGilvray, executive creative director at FutureBrand, moved from London to the East Sussex-Kent border after 20 years in the capital. His wife gave up her role as a stylist at Net-a-Porter and Matches Fashion to establish her own styling business around Tunbridge Wells. "It's been amazing to see the network she's built and the life we've managed to create outside of the big smoke," Stephen enthuses.

Similarly, in Hastings, once a classic seaside town in slow decline, a wave of artists, designers and makers have moved in, bringing new life to the Old Town and creating a thriving cultural scene. Then there's Macclesfield, on the edge of the Peak District, which has seen its music and festival scene grow as independent businesses pop up and the creative community makes itself known.

The international perspective adds another dimension. Ryan Crown, founder of Crown Creative, left New York five years ago and now splits his time between The Big Apple, London and Belfast. "What's surprised me most is just how creatively rich a smaller city like Belfast can be," he notes. "There's a brilliant energy here and a close-knit creative community that's incredibly inspiring. I actually find there's even more opportunity to harness talent and make a visible impact."

Even more dramatically, art director Stuart Tolley made the leap from Brighton to Villanueva Del Rosario, a small village north of Málaga in Spain. "The village only has 3,400 inhabitants, but we discovered a surprisingly lively creative scene," he reveals. "There are several artist residencies, ceramic classes, workshops in woodwork, printing, textiles, photography, plus a yearly art festival."

Small towns, big stages

In short, the move to smaller towns isn't just about saving cash; it's creating a genuine cultural impact. Ever heard of Nantwich? Until recently, not many people had. Then Tim Dougill started Moth Events to bring music to the Cheshire town that it didn't usually get. "Nothing makes me and the team prouder than when we hear BBC6 mention 'The Granary Arts Cafe in Nantwich' when they're discussing an artist's tour," he says proudly.

Tim's initiative has raised £18,000 for mental health charities while bringing acts like Fyfe Dangerfield and Pan Amsterdam to the area. "In the past six months, Applestump Records have brought The Lottery Winners, Goldie Lookin' Chain and Pete Doherty to Nantwich. We've also seen Moth Events put on OneDa and GANS. It's an exciting time for the town!"

The pattern, then, is clear. Creatives aren't just moving for cheaper rent; they're actively building scenes and communities in their new homes.

Family, roots and genuine connection

For many, the move represents a return to values that got lost in the urban hustle. Darren Richardson, co-founder and creative director at Gardiner Richardson, moved from London to Corbridge, a small Northumberland village on the River Tyne, in 1996. "This was primarily about my relationship and our eye on marriage as well as family," he explains. "We both felt that we wanted to bring a family up closer to our own roots in the north."

As it turns out, the move provided a perspective that enhanced rather than hindered his creative work. "Running a creative business is full-on and emotionally draining," he says. "Living in Corbridge is the perfect antidote. It gives me the space to think and helps keep my feet on the ground."

Editor and strategist India Blue van Spall echoes this sentiment. After 10 years in London, she moved to Hove with her partner and two-year-old son. "Over the years, friends started to move further away, we started our own family, and were really seeking more of a community," India explains. "It definitely feels like a slower pace of life, but at this point in our lives, it feels like the right decision."

What this means for local communities

This shift of creatives from out of the big cities isn't just cosmetic. It brings jobs, ideas, events, and new energy. Local high streets are experiencing a resurgence in foot traffic. Empty shops are becoming studios. Festivals, exhibitions and workshops are turning overlooked towns into destinations.

Mo Shariff, co-founder of home-swapping platform HoppSwap, has noticed this shift in his user base. "What's been interesting is that around 70% of our early signups aren't from capital cities," he says. "They're from smaller towns and rural pockets. Deal, Stroud and Hebden Bridge are all looking to swap into new locations."

These smaller towns might not have skyscrapers or all-night raves. But they have something else: potential. And in the hands of creative people, that's more than enough. The creative exodus from Britain's major cities isn't just changing where people live; it's redefining what creative success looks like in the 21st century.

As more creatives reassess where—and how—they want to live and work, we'll likely see this trend continue. The cool kids aren't just leaving the cities… they're reinventing the places they go to... with taste, flair, and just the right amount of mischief.

These visionary creatives are redefining visual communication with bold aesthetics, cultural storytelling and boundary-pushing innovation across all mediums.

The graphic design landscape in 2025 is one of both tremendous opportunity and significant challenge. As brands seek authentic connections with increasingly diverse audiences, the demand for designers who can navigate cultural nuance while maintaining commercial appeal has never been higher. Meanwhile, the rise of AI tools is forcing the industry to double down on what makes human creativity irreplaceable: conceptual thinking, cultural insight, and emotional resonance.

That's where this carefully curated list comes in. To identify the graphic designers making the biggest impact right now, we turned to our global community of creatives, art directors and industry insiders. The result is a diverse collection of voices from around the world, each bringing their own unique perspective to the practice of visual communication.

These designers are proving that great graphic design isn't just about making things look beautiful – it's about creating visual languages that speak to our shared humanity while celebrating what makes us different. Whether they're crafting brand identities for Fortune 500 companies or designing posters for grassroots movements, each of them demonstrates the power of graphic design to inform and inspire.

1. Temi Coker

Temiloluwa (Temi) Coker is a Nigerian-American visual artist and graphic designer whose vibrant, Afrocentric compositions have redefined what contemporary graphic design can look like. Based in Dallas, Texas, Temi is the co-founder of Coker Studio, a culturally diverse multidisciplinary creative house that's become a powerhouse for brands seeking authentic cultural storytelling.

His work seamlessly blends photography, graphic design and 3D graphics to create imagery that celebrates African diaspora culture with unprecedented boldness and sophistication. An Adobe Creative Resident alumni, Temi's approach to design centres around representation, using colour, pattern, dimension and texture to depict layers of his Nigerian heritage in ways that are deeply personal and universally appealing.

2. Natasha Jen

A six-time National Design Award nominee, Natasha Jen is a partner at Pentagram New York, where she's built a reputation for boundary-pushing work that challenges conventional thinking about branding and editorial design.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, and joining Pentagram in 2012, Natasha has become one of the most influential voices in contemporary graphic design. Her work spans major cultural institutions, luxury brands, and editorial clients, always with an approach that prioritises conceptual rigour over surface aesthetics.

Natasha is also known for her provocative critiques of design thinking methodology, arguing for a more intuitive, less process-driven approach to creative problem-solving that has sparked important conversations across the industry.

3. Hugh Miller

Hugh Miller is a independent creative director based in London. In 2015, he co-founded the London office of the international design studio BOND. With an inquisitive approach and a passion for typography, Hugh is a visiting lecturer at The University of Greenwich and a board member of the International Society of Typographic Design.

Last year, he won the 2024 Freda Sack award, the highest honour from the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD), for his record sleeve design for SO:LO's album At the End of the World, Plant a Tree. This project, a first record sleeve for Miller and debut vinyl for SO:LO (who are also friends), did a superb job of visually representing the album's ambient music and environmental themes.

4. Rachel Gogel

Based in San Francisco, Rachel Gogel is an independent creative executive shaping the future of design at the intersection of brand, culture and technology. With roots in editorial design at publications such as GQ and The New York Times, Rachel brings a sophisticated approach to visual storytelling—creating clear hierarchies that guide readers through complex information while maintaining strong aesthetic integrity.

Since launching a namesake consultancy in 2020, Rachel has collaborated with global organisations including Airbnb and Dropbox, as well as women-founded ventures such as Chicken & Egg Films and Anew. Working in a fractional leadership capacity, Rachel helps teams navigate digital transformation and brand evolution.

Beyond consultancy, Rachel is a passionate educator and mentor, teaching at California College of the Arts and The School of The New York Times, and supporting emerging creatives through initiatives like ADPList and Talk to a Creative Director. Recently featured on Creative Boom to discuss valuing creative worth, Rachel continues to advocate for equity, inclusion and purpose in the design industry.

5. Marie Boulanger

Marie Boulanger is a London-based type designer whose practice exemplifies the intersection of artistic creativity and social consciousness. She's currently leading the design team at Monotype.

Marie's work is characterized by a distinctive duality that reflects her own personality; combining emotional intensity with analytical precision to create typography that is both punchy and delicate. Her typefaces, including Faubourg Display (which blends French Art Deco with eighteenth-century transitional serifs) and Aligre (a contemporary revival of Fleischman Antiqua), demonstrate her commitment to both historical reverence and contemporary innovation in letterform design.

6. Ingrid Picanyol

Ingrid Picanyol is a Barcelona-based graphic designer whose work reflects the creative energy and cultural sophistication of the Catalan design scene. She perceives in her work a certain way of looking at and understanding the world, and also a dose of "lateral thinking, caprice, and delirium". Her portfolio spans cultural institutions, fashion brands, and publishing projects, each demonstrating her ability to create visual identities that respect local context while appealing to international audiences.

A prime example is her identity for the Masvell restaurant, for which she collaborated with typographer Noe Blanco to develop a custom typeface inspired by Bonaventura Bassegoda's calligraphy. The resulting design honors the restaurant's cultural heritage while creating a modern visual language that reflects its connection to the local community of Masnou.

7. Alec Tear

Based in Bristol, Alec Tear is a British independent designer and lettering artist. Known for his versatile graphic styles and his focus on concept-driven typography, he collaborates with a network of independent specialists and creative agencies. He's received many awards for his work, including D&AD Pencils for projects such as Burger King Meltdown and Dieline Awards for packaging.

His portfolio website is particularly noteworthy, designed and built by Amsterdam-based studio noko. It features a distinctive toggle module that allows users to seamlessly navigate between his design and lettering work, and the site's colors dynamically adapt to each project to highlight his vibrant work.

8. Wale Osunla

Wale Osunla (it's pronounced 'wah-lay", not Whale) is a graphic designer based in Greater London whose output playfully blends creative exploration, textures and motion. Deeply passionate about fostering collaborating and community in younger (and older) creatives, he often gives talks at universities and events across the UK.

Since 2020, he's been a full-time designer at Studio Moross, being told to saturate his colour choices while working on clients such as Riot Games, Kylie Minogue, Roundhouse and the British Film Institute. We especially loved his recent rebrand of elevenfiftyfive. When away from the screen, he's steadily increasing his impressive collection of hats.

9. Chloe Scheffe

Based in Seattle, USA, Chloe Scheffe is an independent designer and art director. She began her editorial career at the New York Times Magazine, then went on to work on publications of all kinds, including Here, Interview, GQ, Wired, Lux, and WePresent.

In 2019, she was named a One Club Young Gun. In 2022, she partnered with Natalie Shields to launch Scheffe Shields, an award-winning independent design and illustration collaborative focused on printed matter. Together they produce work for clients like Phaidon, Nike, Tinashe, Tribeca Film Festival, and Interscope Records.

Chloe's work is focused on world-building (deep storytelling), emphasising typography and the analogue. She loves humour and the public domain. Recent collaborators include Figma and A24.

10. Matt Willey

Matt Willey is a graphic designer living in Brooklyn, New York. He was the art director of The New York Times Magazine from 2015-2020, before joining the New York office of Pentagram as a partner. In 2014 he was named 'Designer of the Year' by Creative Review, and was elected as a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) in 2015.

In 2021 Matt launched the literary magazine INQUE with collaborator and editor Dan Crowe. More recently, he won the National Design award, a prestigious accolade for communication design excellence.

11. Martyna Wędzicka-Obuchowicz

Based in Gdańsk, Poland, Martyna Wędzicka-Obuchowicz is an experimental graphic designer, AGI member, artist and screenprint maker. Previously a co-founder of the .less studio, currently associated mainly with the glitch style and the possibilities offered by the office scanner. An ex-tutor, she often gives talks at events, conducts workshops and lectures.

Last year, Martynapartnered with Squarespace and It's Nice That to celebrate the bold rise of neon and fluorescent hues in design. In a new website design inspired by the Vivid Glow trend, she embraced a "style that refuses to blend in", by incorporating vibrant and contrasting colours and bold shapes, to craft a fun template that was both impactful and cohesive.

12. Alex Center

Alex Center is a Brooklyn-based brand designer and founder of CENTER, a strategic design consultancy that approaches branding as cultural intervention. As our recent article on his work designing Tom Holland’s non-alcoholic beer brand shows, this work demonstrates how brand identities that drive commercial success through cultural relevance.

Previously, Alex worked for The Coca-Cola Company, helping build the brands vitaminwater, POWERADE and smartwater. Based in New York, he now partners with companies such as United Sodas of America, Apple, Good Light, Ayoh!, New Balance, BERO and Liquid Death.

13. Connor Campbell

Connor Campbell is a London-based motion designer who's transitioned from a background in graphic design to founding his own graphic design and motion studio, working for clients such as Nike, MTV, Amazon, Vice and Universal Music.

His studio operates with a core team of three, expanding with independent motion designers for larger projects. Campbell emphasises the importance of early integration of motion into branding projects for the most impactful results, rather than it being an afterthought.

14. Lebassis

Leandro Assis, known as Lebassis, is a Brazilian lettering artist and art director based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, whose vibrant work for major brands like RuPaul's Drag Race, YouTube, Nike, Netflix, and Google is deeply rooted in his personal journey as a black queer individual.

From a young age, his experience of being gay influenced his creative path, as he subconsciously developed an acute observational skill by attempting to alter his handwriting to appear "less feminine" and blend in. This early exercise in reinvention honed his ability to connect personality with typographic style, a core element of his current lettering approach.

If you want to discover more about his creative process and hear his thoughts on industry topics, check out his Substack.

15. Jessica Walsh

Jessica Walsh is the founder of &Walsh, a New York studio that blends graphic design with emotional storytelling to create brand experiences that resonate on human levels. An internationally recognised figure in design, she lectures globally and teaches at the School of Visual Arts, and her work has been featured in countless publications and exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide. She has collaborated with major clients such as Apple, Google, Netflix, The New York Times, and Adobe.

Beyond her studio work, Walsh is also known for her personal project, 40 Days of Dating, co-created with Timothy Goodman, which garnered over 12 million readers and huge media attention, leading to a book deal and film rights acquired by Warner Bros. She further champions the creative community through Ladies, Wine & Design, a mentorship program for women that has expanded to over 40 chapters globally. Last year she added yet another string to her bow, launching her own type foundry, Type Of Feeling.

16. Margot Lévêque

Margot Lévêque is a French type designer and type strategist currently based in New York. known for an elegant approach to identity systems that combines classical typographic principles with contemporary cultural needs.

After graduating from a design school in Paris with a Masters in Art Direction and Type Design, Margot went on to work with prestigious agencies and fashion labels including Vogue, Louis Vuitton, Pentagram, Prada, A24, &Walsh and Hermès Paris, and work closely with famous clients such as Phoebe Tonkin, Ariana Grande and Emma Chamberlain. She aims in her work to craft designs with "elegance, creativity, invention and beauty".

17. Paul Watmough-Halim

Paul Watmough-Halim is the co-founder and ECD of Hyperfocus Brand Design Studio, an award-winning design agency based in Hamburg, Germany. He's made a name for himself by consistently creating branded experiences that are relatable, bold, courageous, and surprising, with a particular passion for the cross-transferable mindset between brand and interactive design.

As a recognised industry speaker at prestigious events like D&AD, ADC, and OFFF festival, Paul has gained international recognition for his work, which has been featured in publications such as Visuelle, Brand Identity, Bounty Hunter, and Visual Journal. Most recently, we chatted to him about Hyperfocus' work with creative recruitment agency Undiscovered.

18. Sarah Carlton

Sarah Carlton is a designer and entrepreneur known for founding KINSHIP, a family-run creative studio in County Durham specialising in branding and print design, particularly for magazines. Her aim has always been to produce design work she can be proud of, while also maintaining the flexibility she desired after starting a family.

In 2023, she co-founded Billy No Mates Coworking, a monthly informal co-working initiative designed for remote and lonely workers in the North East. She is also involved in other endeavours, including CYAN CIC, a community arts agency, and STRIKE, a women+ public art collective.

19. Tré Seals

Tré Seals is a graphic designer, typographer and founder of Vocal Type, a type foundry dedicated to increasing diversity and representation in the design industry. His journey began in 2016 when he discovered that only 3-3.5% of practicing designers in America are blacke. Inspired by a PRINT article titled "Black Designers: Still Missing in Action", he decided to take action by creating typefaces that reflect minority culture and encourage diversity directly through their letterforms.

Based in Accokeek, Maryland, Tré's foundry serves "creatives of colour who feel they don't have a say in their industry" and aims to break the cycle of repetitive design born from a singular dominant perspective. His entrepreneurial spirit, influenced by watching his parents run their own business for 30 years, drives his mission to introduce non-stereotypical pieces of minority culture into design and create more empathy. Learn more in our interview with Tré.

20. Carla Palette

Carla Palette is an independent brand designer and art director based in Berlin whose approach to graphic design who has "an affliction for colour and controversy" and believes that "people-pleasing is boring, passive and inauthentic". We'd want to include her on this list for her name alone. But we also love her work for beauty, fashion, food and lifestyle brands from all around the globe, such as her outstanding identity for furniture brand Tresi founded on radical honesty.

In a sensational session for members of The Studio, James Hurst revealed why design, as a declaration rather than decoration, is reshaping how creative professionals approach meaningful change.

In an age where social media has gone to the dogs, Creative Boom's new network, The Studio, has emerged as something genuinely different. It's a private sanctuary where meaningful conversations replace mindless scrolling and where industry insights come directly from the people shaping our creative landscape. People like James Hurst, a highly influential designer, creative director and author known for his strategic approach to branding and technology.

On 15 May, James showed his commitment to The Studio's community by hosting a talk at 4am (!) his time, titled "Weird the Normal, Normal the Weird: Using Design to Design Change." The talk drew over 100 Studio members eager to learn from someone who has genuinely shaped the creative landscape. If you weren't one of them, here's a brief taster of what you missed.

The new normal

James brought serious credentials to The Studio's virtual stage. As CCO at consultancy Zag and former head of brand design at Google, his career trajectory, which included stints at Pinterest, Tinder, and other global brands, provided the perfect foundation for exploring how design can recalibrate our sense of normal.

The session's central premise resonated deeply with attendees: in a world where self-driving cars and one-tap Instagram shopping have become mundane, it's the sudden ordinariness of once-futuristic phenomena that feels truly uncanny.

James explored how this shift creates opportunities for creative professionals to challenge familiar boundaries and make strange concepts feel intuitive. As he put it: "The most effective work doesn't look like marketing—it looks like activism or subversion or satire, because that's what makes it relevant, that's what makes it rebellious.

"This is not about being edgy," he clarified. "It's about having real courage and often a bit of clarity."

Design is not decoration

Drawing from his new book Use Design to Design Change, James shared stories from his time at major tech companies, revealing how aesthetic intelligence drives innovation in unexpected ways. His philosophy was crystallised in memorable statements that resonated throughout the session, such as: "Design is not decoration, it's declaration. We don't make things pretty; we make things mean something. We build stories people can live in."

James challenged conventional thinking about the creative process itself, arguing that "Design is the first move, not something that we do right at the end of the process." Beyond the technical aspects of design, James emphasised the deeper purpose of creative work. "The best brands don't just tell stories; they create worlds," he said. "They create the places we live inside—beliefs that we can align with."

He added this powerful observation: "Design is the whole damn cake. It's where values become visible, where aesthetic intelligence means knowing the difference between decoration and direction."

Culture over campaigns

Perhaps most powerfully, James articulated why authentic brand building matters more than ever: "Campaigns say things, but culture proves them," he argued. "Brands can say whatever they want, but it's the culture that is going to stand the test of time." This distinction between saying and proving became a recurring theme as attendees explored how to build meaningful work in an increasingly cynical marketplace.

When discussing client relationships, James shared a refreshingly honest perspective: "Actions speak way louder than words. If people ask me to do stuff that I don't believe in, I'm really lucky that we're in a position where I can say no to work." This sparked a particularly engaged discussion about creative integrity and business sustainability.

James also addressed the responsibility that comes with creative influence: "People don't just trust brands to say the right thing; they trust the brands who actually do the right thing." This authenticity imperative led to a rich discussion about how creative professionals can help organisations align their actions with their stated values.

The sacred nature of human creativity

The session's interactive nature allowed members to engage directly with James about the tension between creativity and automation. His response was characteristically insightful: "Creativity is not being automated. AI is great at looking back—it's really good at deductive thinking. But real creativity—that's when we look forward, when we feel something when we notice something that isn't obvious."

One of the session's most profound moments came when James spoke about the irreplaceable nature of human creativity: "The human creativity, I think, is sacred—the ability to intuit what the answer should be isn't because it's necessarily in our head, it's often because it's something in our heart."

James encouraged attendees to embrace the investigative nature of design: "Sometimes the point of design is to invite inquiry, to get someone to ask that question." This approach to design as a conversation starter, not an ender, provided a fresh perspective on client presentations and creative briefs.

The session concluded with James's powerful call to action: "Let's use design to design change. This is the work, and this is the invitation." Studio members left with actionable insights about reframing their approach to design challenges, understanding how to position unconventional ideas within conventional frameworks, and recognising opportunities to shift cultural perceptions through creative work.

Real learning from real practitioners

James's session exemplified The Studio's commitment to bringing world-class creative leaders directly to its members. These aren't generic webinars delivered by people disconnected from current creative realities. Instead, they're intimate, interactive sessions led by industry leaders who understand the daily challenges of creative work.

Ready to stop feeling isolated and start feeling inspired? Join over 4,500 creative professionals who've discovered their creative sanctuary. The conversations that could change your career are happening right now. The creative community you've been searching for is waiting to welcome you.

The way Patricia Shea has combined her textile design skills with print-on-demand services is simply mesmerising, offering plenty of inspiration for aspiring illustrators and designers.

You'll have to forgive our headline. Patricia Shea doesn't like being pigeonholed, but as a pattern designer, her hand-painted creations within that field are rich and varied. There are light and whimsical Art Deco designs, traditional floral creations that hark to the Arts and Crafts, folksy artworks with an Eastern flavour, and there's no ignoring her sweet, sweet pink cupcakes.

Those cute cupcake illustrations – as seen on everything from wallpaper to smartphone cases – are one of Patricia's biggest-selling lines and even appeared in the background of the feature film Psych 3. They also inspire her online handle, Design Confections.

"I am a brand," says Patricia. "Design Confections came about because Patrcia Shea was already taken on Instagram, and I like to think of my design work as delicious. It references my very popular cupcake and my passion for patisserie."

After dropping out of Manchester Polytechnic because the textiles course she was on wasn't focusing on textiles, she went to New York and landed a job in fashion. Then she went freelance for many years, taking a whole range of commissions – from ceramic tabletop designs to medical and golf illustration and on to paper product graphics. Now back in Manchester, Design Confections brings together Patricia's creativity – she paints her motifs by hand – with her expertise in applying patterns to different surfaces.

Her knowledge and skills are valuable in the world of print-on-demand, and Patricia has capitalised on them. But let's not overlook her innate talent. Whether it's blue denim paisley, a spinning mandala or folk art assembled from geometric shapes – she knows just how to enthral the viewer. Little hints of shading, texture and artefacts of the handmade process make the work all the more engaging, going against the grain of clinical computer-generated ornamentation.

"I adored paint by numbers, Spirograph and fine illustration like botanical illustration and artwork by the Pre-Raphaelites, whose paintings I visited regularly at Manchester City Art Gallery. All of these things I think you can now recognise in my work in the form of tight realism and geometric patterns and the combination of both," says Patricia.

While we often focus on beauty, colour and the clever combination of forms in a pattern – they excite us, perhaps – the calming effect of repetition has always attracted Patricia. Early on, her tutors recognised this and encouraged her towards surface design. Today, her creations are shipped to customers worldwide, and new ventures are on the horizon.

"I just adore repeating patterns and creating them," she continues. "Once I start in a groove, I can create so many coordinated designs from a few base motifs, which I do through the amazing auspices of Photoshop after scanning and cleaning the motifs and illustrations up."

As in so many other areas of creativity, AI casts a dark shadow, and Patricia has seen her designs scraped and homogenised, turned into lookalike products for which she doesn't earn a penny. It's very disheartening. "But I do think the ultimate outcome, which I am seeing a glimmer of right now, is that hand-created, original work by humans will be elevated and more appreciated than ever. How long it will be before that's the norm, who knows?" she ponders.

Just like she adapted to print-on-demand and capitalised on it, Patricia is now focusing on the idea of the handmade original. She's begun selling her work, which is emotionally tough, having become accustomed to keeping her 'children' at home. Another venture she's exploring is teaching pattern design.

"Last year, I taught a mandala workshop in Marrakech at an eco-hotel owned by a lovely Mancunian, and I will be doing more of these workshops as I move forward. I am continuing with my PODs; I'm just also diversifying as you always seem to need to as a creative," she says.

In an eye-opening session for members of The Studio, Liz Mosley revealed how actively seeking rejection transformed her creative practice and why "no" might be the most valuable word in a designer's vocabulary.

In an age where creatives struggle with imposter syndrome and the paralysing fear of putting themselves out there, Creative Boom's private network, The Studio, continues to provide sanctuary for honest conversations about the realities of creative work. It's where vulnerability replaces performative success stories and where practical wisdom comes from those who've genuinely walked the path.

People like Liz Mosley, a seasoned graphic designer with over 16 years of experience who made an unusual decision: to actively seek 100 rejections in six months.

In her workshop session, Liz shared the profound lessons from this counter-intuitive experiment and why embracing rejection became the key to unlocking both personal resilience and professional opportunities.

The moment that changed everything

Liz brought a hard-earned perspective to The Studio's community. As a specialist in creative branding and websites for small businesses and host of the Building Your Brand podcast, her career seemed successful from the outside. But beneath the surface lay a familiar creative struggle: the fear of rejection that keeps so many talented professionals playing small.

The catalyst came when Chris Do, a high-profile industry figure, declined to appear on her podcast because her audience wasn't large enough. Rather than retreat into shame, Liz experienced a revelation that would reshape her entire approach to creative business.

As she explained to Studio members: "Once I acknowledged that maybe this mindset was holding me back, I asked, 'How can I flip this around?'" This question sparked what she calls her "100 Rejections Challenge". It was a deliberate pursuit of the very thing most creatives spend their careers trying to avoid.

Rejection as progress, not failure

The session's central premise challenged everything most creatives believe about success. Liz reframed rejection from a sign of inadequacy to evidence of growth: "If I'm getting rejected, I'm on the right path—things are going as expected. I'm pushing myself."

She tracked every pitch, follow-up, and response, initially in a spreadsheet, before making the process more playful with a sticker chart—turning potential shame into a game.

The psychological breakthrough was immediate: "The minute I decided to do the rejection challenge, my mindset shifted immediately. I turned it into a win-win situation for myself." Studio members found this approach particularly powerful because it addressed the emotional barriers that often outweigh technical skills in creative careers.

The mathematics of creative courage

Liz shared insights that resonated deeply with attendees navigating pricing, pitching and self-promotion. Her perspective on pricing rejection was particularly enlightening: "If everyone is saying yes to your pricing, then it's not high enough," she said. "There should be a certain number of clients rejecting you."

This reframe helped Studio members understand rejection as market feedback rather than personal judgment. As Liz explained through her own experience of being on the receiving end of pitches: "I realised the reasons I turn people down are rarely because they're a terrible person. It's usually about timing or fit."

The session explored how this shift in perspective builds rejection resilience. That's not so much the elimination of emotional response (no one expects you to be a psychopath) but the ability to recover faster. "It's not like you're fixed forever," she stresses. "What changes is that you recover quicker because you have new stories to tell yourself."

From rejection to unexpected opportunity

The most compelling aspect of Liz's talk was how some rejections led to surprising victories. Her systematic approach to seeking "no" eventually resulted in landing her dream podcast sponsor and, ironically, being invited onto Chris Do's podcast—the person whose rejection had initially sparked her journey.

This outcome perfectly illustrated her core message: "Failure is progress. If you go to the gym and want to build muscle, you have to do reps until you fail—that's how you grow." Studio members connected deeply with this analogy, recognising how creative growth requires the same systematic approach to discomfort.

Liz also emphasised the unexpected community-building power of sharing rejection stories. "I try to share about rejection as much as possible because people don't talk about it enough," she said. This transparency created connection rather than shame, challenging the polished narratives that dominate social media.

Learning from lived experience

Liz's session exemplifies The Studio's commitment to bringing authentic voices to its community. These aren't theoretical frameworks delivered by consultants removed from creative realities. Instead, they're honest reflections from practitioners who understand that creativity requires both skill and courage—and that the latter is often harder to develop.

The vulnerability Liz showed in sharing her journey created space for Studio members to examine their own relationship with risk, validation and ambition. Her willingness to quantify and systematise something as personal as rejection offered a practical bridge between emotional growth and professional development.

Ready to transform your relationship with rejection and unlock new creative possibilities? Join the thousands of creatives who've discovered that the conversations changing their careers are happening right now. The community that understands your challenges—and your potential—is waiting to welcome you.

In this edition, part of our Work-Life Balance & Boundaries theme, we speak with Teresa Ferreira, founder of Ferrgood Studio, about deconditioning hustle culture, protecting creative energy, and why running a values-led business means leading yourself first.

After years working at the top of the design world – including as Head of Design at the Financial Times – Teresa Ferreira left corporate life to build something slower, more spacious, and more intentional. Through Ferrgood Studio, she helps purpose-driven brands create timeless design. However, behind the studio's success lies a deeper journey of redefining ambition and learning to listen to her own limits.

In our latest Q&A for In Her Own Words, Teresa opens up about burnout, boundaries, and the rituals that help her stay grounded in a fast-moving industry.

Have you ever struggled with setting boundaries in your career, and how did you handle it?

I've burned out a few times, first in my corporate career and again since starting my own business. So yes, I've definitely struggled to set healthy boundaries between work and life. I'm a recovering workaholic with a focus on recovery.

There are many layers to this. My parents are both insanely hard workers and always praised that trait, so that set the tone early. Add to that a squiggly, non-linear career path, sprinkle in some imposter syndrome, and you've got a recipe for tying your self-worth to your output.

And then, of course, there's the creative industry. It's competitive, recognition-driven, and full of pressure to constantly outperform. It's a perfect environment for overworking to thrive.

But here's the thing. I've been deconditioning, even as I write this. It took a few burnouts, complete with anxiety and panic attacks, to realise I didn't want to end up there again. One of the biggest moves I made to protect myself was leaving corporate and starting my own business.

It's not a magic fix. It's a steep learning curve, for sure. However, reclaiming my creativity and time has brought genuine joy back into my work, my purpose, and my everyday life. Now, the challenge is knowing when to switch off and actually recharge.

Running your own business constantly forces you into the growth zone. It takes serious self-awareness to spot the early signs of burnout and set clear boundaries. Like when I'm allowed to talk about work, because yep, I was that person oversharing about my projects to everyone.

So, is it perfect? Not even close. But working for myself means I can set my own limits, choose the people I surround myself with, and press pause when I need to reset. It's still a work in progress, but it's a way more empowering place to be.

How do you protect your creative energy while managing deadlines and demands?

Creative energy is akin to life force energy, also known as Qi. It won't be there unless you're doing all the other things that keep you healthy, balanced, grounded, and safe. So, I try to prioritise my health as much as I can. Sleeping enough, eating well, moving my body, journaling, meditating, being in nature — all those very human things that create the foundation for a good life.

Additionally, having a strong support network and creative community has been a significant factor in nourishing and sparking my energy. Whether it's coworking days, afternoons in galleries, exhibitions, brainstorming sessions or accountability check-ins, those moments of connection have been essential to helping both me and my studio grow.

Travel is also a big one. I truly believe that seeing the world and connecting with different cultures opens your mind in a way that fuels creativity. I travel as much as I can whenever it feels sustainable to do so. I also draw inspiration from music, books, art, photography and cinema, and I try to expose myself to as much of that as possible.

And finally, I always strive to stay connected to the reason I do this work. It brings me immense joy to create for a living, to be compensated for my design work, and to share my passion for this craft in a way that benefits both people and the planet. That perspective really helps ease the pressure that can come with deadlines and demands.

Have you ever felt pressure to constantly 'hustle,' and how do you push back against that?

I'd be lying if I said I don't feel that pressure. This is a competitive industry, and standing out or getting hired isn't always easy. That hustle mentality is always lurking because, realistically, you never quite know when the well of clients or work might dry up.

The truth is, I've struggled with this. I'm not a natural salesperson, and I definitely don't enjoy shouting about myself. I've even been known to awkwardly deflect compliments. So, I've had to approach the idea of hustling from a different angle.

Instead of following the traditional hustle path, I strive to maintain a more detached perspective. I put my work out there with intention and let people find me if I'm their vibe. I'm not chasing or obsessing over working with client A or B. That mindset shift has helped me protect my energy. I genuinely believe there's enough to go around and that the right work will find its way to me.

Diversifying my services has also played a huge role in this. It's allowed me to move away from scarcity thinking and step into something more sustainable and spacious. The competitive, high-stress hustle approach just doesn't sit well with me. I don't think it brings out the best in people, and it definitely doesn't bring out the best in me.

To summarise, I'm not about the "hustle life". I prefer intentional connection, collaboration, and giving before receiving. That energy has served me well so far, so why mess with what's working?

What does a balanced life look like for you, and how do you work towards it?

Balance is underrated and, honestly, quite hard to recognise when you're in it. It's like hindsight – you only realise you had it once you compare it to something else.

But let's not get too philosophical. A balanced life is my ultimate goal. Ideally, it would look like a 50/50 split between work and everything else. Right now, if I'm being honest, it's more of an 85/15 situation. And yes, work is winning.

So, what does balance look like in practice? It's a day where I wake up energised, go for a walk in nature, then have breakfast and do a bit of journaling or meditation. I'd get a few solid hours of focused work in, then break for a healthy lunch with a friend. Perhaps a couple of sparky meetings in the afternoon, followed by some physical activity — such as a trip to the gym or Pilates. Then, a very ordinary evening of house chores, reading, cooking, and an early night.

In this balanced version of my life, switching off feels easier. I've come to terms with the idea that my self-worth isn't tied to my productivity or achievements.

That said, I'm still ambitious. I want to grow the business to a point where I can choose what I'm hands-on with. That's already starting to happen in small ways, but I still carry a lot of my work into my personal life — it lingers in my thoughts, sneaks into my dreams, and takes up too much mental space. So yes, it is very much a work in progress.

I've also realised that running a business means carving out time to work on it, not just within it. That might mean a mentoring session with someone who inspires me, an hour to reset goals, or a moment to reflect on what's actually working. In an ideal balanced life, I'd make much more space for this kind of strategic thinking.

For me, a balanced life is one where there's more time for myself, my family, and friends, as well as for learning and growth. From there, everything flows better. The decisions get clearer, the work gets stronger, and I show up as the version of me that can actually lead this business well. Funny how it's all connected.

Independent London agency Without has unveiled a major branding project for Sodexo's US college dining offer, now called One&All, championing diversity through flexible design and a collegiate spirit.

How do you create a brand that appeals to everyone without becoming generic? That was the central challenge for Without Studio as they partnered with Sodexo to reimagine the food experience across US college campuses.

The result is the bold, flexible brand platform for One&All, designed to reflect the diversity of student life while streamlining operations across a billion-dollar business.

For Without, the project marks a major milestone. "This has been one of our most comprehensive and systemic projects," says Philip Koh, the studio's strategy director. "We had to balance scale and personal relevance and do it all in a way that feels authentic to campus culture."

Already operating on more than 350 campuses and feeding over a million people a day, Sodexo needed more than a visual refresh. They needed a unified identity system that could appeal to Gen Z, accommodate a wide spectrum of dietary, cultural and religious needs, and work across hundreds of independent university administrations. With that in mind, the studio created a name, narrative, and design ecosystem rooted in the idea of "commonality in diversity."

Built for difference

The brand idea stemmed from field research. Visiting a broad range of colleges – from liberal arts campuses to those with religious foundations – Without saw first-hand how diversity wasn't a challenge to be solved, but a strength to build on.

"They were already serving and keeping everyone happy," says Philip. "Our job was to build a brand that reflected that existing strength."

The strategy positions the canteen as more than a place to eat by positioning it as a campus stage for difference and togetherness. "One campus, thousands of students. One dining hall, something for everyone," reads the positioning. This ethos informed everything, from the tone of voice to the operational tools, setting the brand apart in an often-overlooked space.

A collegiate system reimagined

Visually, One&All leans into familiar collegiate cues, like varsity fonts, bold stripes, and mascot characters, but applies them with a contemporary edge. The studio created two illustrated mascots, "One" and "All," as the friendly faces of the brand.

Their personalities are designed to contrast, as One is a soft, circular vegan while All is an angular carnivore with a protein obsession. Together, they front merchandise, signage, digital touchpoints, and social media with light-hearted banter that mirrors the diversity of opinions found on any campus.

"The mascots do heavy lifting," says Philip. "They bring warmth to what could otherwise feel institutional, and their constant disagreement becomes a kind of rallying point – a celebration of individuality, not a conflict."

The colour palette is another deft move. After auditing existing university colours, the team settled on a rhubarb pink, a hue that no college had claimed but one that pairs well with nearly everything.

"The colour is surprisingly sociable," says Philip. Supporting shades and textures help flex the identity to match local aesthetics while maintaining brand consistency.

Typography was also chosen to embody contrast: bold, varsity-inspired type sits alongside expressive script, mirroring Gen Z's ability to embrace contradictions and nuance. Striped patterns add further texture, nodding to both deli counters and campus sports culture.

Flexing with purpose

While the visual system has character, the structure behind it is rigorously designed for scalability. One&All's identity is built on a fixed-and-flex model, with core assets that remain consistent and adaptable frameworks for regional or site-specific variation.

This was essential in a sector where even colour choices can be politically loaded, particularly when rival colleges are involved.

From signage and uniforms to digital menus and in-app comms, everything has been designed to be flexible, usable, and rooted in campus life. Even the name is malleable: some campuses lead with One&All as the master brand, while others position it as a supporting motto ("by One&All, for One&All") alongside local branding.

Systems thinking, brand-first execution

The deliverables for the project exceeded the guidelines. Without co-developed a full implementation system with Sodexo's in-house teams, including operational playbooks, training resources, signage systems, and toolkits for food presentation, service tone, and interior touchpoints.

"We built what we call 'operational translations'," says Philip. "It wasn't just about how the brand looks, but how it behaves — how it guides a service interaction, or how a dining space feels." Workshops and roadmaps helped teams at different campuses adopt the brand at their own pace, creating internal advocacy and ensuring a consistent experience across locations with vastly different resources.

Culture first, commerce follows

"With One&All, Without embraced difference and turned diversity into the very thing that brings us together," says Diego Raso, VP of marketing & brand management at Sodexo. "It's become a benchmark for how we build brands."

Beyond functionality, the project marks a shift in how large-scale institutional brands approach their audiences. Gen Z is fluent in brand culture and increasingly sees food as an expression of identity, ethics and lifestyle. Branding in this space isn't just decoration, as it exemplifies how purpose is made visible.

"There's a growing expectation that where you eat should reflect your values," says Philip. "And standing for something is clearly valuable – in one recent project, branding an unbranded outlet led to a 27% uplift in sustained sales."

Bigger than branding

There's no doubt that Without has proven that independent studios can take on billion-dollar systems and bring creativity to complexity, not by simplifying it away but by making room for nuance, character, and culture.

"We're especially proud that this is a UK studio building a brand for American campuses," Philip adds. "And doing it in a way that puts diversity at the centre, not the edges."

In dining halls from New York to Nebraska, students might not think too hard about the strategy behind the signage or the colour of their menu. However, they will see characters who get their references, slogans that echo their conversations, and a brand that feels like it belongs, not just on campus but with them.

These talented visual storytellers are capturing imaginations worldwide with their distinctive styles and creative innovation across every medium.

It's a tough time to be an illustrator right now. The twin threats of generative AI and an ongoing financial squeeze make earning a living a real challenge. The consensus from industry leaders is that to survive as a freelancer, illustrators need to double down on what makes them unique and carve out a distinctive style to set them apart.

That's easy to say, difficult to do, of course. However, it can be helpful to draw inspiration from others who have succeeded in this quest. And here are 20 individuals who fit that brief nicely.

To compile this list, we consulted our community. In our recent Creative Boom survey, we gathered votes from hundreds of illustrators, art directors and industry insiders to spotlight the artists making waves in this challenging climate.

As a result, this article features a global network of illustrators whose work doesn't just look beautiful; it says something, too. From Paris to La Paz, London to São Paulo, these artists are using their platforms to tackle social issues, celebrate cultural diversity and remind us of the irreplaceable magic of human hands at work.

1. Jean Jullien

French graphic designer and illustrator currently lives and works in Paris. His instantly recognisable signature style and observational take on modern life have made him one of the most sought-after artists in the world.

He has worked with hundreds of clients, including The New York Times, RCA Records, and Geographic, and has published numerous books with publishers such as teNeues, Walker Books, Comme des Géants, and Hato Press. In 2022, he published a monograph with Phaidon.

He's currently creating work for major international projects, including an enormous sculpture covered in mythological aquatic doodles for the EXPO 2025 in Osaka. His ability to blend humour with serious commentary has made him a favourite among both commercial clients and gallery audiences worldwide.

2. Christoph Niemann

Christoph Niemann is an illustrator, graphic designer, and children's book author who has been writing and illustrating The New York Times blog Abstract City since July 2008 (renamed Abstract Sunday in 2011). His work has appeared on the covers of The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, and The New York Times Magazine and has won awards from AIGA, the Art Directors Club, and American Illustration.

Christoph's approach to illustration combines conceptual thinking with playful execution, making complex ideas accessible through clever visual metaphors. Known for his Sunday Sketches, a weekly series of humorous drawings, he's mastered the art of creating work that resonates with both critics and mass audiences. To learn more, listen to our interview with him on The Creative Boom Podcast.

3. Lauren Hom

Lauren Hom is a designer and lettering artist with a knack for marketing who loves helping creatives and brands get more eyes on their work. A self-proclaimed "artist with a business brain", she picked up hand lettering as a hobby while studying advertising at the School of Visual Arts. She's from California but is currently based in Detroit.

Known for her bright colour palettes, playful letterforms, and quirky copywriting, Lauren has created work for clients such as Vans, Google, and Adobe. Her approach to lettering combines commercial appeal with artistic integrity, making her work instantly recognisable across various platforms. To learn more, read our exclusive interview with Lauren.

4. Jada Bruney

Jada Bruney is an illustrator, art director, and designer based in London whose work explores themes of identity, culture, and collaboration. Her practice spans editorial illustration and animation, with a particular focus on projects that celebrate diversity and cultural heritage.

When she was still a student in 2020, we featured here in our hotlist of emerging illustrators. She has become a sought-after creative partner for brands including Nike, Cadbury, Tate, Primark, and Penguin Random House. Jada's work often features bold, expressive characters and vibrant colour palettes that reflect her interest in exploring contemporary black British identity.

5. Hugo L Cuellar

Hugo L Cuellar is an illustrator and animator known for his rich character design and distinctive approach to game art. Originally from Bolivia, he relocated to Scotland, where he graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art in 2004. He then moved to London, where he currently lives and works.

Hugo's character designs display a sophisticated understanding of narrative and personality, bringing fictional worlds to life through carefully crafted visual storytelling. His animation work shows particular strength in creating characters that feel both fantastical and emotionally resonant.

6. Jarom Vogel

Jarom Vogel is a prominent illustrator, designer, and digital artist who hails from Utah, USA. He is known for his distinctive style, often described as having "cut-out" qualities with strong shapes, vibrant colours, and textures, which he often creates digitally using Procreate on his iPad.

Currently living in the Portland area, Jarom's approach to illustration emphasises storytelling through character design, creating figures that feel alive and emotionally engaging. As a Procreate educator, his teaching approach reflects the same playful energy that characterises his illustration work.

7. Ana Matsusaki

Ana Matsusaki is a Brazilian illustrator and author who creates poetic visuals through digital collage techniques. Her work in children's books and editorial illustration demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of how to combine traditional storytelling with contemporary visual techniques.

Her digital collage work is known for its dreamlike, atmospheric illustrations that feel both contemporary and timeless. More broadly, her approach to children's book illustration brings a uniquely Brazilian perspective to international publishing.

8. Maïté Franchi

Maïté Franchi is an illustrator based in Lyon, France, who specialises in dynamic editorial, packaging, and travel illustration for clients including Adobe, Coca-Cola, Sony, Dior, and Guerlain. Her work is characterised by bold use of colour and pattern, creating illustrations that feel both sophisticated and energetic. Represented by Folio Art, Maïté is known for crafting work that feels both specific to a place and universally appealing —a neat trick to pull off.

9. Jocie Juritz

Jocie (pronounced "joss-ee") Juritz is a London-based illustrator and animator known for creating lively, humourous, narrative imagery for editorial and animation projects. She also enjoys teaching and mentoring. Her work is highly accessible and engaging, making complex topics approachable through visual storytelling. Her ability to find the human element in any story has made her work particularly valuable for editorial clients.

10. Nubia Navarro

Nubia Navarro is a Venezuelan lettering and illustration artist currently living in Colombia, whose culturally rich work blends traditional and contemporary styles. Her approach to lettering demonstrates a deep understanding of how typography can carry cultural meaning and emotional weight.

Nubia's work often explores themes of identity and heritage, using visual elements that celebrate Venezuelan and Latin American culture. Her lettering style combines classical influences with contemporary design sensibilities, creating work that feels both rooted in tradition and thoroughly modern.

11. Monica Rickert-Bolter

Monica Rickert-Bolter is an Afro-Indigenous illustrator whose work spotlights underrepresented narratives in arts, culture, and education. Based in Chicago, her approach to illustration demonstrates a commitment to using visual storytelling as a tool for social justice and cultural preservation.

Her work often explores themes of Indigenous identity and heritage, creating illustrations that challenge stereotypes and celebrate the complexity of contemporary Indigenous experience. She is co-founder of the Centre for Native Futures, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to supporting Native artists.

12. Maria Expósito

Maria Expósito is a Spanish illustrator whose work spans fashion, lifestyle and editorial illustration. Her approach to visual storytelling demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of how to create illustrations that feel both contemporary and timeless.

Notable illustration projects to date include the AIN 2025 catalogue cover, the UPN campaign in Navarra, and works for Mutua Navarra, Revista Nuestro Tiempo, Intermón Oxfam, and UNICEF. She's also completed mural projects in locations such as Nájera and Calahorra.

13. Brian Mackin

Brian Mackin is an editorial illustrator based in Brooklyn, New York whose work demonstrates a strong cultural resonance in visual storytelling. His approach to illustration combines hand lettering with contemporary social commentary. For the last fifteen years, he's also been partner and creative director at FAREWELL where clients include Apple, Harry’s NYC, and Aimé Leon Dore.

14. Beth Walrond

Beth Walrond is a UK-born, Berlin-based illustrator who focuses on editorial, health, and cultural topics, bringing a signature warmth to her visual approach. Describing her work as "textural, playful, wobbly, offbeat and fun", she likes to combine hand-drawing and mark-making with digital colours and print-making techniques.

She has worked on projects for a wide range of contexts, from packaging to editorial to large-scale murals. Her first book, A Taste of the World, which she wrote and illustrated, is published by Little Gestalten and available in English, German, Korean and Chinese. To learn more, read our interview with Beth.

15. Sophie Garwell

Sophie Garwell is a London-based illustrator who is preoccupied with the spaces around us and how we interact with them. Her work responds to both inner and outer landscapes, investigating external surroundings and how they can serve as an anchor in defining our place in the world while also acting as a conduit for internal flux.

Working often from visual memory to capture the lingering memory of a flash of colour, a scattering of light or an internal response to her surroundings, her work demonstrates a keen understanding of how illustration can be used to explore and challenge different perspectives on the world. Make sure you follow her on Instagram.

16. Vincent Bell-Robertson

Vincent Bell-Robertson is a Scottish illustrator and comic artist known for his distinctive webcomics, which often feature a "Looney Tunes" aesthetic combined with humorous, cartoonish violence. His work includes "The Man the Earth Spat Back," a webcomic created for V&A Dundee, and prints available through Flamingosaurus Rex.

Actively involved in the indie comics scene, Bell-Robertson also serves as editor of 'The Gullet Magazine'. He primarily writes and draws his own material, showcasing a unique and often darkly humorous style that sets him apart from illustrators focused on vibrant portraits or tech/editorial work.

17. Lisk Feng

Lisk Feng is an award-winning Chinese illustrator, now based in New York, who's known for dreamy, imaginative editorial and book illustrations. Her work demonstrates exceptional skill in creating atmospheric imagery that feels both fantastical and emotionally resonant, appealing to both children and adults. She also published children's books with Phaeton, Flying Eye Books, Abrams, and Kids Can Press.

Lisk's ability to create work that transcends cultural boundaries has made her a major voice in international illustration. She was the Society of Illustrators 2023's vice president and became chair in 2024.

18. Amber Vittoria

Amber Vittoria is an abstract artist and illustrator based in Los Angeles whose use of abstracted form, ribbons of colour, and joyous words evokes the nuances of emotion, beauty, and nostalgia.

Taking advantage of the fluidity of her ink, colour pencil and acrylic paints, Amber creates aqueous rainbow gradients that dominate her compositions. Punctuated by simple graphite line drawings and impactful words, her work explores her relationship to beauty, emotion, and societal expectations. To learn more, read our interview with Amber.

19. Ping Zhu

Ping Zhu is a Chinese-American editorial illustrator whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and beyond. Originally from Los Angeles, she's now based in based in Brooklyn, New York. Her children's book debut, The Strange Birds of Flannery O'Connor, A Life, was selected by the New York Times as a Best Children's Book of 2020.

Zhu is recognised for her expressive and gestural painting style, which often involves layering bright swathes of colours in bold brushstrokes. Her work is primarily created using gouache on paper, giving it a tactile and spontaneous quality. She is influenced by mid-century American design, particularly that of Charley Harper and Scandinavian design.

20. Decur (Guillermo Decurgez)

Born in Rosario, Argentina, in 1981, Decur (also known as Guillermo Decurgez) is a self-taught cartoonist and illustrator. His style is often described as quiet, whimsical, and evoking a timeless, childlike wonder.

Decur's work frequently features intricate details, often in miniature scale, and a sense of narrative. He works with acrylics, sometimes dedicating up to 20 hours to a single piece. He draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, including antique furniture, animals, and plants.

He has illustrated numerous children's books as well as a board game, and his artwork has been exhibited in various countries, including France, Spain, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, and Argentina.

The multidisciplinary creative studio We Three Club celebrates 15 years of gigging and screenprinting with their new book, '2 or 3 Colours'.

"Two ink colours and a screenprint rack." Beck has never sung that, but perhaps he might if he ever hooks up with Christopher and Alex White of We Three Club. The Cambridgeshire-based creative studio has just launched '2 or 3 Colours' – a retrospective drawn from their 15 years working with bands and festivals, creating powerful, graphical screen-printed posters.

Inside, you'll find the We Three Club's 2010-2025 gig poster archive, featuring over 130 artworks printed across more than 140 pages at A4 size. It includes acts such as Metallica, Arctic Monkeys, Amyl and the Sniffers, Metz, Sampha, Florence and the Machine, Smashing Pumpkins, and many more.

"We wanted to celebrate 15 years of designing posters together as We Three Club," says Christopher White. "Between us, we've actually been doing this even longer – starting out in bands, putting on our own shows, and making posters out of necessity. What began as a DIY effort evolved into something much bigger, and this book serves as a way to document that journey. It's a collection of the work we're most proud of – posters, prints, and a look at the process behind them."

The title '2 or 3 Colours' originates directly from the screen-printing process. It allows you to use as many colours as you want, but We Three Club always sets a limit of two or three, challenging themselves to design creating stunning artwork every time, within those parameters. The handmade process yields work that's tactile and authentic, offering something original for fans to take home with them.

Then there's the excitement of working with artists who are household names. "A big moment was creating a poster for Johnny Marr," says Chris. "Meeting him was surreal. The Smiths have always been one of my favourite bands. I used to dream of working with Morrissey, but I think it's safe to say we're not really on the same wavelength these days!"

He continues: "And Les Savy Fav at Green Man Festival is always a highlight. Each year, we collaborate with a select group of artists, including the UK Poster Association, to curate a poster booth and produce prints for some of the line-ups. We've seen LSF live loads of times, and having our kids there to meet the band made it extra special."

When We Three Club began this endeavour, it was rare to see printed posters on the merchandise stand at a concert. They'd have to explain what they were and why they had value to attendees. Today, a bespoke gig poster is almost expected. This has fostered a community of like-minded poster artists in the UK.

Today, Chris and Alex have other creative pursuits as well, but We Three Club remains part of who they are and what they do. "We'll continue working with some of our favourite bands and clients, though these days we're a bit more selective about what we take on," says Chris. '2 or 3 Colours' feels like a metaphorical full-stop, but also a way to mark a new chapter."

With a mission to shift workplace health from tick-box to top priority, Life Factory's new brand now leads with optimism, clarity and care.

Workplace well-being brand Life Factory has unveiled a new visual identity by Gardiner Richardson, centred around a bold, upbeat 'thumbs up' symbol designed to cut through the noise of the crowded health and well-being space.

The rebrand aims to reposition Life Factory as a confident, compassionate alternative to the tech-heavy aesthetic dominating the sector, putting humanity back at the heart of workplace health.

In a sector brimming with abstract logos and algorithmic jargon, Life Factory sought to stand out. As a provider of well-being support for employees and employers alike, the brand wasn't just offering services – it was championing a more proactive, people-first culture.

That mindset underpins every aspect of the new identity, which was developed in close collaboration with the Newcastle-based studio.

The studio's brief was to give Life Factory a distinctive voice and visual identity in an increasingly crowded space. "The challenge was to stand out while staying relevant and meaningful," says Darren Richardson, creative director at Gardiner Richardson. "We needed to find a way of humanising the name."

Their solution is both simple and striking, in the form of a bold, stylised thumbs up, which anchors the identity and encapsulates the brand's upbeat, proactive ethos. Embedded within the shape is a subtle nod to the word 'life', giving the logo a layered meaning that resonates across audiences and channels.

"The 'thumbs up' icon instinctively embodied Life Factory's attitude to helping people," Darren explains. "It's positive, empowering, and grounded in the self-care zeitgeist. Let's give life the thumbs up."

This confident, emotionally intelligent design move sets the tone for the wider identity. The visual system is clean, colourful and full of character. It's a deliberate departure from the sterile, data-heavy cues often seen in the health and well-being space.

"Ironically, the well-being sector is increasingly loaded with tech, algorithms and associated symbology," says Darren. "But it's a space that's fundamentally about people. So it made sense to make the brand inherently human in form."

That idea extends to the illustration style, which is developed to support the brand's service areas and tone of voice. Rooted in surreal, slightly playful imagery, the illustrations bring lightness and empathy to topics that can often carry stigma or discomfort.

"Some of the areas Life Factory supports are heavy with preconceptions," Darren explains. "So we approached the illustration style as a way to free those subjects up. Taking a more empathetic, surreal direction allowed us to leave things open to interpretation while giving the brand a distinctive look and feel."

Beyond the visuals, the brand strategy focused on defining a clear and relatable personality. Gardiner Richardson began by speaking directly with Life Factory's target audience – HR teams, business owners and employees – to uncover the real challenges they face around well-being at work.

Those insights led to the idea of the "wingman", which is a metaphorical partner who understands the delicate balance between employer and employee needs.

"The wingman takes care of people so they can take care of the business," says Darren. "It's an empathetic role. Supportive, trustworthy, quietly confident."

That character informed the wider tone of voice and positioning. It also helped guide decisions around messaging and behaviour across key brand touchpoints, from pitch decks to employee communications.

The collaboration with Life Factory founder Nick was, according to Darren, a key part of the project's success. "Nick's desire to move workplace health away from the classic 'head in hands' stock photography really shaped the direction," he says. "He was open, engaged and willing to be challenged on how far to push the design."

With a new brand that feels accessible, optimistic and built for growth, Life Factory is now better equipped to stand out. "The universally recognisable icon tells a timeless story of human encouragement," Darren adds. "That's a powerful idea. It gives the brand longevity as workplace well-being continues to evolve."

For Gardiner Richardson, the project provided an opportunity to demonstrate how strategic design can spark meaningful change. Not by overwhelming users with data or tech promises but by tapping into something far simpler – a moment of human connection, a small gesture of care, a well-earned thumbs up.

As London's Air Ambulance Charity looks to the future, FORM Brands Studio delivers a bold new visual and verbal identity that blends urgency and optimism.

London's Air Ambulance Charity has revealed a bold new identity by FORM Brands Studio, designed to help the organisation deepen its connection with the public and boost vital fundraising efforts. Rooted in the idea of 'Propelling Promise', the rebrand strikes a balance between the high-intensity nature of emergency response and the warmth and hope that define the charity's mission.

The rebrand comes at a pivotal moment for the organisation. With a new strategic direction and rising demand for its life-saving services, the charity needed a brand that could galvanise support across the capital while staying true to its 36-year legacy. As Jayne Clarke, director of fundraising & marketing, says: "The £17 million a year it takes to deliver our service can only come with the support of the city we serve."

Working in close collaboration with the charity, FORM developed a new wordmark, colour palette, type system, icons, motion assets, copywriting, photography and fundraising materials. At the heart of the system is a gradient inspired by the motion of helicopter blades, nodding to the organisation's operational core and a metaphor for constant action.

"Propelling Promise really took flight," says Beth Andlaw, FORM's co-founder and strategy director. "Teams across the organisation felt aligned to the sentiment of being a brand about action – a driving force, as well as compassion and hope."

The visual system blends red – a long-standing part of the charity's identity – with a new vivid orange, taken from the flight suits worn by medics at the scene. The gradient that fuses the two creates a striking and versatile signature that speaks to urgency, momentum, and life-saving care.

Alongside the visual refresh, FORM introduced a new wordmark inspired by the lettering on the helicopter tail. With subtle cues to flight and motion, it captures both function and spirit. Typography plays a key role throughout the system, with London borough names used in radiating patterns that reinforce the charity's connection to the communities it serves.

"'Propelling Promise' became the platform that drove the entire verbal identity," explains Alex Andlaw, FORM's co-founder and creative director. "We were inspired by the intensity of the clinical work, the calm composure of the crews, and the deep bond between the charity and the people of London."

The team extended that energy into a full creative writing system, ensuring every headline, call to action and fundraising message carried the brand's dual spirit of determination and hope. Lines like "Trauma doesn't stop. Neither do we" and "Here for London. Today, tomorrow, always" anchor the tone of voice, characterised as resolute but reassuring.

To make the brand tangible in new ways, FORM also designed a series of collectable badges inspired by the embroidered patches worn by the charity's pilots and doctors. Serving as both brand memorabilia and fundraising tools, the badges give supporters a direct link to the frontline and deepen emotional engagement.

Photography by James Pearson-Howes adds another layer to the story, capturing real people and places across the capital to show the everyday relevance of the charity's work. The tone is authentic and grounded, reinforcing the brand's connection to lived experiences.

Crucially, accessibility was a guiding principle throughout the design process. The colour palette meets AA standards, and the typographic system was built to be legible and inclusive across all applications.

"We had an exciting opportunity to move our brand forward," says Jayne. "The refreshed strategy leans on our bold history but still looks to the future – giving us a new identity and tone of voice that will help us achieve our ambitious goals."

Alex Andlaw, founder of FORM, adds: "The new identity mixes the spirit of the original with the forward-looking nature of where the charity is headed. It brings everything together."

From helicopters and hospitals to high streets and borough billboards, the new brand positions London's Air Ambulance Charity as a vital presence across the city and as a service that doesn't just fly into action but stays rooted in the lives it saves.

From a one-off digital event to a global community platform, 'Where Are The Black Designers?' is redefining how the creative industries discuss and address inclusion. With their first festival in London set to take place this summer, we reflect on their journey so far.

When Where Are The Black Designers? (WATBD) launched in 2020, it was meant to be a single event. It was a one-time rallying cry for change during a time of global uncertainty and growing reflection on representation and opportunity.

Five years later, it has grown into something far bigger and more resilient: a global, volunteer-run nonprofit and community that inspires the creative industry to better recognise and support black talent. Now, as WATBD prepares to host its first in-person festival in London this August, co-founders Mitzi Okou and Roshannah Bagley are taking a moment to reflect on the journey so far.

"The fact that we still exist as an entity five years later is an incredible milestone in itself," says Roshannah. "What started as a temporary, digital event has grown into a movement, and that's a testament to the community we've built."

The early days

From the outset, WATBD aimed to address the stark underrepresentation of black designers in the creative industries. According to the 2019 AIGA Design Census, only 3% of designers identified as black, a statistic that highlighted long-standing structural issues and barriers to entry in the field.

The organisation quickly made its mark through creative collaborations and digital initiatives. Early partnerships with brands like Baggu and Urban Outfitters helped to amplify WATBD's mission, but it was the virtual exhibition built with Working Not Working that really set the tone for what was to come.

"We created a platform open to everyone, and one of our most memorable submissions came from a 12-year-old aspiring graphic designer," recalls Roshannah. "Moments like that showed us the kind of meaningful, lasting difference we could make."

Growing with the community

While WATBD began online, it didn't stay there. Over the years, the initiative expanded into real-world programming, hosting meetups and events across cities in the United States and the UK. Their first London meetup – initially planned as an intimate gathering – quickly grew into something far bigger and more meaningful.

"There's something really special about transitioning from digital to in-person," says Mitzi. "Being able to create physical spaces where people feel seen, where they can connect authentically. That's what drives us."

One of the cornerstones of WATBD's success has been its ability to adapt and grow organically. The Slack community, launched during their first event, was intended as a temporary chat room, but today, it boasts over 11,000 members worldwide.

"We thought people would leave after the conference," Mitzi laughs. "But they stayed. And they kept building with us."

Landmark moments

Over the years, WATBD has worked with a variety of partners, but some collaborations stand out for their lasting impact. The partnership with UsTwo, for instance, not only produced a series of events but also helped the digital agency rethink and strengthen its engagement with black creatives over the long term.

"They didn't just support us for the duration of the partnership; they made changes that have lasted," says Mitzi. "They're still hosting events and opening their doors to new voices. That ripple effect is exactly what we hope to achieve with every collaboration."

Another standout moment was the 2023 partnership with JCDecaux, which saw WATBD produce a digital out-of-home campaign showcasing work by black creatives. For many of the participants, it was their first time seeing their work displayed at that scale.

"One photographer told us it was a huge turning point for his career," Roshannah shares. "Having that kind of visibility can be life-changing."

The spaces between

Now, WATBD is preparing for its next big chapter: The Spaces Between, a two-day festival in London this August. Held at the iconic EartH venue in Hackney, the event promises to be a celebration of black creativity in all its forms, featuring talks, workshops, a makers' market, live music, and even a club night.

Set against the backdrop of Notting Hill Carnival – one of London's most significant cultural celebrations – The Spaces Between aims to build on that energy while carving out its own unique space.

"This festival is about community in its truest sense," says Roshannah. "Not just a buzzword, but something that brings people together through real connection and shared experiences."

Importantly, the event will also be open to younger audiences for the first time, with programming suitable for teens aged 14 and up. "It's vital that young black creatives see that these spaces exist and that they are welcome and valued," Mitzi adds.

Looking ahead

As for the future, both Mitzi and Roshannah have big ambitions. They hope to make the festival a regular event and expand it to new cities worldwide. They're also focused on growing their team and, crucially, building financial sustainability to allow WATBD to operate full-time.

"At the moment, this is still passion work for us," says Mitzi. "We'd love to get to a point where we can dedicate ourselves to this fully and create paid opportunities for others to join us on the journey."

For that to happen, ongoing support from individuals, organisations, and investors will be key. "If you believe in fairness and opportunity, it's not enough to talk about it – it takes real investment to create lasting change," says Roshannah. "Supporting grassroots organisations like ours is essential if we want a creative industry that truly reflects the world we live in."

A community built to last

Five years in, 'Where Are The Black Designers?' has proven that real change starts with community, and that community, when nurtured with care and intention, can reshape industries. Through platforms like their Slack group, virtual talks, and now The Spaces Between, they've created a space where black creatives can connect, grow, and be seen.

As they look to the future, one thing is clear: WATBD isn't just building events or programming. They're building a legacy – one grounded in creativity, connection, and purpose – and you can be part of that journey. To support their work and help fuel the next chapter, you can donate via their website.

The new digital frontier where AI meets creativity demands your urgent attention and strategic adaptation. We unpack why GEO is taking over from SEO and how creatives should respond.

Meet Sarah. She's been running her branding studio for eight years. She's brilliant at what she does—creating logos that make startups look like they've been around forever and crafting brand identities that actually mean something. But lately, she's been staring at her Google Analytics dashboard with growing panic.

Once, her SEO game was solid. She'd write blog posts about "brand identity mistakes" and "logo design trends," sprinkle in the right keywords, and watch clients trickle in. Not any more. Her organic traffic has nosedived, and frankly, she's starting to wonder if anyone even clicks on Google results these days.

Here's what Sarah is starting to realise: her potential clients aren't Googling "brand designer London" any more. They're asking ChatGPT, "Find me a brand designer", or telling Claude, "I need help with my startup's visual identity." And guess whose expertise isn't showing up in those AI responses? Sarah's.

Welcome to the era of GEO, where the rules of getting discovered have completely changed, and most creatives are still playing by the old playbook.

What the hell is GEO anyway?

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimisation, which sounds properly techy and intimidating, but it's actually quite straightforward. It's about making your content so darned good and well-structured that when someone asks an AI chatbot for advice in your area of expertise, the AI cites you as the go-to source.

Traditional SEO, also known as search engine optimisation, is about getting your website to rank high in search engine results. GEO is about getting your knowledge and expertise baked into the AI's response itself. Instead of being link number seven on a Google results page, you become the expert the AI chatbot quotes directly.

The difference is massive. With SEO, people still had to click through to your site. With GEO, your insights are served up immediately, with your name attached, to potentially millions of people asking AI for creative advice. And here's the kicker—it's happening whether you're participating or not. AI engines are already scraping content, synthesising it, and serving it up, even within the search engine pages themselves.

The question is: are you in that mix, or are you watching from the sidelines while your competitors become the default experts?

Why creatives are getting left behind

Let's be honest: most of us creatives have a love-hate relationship with technology. We're quick to embrace new design tools and creative software, but when it comes to the nuts and bolts of digital marketing, many of us would rather stick pins in our eyes.

SEO already felt like speaking a foreign language to most creatives. All that keyword research, meta descriptions, and link building—it was 'necessary evil' territory. But at least we figured it out eventually.

Now, the game has changed again, and frankly, a lot of us haven't even noticed.

Meanwhile, 86% of direct-to-consumer advertisers plan to increase their use of AI for research and ideation in 2025. Your potential clients are increasingly turning to AI for everything from brainstorming sessions to finding service providers. And if you're not showing up in those conversations, you're becoming invisible.

The creative industry faces a particular challenge here because so much of what we do is visual, emotional and experiential. We're used to our work speaking for itself. But AI engines can't see your gorgeous portfolio or feel the emotional impact of your brand campaigns. They need structured, digestible information to understand and recommend your expertise.

The opportunity that's hiding in plain sight

Here's where it gets interesting. While most creatives are still figuring out Instagram Reels, there's a massive opportunity to become the definitive expert in your niche through GEO.

Imagine this: when someone asks an AI system about rebranding strategies, logo design principles or creative campaign ideas, your insights are the first and most comprehensive response they get. Not just a link to your website—your actual expertise, quoted and credited, delivered directly to potential clients.

This isn't just about visibility any more. It's about establishing yourself as the authority that AI engines automatically turn to. And because most creatives haven't caught onto this yet, there's still time to claim your territory. Demand for skilled marketing and creative professionals remains strong midway through 2025; however, those who understand AI-driven discovery will have a significant edge. They'll be the ones AI recommends when clients need creative expertise.

Your crash course in GEO for creatives

So, let's get practical. How do you actually optimise for AI without losing your creative soul or spending your life writing boring, keyword-stuffed content?

First, stop thinking like a creative for a moment and start thinking like a teacher. AI engines love content that clearly explains processes, solutions and expertise. Instead of writing flowery case studies about your "journey of discovery" with a client (Creative Boom's inbox is bulging with them), structure them like teaching materials.

Break down your projects into clear problems, solutions and outcomes. Instead of "We embarked on a transformative brand journey," try "The client's old logo was confusing customers about what they actually sold. We redesigned it to clearly communicate their core service, resulting in a 40% increase in enquiries."

Create comprehensive guides that answer the questions your potential clients are actually asking. If you're a brand designer, write detailed pieces about when companies should rebrand, how to brief a designer, or what makes a logo work. AI engines absolutely love this stuff.

Here's the secret sauce: consistency and authority. When AI encounters multiple pieces of helpful content from the same source, all demonstrating genuine expertise, it starts to see you as the go-to expert in that area. It's like building a reputation, but with robots.

And for the love of all that's creative, use proper headings, bullet points and clear structure. AI engines need to understand your content hierarchy to extract and cite it properly. This doesn't mean writing boring content; it means organising your brilliant insights in a way that both humans and AI can easily digest.

Like it or not, it's happening

Reality check: the creative industry is changing whether we like it or not. The industry will need to work harder in 2025, but that's a good thing. It'll push the industry towards fresh and original thinking to stand out in an increasingly AI-mediated landscape.

Your potential clients are already using AI for research, inspiration and decision-making. They're asking AI systems for creative advice, service recommendations and industry insights. If you're not part of those conversations, you're not part of their consideration set.

But here's the thing. This isn't about replacing your creativity with robot-friendly content. It's about packaging your expertise in a way that AI can understand and share. Your creative insights, your unique perspective, and your hard-won expertise—that's what makes you valuable. GEO just helps you get it in front of the right people.

The creative professionals who adapt now will establish themselves as the experts AI turns to before their competitors even understand what's happening. And given how quickly AI adoption is accelerating, this window won't be open forever.

Time to stop procrastinating

We get it. Another marketing acronym to learn, another digital strategy to master. It feels exhausting. But ignoring GEO is no longer a viable option. Generative Search Engine Optimisation is becoming an essential element of any digital strategy in 2025.

And let's focus on the positive. The beautiful thing about GEO is that it's not about gaming the system or stuffing keywords into your content. It's about presenting your genuine expertise in a clear, structured way that both humans and AI can appreciate. It's about being helpful, authoritative and accessible.

So start small. Pick one area of your expertise and create a comprehensive guide about it. Structure it clearly, make it genuinely useful, and optimise it for AI discovery. Then do it again. And again.

The creative industry has always been about adaptation and evolution. We survived the transition from print to digital, from static to interactive, from desktop to mobile. GEO is just the next evolution—one where understanding how AI discovers and shares creative expertise will separate the thriving studios from the struggling ones.

So what's it going to be? Are you going to be like Sarah, watching your old SEO strategies slowly fail while your competitors claim the AI spotlight? Or will you seize this opportunity to become the creative expert that AI engines automatically recommend?

The choice is yours, but the clock is ticking.

From Sesame Street to stop-motion for fintech, Practice has carved out a craft-led niche in film and animation.

Creative acceleration and algorithmically optimised content are all the rage these days, but Made By Practice is determined to go against the grain and keep some of the analogues in its methodology. You're just as likely to find the LA- and Denver-based studio sculpting puppets or building miniature sets as rendering 3D scenes or experimenting with AI. Their medium might change with every project, but their mission is always to create things that evoke emotions.

"We're a craft-driven film and animation studio," says co-founder Mike Slane. "We love discovering new techniques. It keeps our work fresh and hopefully original each time."

That spirit of exploration is the golden thread running through Practice's work. Founded by Mike and Adrian Bishop, the studio seamlessly transitions between live-action and animation, utilising both tactile builds and digital tools. From charming educational spots for Sesame Street to surrealist banking ads for Modern Treasury, their portfolio dances between whimsy and warmth with ease, always guided by emotion, not a trend.

A tactile lens on the world

Practice's aesthetic leans heavily into the tangible. "That doesn't mean everything is hand-made," says Mike, "but there's a physical aesthetic we return to again and again. Photography, in-camera methods, puppets, miniatures – we just love that world."

It's an approach rooted in experimentation rather than a fixed house style. The team might build life-size sets for one job, lean into stop-motion or 3D modelling for another, or combine techniques in unexpected ways.

"We really think of ourselves as artist experimenters," Adrian adds. "We grab whatever tool is calling to us for the project at hand."

This eclecticism is supported by a flexible structure. While Adrian and Mike lead as co-directors, the studio operates more like a collective, working closely with a rotating network of artists, illustrators and musicians.

"We typically work up the kernel of the idea – treatment, script, character sketches," says Adrian, "but early on, we're bringing in other voices. It's not just about our vision."

From Sesame Street to Silicon Valley

Playfulness is a core part of the studio's creative identity, and not in a superficial sense, but in how it frames the world. "Our projects can be funny, but they're never cynical," says Mike. "We're kind of big kids at heart."

That sensibility is perhaps most clearly visible in their long-standing relationship with Sesame Street, where they first made their mark with joyful "Letter Films" like B is for Birds. It's also present in more commercial work, like their campaign for Thumbtack, a home services app, where puppet-like characters brought warmth and wit to an otherwise functional message.

The magic lies in the balance: stories that are playful but purposeful, childlike but never childish. "Just because we're making a brand spot doesn't mean we abandon our values," says Adrian. "It's important to us that our work lifts up the world and brightens spirits."

Creative freedom vs practical constraint

In 2023, Practice tackled a new kind of brief: a campaign for Modern Treasury, visualising business cash flow with coins navigating elaborate tracks through model buildings. It was classic Practice – a mix of tactile sets, precise timing and surreal visual metaphors – but not without its challenges.

"We realised very quickly that doing all the coin shots practically was going to be too time-consuming," says Mike. "We didn't want to compromise the vision, so we pivoted. We shot the tracks and sets practically, then brought the coins in through VFX."

The result is seamless and a quiet testament to the studio's adaptability. "Nobody knew the difference," Mike laughs. "At least not until now."

Even their more serious work retains a sense of joyful tactility. Their 2021 short 'How Far is Away?' tackled ocean plastic pollution through a poetic, hand-crafted story about a girl who discovers a floating plastic island. Initially self-initiated, the film was later picked up by the Plastic Pollution Coalition as part of a broader educational push.

"If we can do anything to help correct that – we have to," says Adrian. "That's the point of passion projects. You can say whatever you want. But you also have to give yourself boundaries – otherwise, you'll never finish it."

Choosing the right 'outfit' for each story

With a toolkit that spans stop-motion, digital animation, puppetry, live-action, illustration, and more, how does Practice decide what to use and when?

"We like to think of it like choosing an outfit from your closet," says Mike. "You have a style, but you don't wear the same thing every day. Some days, you're in a puppet mood. Others, it's 3D. The medium has to match the message – and the mood."

Their practice (true to name) is more instinctive than systematic. "It's all a great big playground," Adrian adds. "We're inviting clients to come in and discover the best way to communicate their idea."

The same applies to trend cycles and technological shifts. While the studio has dipped its toe into AI, it remains cautious.

"Right now, a lot of AI-generated work looks the same," says Mike. "But we're excited about using it to amplify, not replace. It's like any new tool – you have to find your voice with it."

A tale of two cities (and a lot of sunshine)

The studio began life in Denver, Colorado, which is not the most obvious setting for a puppet-forward animation outfit. But that outsider status shaped its identity. "We stood out more," says Adrian. "We were definitely the weird guys playing with puppets."

Now split between Denver and LA (Mike relocated to California to be closer to family), the team straddles two sunny creative communities. "Geography still matters," Mike adds, "but being remote is so much more feasible now."

Despite the distance, the studio remains grounded in its original ethos. "We might have bad days," Adrian jokes, "but we don't bring that into our client work. We just cry into our pillows and get back to dancing in the studio."

Looking ahead

As Practice enters its next chapter, the team is expanding their ambitions. There are original stories in development, an early-stage stop-motion feature in the works, and an ongoing interest in episodic content. They're also actively growing their collective and inviting new voices, skills and collaborators into the fold.

"The future is bright," says Mike. "We're always looking for the next weird idea to bring to life."

Whether that's a puppet show about plumbing or a miniature city for sentient coins, one thing's for certain: it'll be joyfully made, one tactile detail at a time.

Blending grassroots music culture with purposeful design, Kit Studio's visual identity for Raise the Roof strikes a careful balance between celebration and social impact, amplifying Centrepoint's mission to end youth homelessness.

At first glance, Raise the Roof appears to be a new gig series with significant cultural influence, featuring live sets from emerging artists, dynamic visuals, and an upbeat energy designed for TikTok and Spotify. If you look again, you'll see a deeper mission behind the mosh pit.

Raise the Roof is a music-led movement spearheaded by youth homelessness charity Centrepoint, using performance and platform to raise awareness and funds for a growing crisis.

Tasked with creating the visual identity for the initiative, London-based Kit Studio approached the brief with the challenge of designing something that feels both joyful and urgent. Something that captures the energy of live music while acknowledging the reality of youth homelessness.

"The brief was to create an identity that works for both a high-energy music event and Centrepoint's mission," the studio explains. "We kept pushing to find a balance that truly encapsulated both aspects of the series – intimate performances with a powerful social purpose."

The result is a clean and immediate visual language that feels as comfortable on a gig poster as it does on an Instagram carousel. At its heart is a hand-raise symbol, a graphic nod to both audience participation and the act of reaching out. Cleverly embedded in the hand is the shape of a house, serving as a subtle yet meaningful cue tying the entire brand back to the issue of shelter and support.

This central icon becomes the through-line across every touchpoint, from merchandise to social media assets. It's a mark that audiences can rally behind, with Kit consciously designing it to be "more than just a visual – something people could rally around."

The colour palette is bright and optimistic, helping strike what the team call "a tone between celebration and confrontation." The aim wasn't to soften the issue but to create space for joy and solidarity within it.

"There's energy, but it's purposeful," they add. "We wanted the identity to thoughtfully symbolise the movement."

Visually, the identity draws inspiration from grassroots music culture – zines, screen-printed posters, and ephemeral flyers – reimagined for the digital age. There's an intentional simplicity to the system that makes it versatile and recognisable across multiple platforms, whether you're discovering it via a Spotify banner, a TikTok performance, or a poster pinned up in a community venue.

"Raise the Roof needed to feel native to the places people discover music now – but also rooted in a tradition of activism and physical presence," the studio notes. "We wanted it to carry a sense of immediacy and belonging, whether you saw it online or in real life."

That mix of cultural fluency and design restraint has already resonated. Though still early in the campaign, the identity has been embraced by artists and audiences alike, which is a promising sign that the message is landing. "Artists have embraced it, which says a lot," the team shares. "It's starting to connect."

For Kit Studio, the project was more than just a branding exercise. It represented a deeper belief in the potential of design as a tool for change. "This project is ambition in its most honest form," they say. "It's about taking creativity beyond aesthetics and using it to build something better."

That sense of purpose shaped every part of the process, from collaborative workshops with Centrepoint to early creative development. "The team were open and energised throughout," Kit recalls. "There was a shared sense that the identity could be something bigger than just the event branding – it could stand for a movement."

The studio is no stranger to thoughtful, impact-driven work, but Raise the Roof offered something different: the chance to combine emotional resonance with expressive creativity and to do so in a way that felt both culturally current and socially rooted.

"We're always looking for work that moves people," they explain. "Raise the Roof gave us space to stretch creatively while staying grounded in real stories and real outcomes."

As the campaign builds momentum, Kit hopes the identity will act as a visual shorthand for something more enduring. "We hope that it becomes a recognisable mark for something bigger than just a music event."

The community has spoken: here are the studios whose work is making the most impact on them right now.

Which creative studio do you most admire right now, and why? This is a question we asked our community via an ongoing survey. With more than 700 responses so far, these are the top winners. What's striking about this year's results is the popularity of studios that aren't just producing beautiful work but are also actively shaping discussions and tackling the big challenges facing our industry and society.

From the vibrant energy of Brazilian culture to the thoughtful minimalism of North European aesthetics, this list reflects a global creative landscape that's more connected, more conscious, and more collaborative than ever before.

In short, these studios aren't just following trends; they're setting them. Read on to discover the 25 studios our community is most excited about right now.

1. Porto Rocha

Porto Rocha is a New York-based agency that unites strategy and design to create work that evolves with the world we live in. It continues to dominate conversations in 2025, and it's easy to see why. Founders Felipe Rocha and Leo Porto have built something truly special—a studio that not only creates visually stunning work but also actively celebrates and amplifies diverse voices in design.

For instance, their recent bold new identity for the São Paulo art museum MASP nods to Brazilian modernist design traditions while reimagining them for a contemporary audience. The rebrand draws heavily on the museum's iconic modernist architecture by Lina Bo Bardi, using a red-and-black colour palette and strong typography to reflect the building's striking visual presence.

As we write this article, Porto Rocha just shared a new partnership with Google to reimagine the visual and verbal identity of its revolutionary Gemini AI model. We can't wait to see what they come up with!

2. DixonBaxi

Simon Dixon and Aporva Baxi's London powerhouse specialises in creating brand strategies and design systems for "brave businesses" that want to challenge convention, including Hulu, Audible, and the Premier League. The studio had an exceptional start to 2025 by collaborating with Roblox on a brand new design system. At the heart of this major project is the Tilt: a 15-degree shift embedded in the logo that signals momentum, creativity, and anticipation.

They've also continued to build their reputation as design thought leaders. At the OFFF Festival 2025, for instance, Simon and Aporva delivered a masterclass on running a successful brand design agency. Their core message centred on the importance of people and designing with intention, even in the face of global challenges. They also highlighted "Super Futures," their program that encourages employees to think freely and positively about brand challenges and audience desires, aiming to reclaim creative liberation.

And if that wasn't enough, DixonBaxi has just launched its brand new website, one that's designed to be open in nature. As Simon explains: "It's not a shop window. It's a space to share the thinking and ethos that drive us. You'll find our work, but more importantly, what shapes it. No guff. Just us."

3. Mother

Mother is a renowned independent creative agency founded in London and now boasts offices in New York and Los Angeles as well. They've spent 2025 continuing to push the boundaries of what advertising can achieve. And they've made an especially big splash with their latest instalment of KFC's 'Believe' campaign, featuring a surreal and humorous take on KFC's gravy. As we wrote at the time: "Its balance between theatrical grandeur and self-awareness makes the campaign uniquely engaging."

4. Studio Dumbar/DEPT®

Based in Rotterdam, Studio Dumbar/DEPT® is widely recognised for its influential work in visual branding and identity, often incorporating creative coding and sound, for clients such as the Dutch Railways, Instagram, and the Van Gogh Museum.

In 2025, we've especially admired their work for the Dutch football club Feyenoord, which brings the team under a single, cohesive vision that reflects its energy and prowess. This groundbreaking rebrand, unveiled at the start of May, moves away from nostalgia, instead emphasising the club's "measured ferocity, confidence, and ambition".

5. HONDO

Based between Palma de Mallorca, Spain and London, HONDO specialises in branding, editorial, typography and product design. We're particular fans of their rebranding of metal furniture makers Castil, based around clean and versatile designs that highlight Castil's vibrant and customisable products.

This new system features a bespoke monospaced typeface and logo design that evokes Castil's adaptability and the precision of its craftsmanship.

6. Smith & Diction

Smith & Diction is a small but mighty design and copy studio founded by Mike and Chara Smith in Philadelphia. Born from dreams, late-night chats, and plenty of mistakes, the studio has grown into a creative force known for thoughtful, boundary-pushing branding.

Starting out with Mike designing in a tiny apartment while Chara held down a day job, the pair learned the ropes the hard way—and now they're thriving. Recent highlights include their work with Gamma, an AI platform that lets you quickly get ideas out of your head and into a presentation deck or onto a website.

Gamma wanted their brand update to feel "VERY fun and a little bit out there" with an AI-first approach. So Smith & Diction worked hard to "put weird to the test" while still developing responsible systems for logo, type and colour. The results, as ever, were exceptional.

7. DNCO

DNCO is a London and New York-based creative studio specialising in place branding. They are best known for shaping identities, digital tools, and wayfinding for museums, cultural institutions, and entire neighbourhoods, with clients including the Design Museum, V&A and Transport for London.

Recently, DNCO has been making headlines again with its ambitious brand refresh for Dumbo, a New York neighbourhood struggling with misperceptions due to mass tourism. The goal was to highlight Dumbo's unconventional spirit and demonstrate it as "a different side of New York."

DNCO preserved the original diagonal logo and introduced a flexible "tape graphic" system, inspired by the neighbourhood's history of inventing the cardboard box, to reflect its ingenuity and reveal new perspectives. The colour palette and typography were chosen to embody Dumbo's industrial and gritty character.

8. Hey Studio

Founded by Verònica Fuerte in Barcelona, Spain, Hey Studio is a small, all-female design agency celebrated for its striking use of geometry, bold colour, and playful yet refined visual language. With a focus on branding, illustration, editorial design, and typography, they combine joy with craft to explore issues with heart and purpose.

A great example of their impact is their recent branding for Rainbow Wool. This German initiative is transforming wool from gay rams into fashion products to support the LGBT community.

As is typical for Hey Studio, the project's identity is vibrant and joyful, utilising bright, curved shapes that will put a smile on everyone's face.

9. Koto

Koto is a London-based global branding and digital studio known for co-creation, strategic thinking, expressive design systems, and enduring partnerships. They're well-known in the industry for bringing warmth, optimism and clarity to complex brand challenges.

Over the past 18 months, they've undertaken a significant project to refresh Amazon's global brand identity. This extensive undertaking has involved redesigning Amazon's master brand and over 50 of its sub-brands across 15 global markets.

Koto's approach, described as "radical coherence", aims to refine and modernize Amazon's most recognizable elements rather than drastically changing them. You can read more about the project here.

10. Robot Food

Robot Food is a Leeds-based, brand-first creative studio recognised for its strategic and holistic approach. They're past masters at melding creative ideas with commercial rigour across packaging, brand strategy and campaign design.

Recent Robot Food projects have included a bold rebrand for Hip Pop, a soft drinks company specializing in kombucha and alternative sodas. Their goal was to elevate Hip Pop from an indie challenger to a mainstream category leader, moving away from typical health drink aesthetics.

The results are visually striking, with black backgrounds prominently featured (a rarity in the health drink aisle), punctuated by vibrant fruit illustrations and flavour-coded colours. Read more about the project here.

11. Saffron Brand Consultants

Saffron is an independent global consultancy with offices in London, Madrid, Vienna and Istanbul. With deep expertise in naming, strategy, identity, and design systems, they work with leading public and private-sector clients to develop confident, culturally intelligent brands.

One 2025 highlight so far has been their work for Saudi National Bank (SNB) to create NEO, a groundbreaking digital lifestyle bank in Saudi Arabia.

Saffron integrated cultural and design trends, including Saudi neo-futurism, for its sonic identity to create a product that supports both individual and community connections. The design system strikes a balance between modern Saudi aesthetics and the practical demands of a fast-paced digital product, ensuring a consistent brand reflection across all interactions.

12. Alright Studio

Alright Studio is a full-service strategy, creative, production and technology agency based in Brooklyn, New York. It prides itself on a "no house style" approach for clients, including A24, Meta Platforms, and Post Malone. One of the most exciting of their recent projects has been Offball, a digital-first sports news platform that aims to provide more nuanced, positive sports storytelling.

Alright Studio designed a clean, intuitive, editorial-style platform featuring a masthead-like logotype and universal sports iconography, creating a calmer user experience aligned with OffBall's positive content.

13. Wolff Olins

Wolff Olins is a global brand consultancy with four main offices: London, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Known for their courageous, culturally relevant branding and forward-thinking strategy, they collaborate with large corporations and trailblazing organisations to create bold, authentic brand identities that resonate emotionally.

A particular highlight of 2025 so far has been their collaboration with Leo Burnett to refresh Sandals Resorts' global brand with the "Made of Caribbean" campaign. This strategic move positions Sandals not merely as a luxury resort but as a cultural ambassador for the Caribbean.

Wolff Olins developed a new visual identity called "Natural Vibrancy," integrating local influences with modern design to reflect a genuine connection to the islands' culture. This rebrand speaks to a growing traveller demand for authenticity and meaningful experiences, allowing Sandals to define itself as an extension of the Caribbean itself.

14. COLLINS

Co-founded by Brian Collins and Leland Maschmeyer, COLLINS is an independent branding and design consultancy based in the US, celebrated for its playful visual language, expressive storytelling and culturally rich identity systems. In the last few months, we've loved the new branding they designed for Barcelona's 25th Offf Festival, which departs from its usual consistent wordmark.

The updated identity is inspired by the festival's role within the international creative community, and is rooted in the concept of 'Centre Offf Gravity'. This concept is visually expressed through the festival's name, which appears to exert a gravitational pull on the text boxes, causing them to "stick" to it.

Additionally, the 'f's in the wordmark are merged into a continuous line reminiscent of a magnet, with the motion graphics further emphasising the gravitational pull as the name floats and other elements follow.

15. Studio Spass

Studio Spass is a creative studio based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, focused on vibrant and dynamic identity systems that reflect the diverse and multifaceted nature of cultural institutions. One of their recent landmark projects was Bigger, a large-scale typographic installation created for the Shenzhen Art Book Fair.

Inspired by tear-off calendars and the physical act of reading, Studio Spass used 264 A4 books, with each page displaying abstract details, to create an evolving grid of colour and type. Visitors were invited to interact with the installation by flipping pages, constantly revealing new layers of design and a hidden message: "Enjoy books!"

16. Applied Design Works

Applied Design Works is a New York studio that specialises in reshaping businesses through branding and design. They provide expertise in design, strategy, and implementation, with a focus on building long-term, collaborative relationships with their clients.

We were thrilled by their recent work for Grand Central Madison (the station that connects Long Island to Grand Central Terminal), where they were instrumental in ushering in a new era for the transportation hub. Applied Design sought to create a commuter experience that imbued the spirit of New York, showcasing its diversity of thought, voice, and scale that befits one of the greatest cities in the world and one of the greatest structures in it.

17. The Chase

The Chase Creative Consultants is a Manchester-based independent creative consultancy with over 35 years of experience, known for blending humour, purpose, and strong branding to rejuvenate popular consumer campaigns. "We're not designers, writers, advertisers or brand strategists," they say, "but all of these and more. An ideas-based creative studio."

Recently, they were tasked with shaping the identity of York Central, a major urban regeneration project set to become a new city quarter for York. The Chase developed the identity based on extensive public engagement, listening to residents of all ages about their perceptions of the city and their hopes for the new area. The resulting brand identity uses linear forms that subtly reference York's famous railway hub, symbolising the long-standing connections the city has fostered.

18. A Practice for Everyday Life

Based in London and founded by Kirsty Carter and Emma Thomas, A Practice for Everyday Life built a reputation as a sought-after collaborator with like-minded companies, galleries, institutions and individuals. Not to mention a conceptual rigour that ensures each design is meaningful and original.

Recently, they've been working on the visual identity for Muzej Lah, a new international museum for contemporary art in Bled, Slovenia opening in 2026. This centres around a custom typeface inspired by the slanted geometry and square detailing of its concrete roof tiles. It also draws from European modernist typography and the experimental lettering of Jože Plečnik, one of Slovenia's most influential architects.⁠

19. Studio Nari

Studio Nari is a London-based creative and branding agency partnering with clients around the world to build "brands that truly connect with people". NARI stands, by the way, for Not Always Right Ideas. As they put it, "It's a name that might sound odd for a branding agency, but it reflects everything we believe."

One landmark project this year has been a comprehensive rebrand for the electronic music festival Field Day. Studio Nari created a dynamic and evolving identity that reflects the festival's growth and its connection to the electronic music scene and community.

The core idea behind the rebrand is a "reactive future", allowing the brand to adapt and grow with the festival and current trends while maintaining a strong foundation. A new, steadfast wordmark is at its centre, while a new marque has been introduced for the first time.

20. Beetroot Design Group

Beetroot is a 25‑strong creative studio celebrated for its bold identities and storytelling-led approach. Based in Thessaloniki, Greece, their work spans visual identity, print, digital and motion, and has earned international recognition, including Red Dot Awards. Recently, they also won a Wood Pencil at the D&AD Awards 2025 for a series of posters created to promote live jazz music events.

The creative idea behind all three designs stems from improvisation as a key feature of jazz. Each poster communicates the artist's name and other relevant information through a typographical "improvisation".

21. Kind Studio

Kind Studio is an independent creative agency based in London that specialises in branding and digital design, as well as offering services in animation, creative and art direction, and print design. Their goal is to collaborate closely with clients to create impactful and visually appealing designs.

One recent project that piqued our interest was a bilingual, editorially-driven digital platform for FC Como Women, a professional Italian football club. To reflect the club's ambition of promoting gender equality and driving positive social change within football, the new website employs bold typography, strong imagery, and an empowering tone of voice to inspire and disseminate its message.

22. Slug Global

Slug Global is a creative agency and art collective founded by artist and musician Bosco (Brittany Bosco). Focused on creating immersive experiences "for both IRL and URL", their goal is to work with artists and brands to establish a sustainable media platform that embodies the values of young millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

One of Slug Global's recent projects involved a collaboration with SheaMoisture and xoNecole for a three-part series called The Root of It. This series celebrates black beauty and hair, highlighting its significance as a connection to ancestry, tradition, blueprint and culture for black women.

23. Little Troop

New York studio Little Troop crafts expressive and intimate branding for lifestyle, fashion, and cultural clients. Led by creative directors Noemie Le Coz and Jeremy Elliot, they're known for their playful and often "kid-like" approach to design, drawing inspiration from their own experiences as 90s kids.

One of their recent and highly acclaimed projects is the visual identity for MoMA's first-ever family festival, Another World. Little Troop was tasked with developing a comprehensive visual identity that would extend from small items, such as café placemats, to large billboards.

Their designs were deliberately a little "dream-like" and relied purely on illustration to sell the festival without needing photography. Little Troop also carefully selected seven colours from MoMA's existing brand guidelines to strike a balance between timelessness, gender neutrality, and fun.

24. Morcos Key

Morcos Key is a Brooklyn-based design studio co-founded by Jon Key and Wael Morcos. Collaborating with a diverse range of clients, including arts and cultural institutions, non-profits and commercial enterprises, they're known for translating clients' stories into impactful visual systems through thoughtful conversation and formal expression.

One notable project is their visual identity work for Hammer & Hope, a magazine that focuses on politics and culture within the black radical tradition. For this project, Morcos Key developed not only the visual identity but also a custom all-caps typeface to reflect the publication's mission and content.

25. Thirst

Thirst is an award-winning strategic drinks packaging design agency based in Glasgow, Scotland, with additional hubs in London and New York. Founded in 2015 by Matthew Stephen Burns and Christopher John Black, the company specializes in building creatively distinctive and commercially effective brands for the beverage industry.

To see what they're capable of, check out their work for SKYY Vodka. The new global visual identity system, called Audacious Glamour', aims to unify SKYY under a singular, powerful idea. The visual identity benefits from bolder framing, patterns, and a flavour-forward colour palette to highlight each product's "juicy attitude", while the photography style employs macro shots and liquid highlights to convey a premium feel.

Things are tough for many creatives right now. We share some of the ways they're fighting back.

Let's not beat around the bush. The creative industry is facing its most challenging period since the 2008 financial crisis. In the wake of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' recent spending review, economic uncertainty looms large, with higher taxes on the horizon and business confidence at a concerning low. While a focus on growth dominates the political rhetoric, the reality for freelancers, small studios and creative professionals tells a starkly different story.

A confluence of economic pressures and rapid advancements in AI has created the perfect storm. As a result, companies are increasingly adopting "do more with less" philosophies, leading to role cuts, project delays and hiring freezes. And it's the self-employed and small creative businesses who feel the impact first and most acutely.

"I've been doing this 15 years, and I've never seen a wave go across like this," says illustrator Matt Saunders, who works with clients including Nissan, Airbnb and Disney. "Every person I've spoken to, across a wide range of industries, is saying things are weird: FX, animation, illustration, design, editing, filmmaking, advertising, publishing, even the news business."

Three major production companies have gone into liquidation this year alone, while countless freelancers report their worst dry spells in years. Lee-May Lim, a freelance book designer, describes experiencing "four straight months of nothing", the worst period in her eight-year freelance career.

"I've entered the stage of mild desperation now and have started considering applying for jobs," she reveals. "However, I can't face going back to commuting three hours a day again. I did that for 13 years, and being an unpaid carer for my disabled son as well, it's too much to consider. I'm considering leaving the creative industry completely if things don't pick up."

Beyond the financial implications, the current slowdown is taking a significant emotional and psychological toll on creative workers. The uncertainty has compelled many to confront fundamental questions about their careers and the industry's future.

Take illustrator and picture book maker Francesca Grech. "I've been struggling with this lately and have decided to stop chasing too much for the time being, as it was taking its toll on my mental health," she reveals.

"Too many rejections and too much time spent making a portfolio and CV all shiny. I'm now taking the time to review my work and understand what direction I want to take my business in the future, seeing what needs improving and just generally creating the work I really want to be making."

New strategies in response

In response to these unprecedented challenges, creative professionals are developing a range of new approaches. Some are finding opportunities in unexpected places. Illustrator and artist Rachael Presky notes: "What's worked really well are murals; for me, there seems to be more work there, which I guess is a job that AI can't really replicate. I've moved house recently, and getting to know local councils and businesses gave me quite a lot of commissions."

Matthew Gallagher, meanwhile, has pivoted towards product creation. "I understand that it will be harder to survive solely on the design consultancy model since so many companies are moving to AI tools and all-in-one solutions like Canva," he reasons. "So I've been creating my own robust families of fonts to license and sell, in addition to the design services I provide."

Geographic diversification has also become crucial. As Adrian Carroll, creative director at D8 Studio notes: "The UK is definitely more cautious at the moment. We've been fortunate in that we now have clients based all over the world; it's never been easier to work with overseas clients. Post-lockdown, people are so used to working remotely."

Wayne Deakin, global principal at Wolff Olins, echoes this sentiment, encouraging UK creatives to leverage the nation's design reputation. "Look beyond your local patch and your standard approach," he urges. "British design is world-class, so take a wider export lens to your business. Social media and the internet mean that anyone can be your client today, and different regions have varying levels of growth.

"Take an export mentality, and then also widen your offerings," he adds. "Design is a skill. It's problem-solving, not just visual expression, that can be applied to many surfaces, places or problems. Go for it."

Community and relationship building have also emerged as critical survival strategies. Creative director Paul Leon emphasises the importance of access and networking. "My advice is what I tell myself: be respectful, courteous and positive," he says. "No one wants to be around negativity or envy. Be useful. Be kind. Mean it. After 35 years, I know access is hard-won in this industry, but that's how we give ourselves a shot at winning the work."

Similarly, creatives are evolving their approach to client relationships. As Mike Hindle from Clearcut Derby notes: "Repeat customers can often see you through a dry spell of new enquiries. So, it's important to ensure that everyone you work with wants to hire you again. Usually, all this takes is exceptional communication and going above and beyond their expectations."

Navigating the AI revolution

If the financial situation wasn't already bad enough, it has been magnified out of all proportion for many by the rise of artificial intelligence. "AI has changed everything, and it'll keep changing how we work," predicts creative director Dionysis Livanis. "I see two clear paths emerging: you can either be the one who embraces AI to work faster, more efficiently, and build systems that make you indispensable, or you can be the one fighting against it and potentially getting left behind."

Others, meanwhile, stress what artificial intelligence is unable to do. "I think in a world of AI, our humanity is a premium," argues story coach and strategist Baishali Johal. "Because the more advanced, perfect—and sterile—that technology gets, the more humans will crave authentic human connection and creativity."

Illustrator Aron Leah is singing from the same hymn sheet. "I've started leaning into the parts of my work that make it unmistakably human-made," she says. "That's meant drawing with a point of view, showing process, telling stories with intent. The more everything starts to look the same, the more a thoughtful, hand-drawn illustration stands out.

"I'm also trying to stay visible without burning out. Sharing work, writing honestly on LinkedIn, using AI for admin but keeping the human bit in the craft itself. And I've started reaching out to brands that align with my style, rather than waiting for perfect briefs to come in."

The emphasis on authenticity and human touch is becoming increasingly important as AI-generated content floods the market. Graphic designer and illustrator Lilian Orukwo outlines her strategy here. "What's worked best for me is creating from a place of cultural truth tied to daily rituals and storytelling. I share behind-the-scenes glimpses of my process and prioritise slow, intentional collaborations."

Some professionals are finding ways to integrate AI tools strategically while maintaining their creative integrity. Cal Thomson from Dead Pixel Films reflects a popular opinion when he says: "I don't think it'll replace everyone; I think it'll just help increase our output. There are more screens than ever, with a greater demand for content to display on them. AI used correctly by creative teams will hopefully streamline that and increase output."

And Tom Hadley, founder of Exodus 25, adds: "It would help if more would push back against the narrative that the future of creativity is AI. Creatives would help themselves to make the case that it is not."

Building resilience for the future

As the creative industry navigates this challenging period, resilience will be key. As graphic designer and illustrator Nvard Yerkanian says: "After more than 10 years of freelancing and running my solo studio, I've learned how important it is to plan for these slower seasons. Having a bit of runway means I don't have to panic. And when you don't panic, you avoid making decisions you'll regret, like slashing your rates or saying yes to projects that don't align."

The importance of community support, too, cannot be overstated. As the industry faces unprecedented challenges, creatives are finding strength in shared experiences and mutual support.

For many, this period of uncertainty has provided an opportunity for reflection and strategic planning. Rather than simply waiting for conditions to improve, successful creatives are using the quieter periods to refine their offerings, strengthen their networks, and explore new opportunities.

The current slowdown, while challenging, is also revealing the resilience and adaptability that has always characterised the creative industry. Those who emerge successfully from this period will likely be those who have embraced change while staying true to their creative values, built diverse income streams, and maintained strong connections within their communities.

As strategy consultant Stephanie Ressort notes: "The most important thing for me has been to recognise that my struggles are not the sign of personal failings on my part. Too often, as a society, we blame the individual and protect the system, with all its issues."

To sum up, while the challenges facing creatives in 2025 are significant, they are not insurmountable. Through strategic adaptation, community support, and a focus on distinctly human creativity, we will weather this storm as we have many others before.

This year, we launched our own private community, which has quickly evolved into a lively chat platform and an essential learning hub featuring online sessions as well as real-life events across Britain. Read on to find out how to get involved.

Feeling alone and isolated as a freelancer? Feel like all the big conversations are taking place without you while you're stuck scrolling through endless social media feeds that leave you more frustrated than inspired? You're not alone.

It's no secret that social media platforms inevitably prioritise the lowest common denominator once they need to generate billions of dollars. So, we thought: enough! As an alternative, we launched our own community, The Studio, in early 2025—and it's rapidly becoming the antidote to creative isolation that so many of us desperately needed.

What began as a humble experiment has exploded into something far more powerful: a thriving community of over 4,500 members where freelancers find their tribe, employed creatives discover new opportunities, and everyone gets access to the kind of insider knowledge that was once reserved for those with the right connections.

Your creative support network, finally

If you've never heard of The Studio, here's what you're missing: it's Creative Boom's private, distraction-free sanctuary designed exclusively for creative professionals who are serious about their craft and their careers. Many members describe it as a refuge from algorithm-driven self-promotion culture, reminiscent of the early internet when connections mattered more than engagement metrics.

Unlike mainstream social platforms, where your carefully crafted posts disappear into the algorithmic void, The Studio gives you direct access to people who genuinely want to help you succeed. The platform deliberately lacks features such as "like" buttons, forcing more intentional interactions that lead to meaningful conversations rather than superficial engagement.

For freelancers especially, this community fills a crucial gap. Solo entrepreneurs and one-person consultancies find it provides the daily human connection that's often missing from isolated work environments. Members report feeling genuinely welcomed and accepted without judgment, which is particularly valuable for those without traditional studio experience or industry networks.

The simple ritual of members greeting each other across multiple time zones each morning has become a cherished habit that embodies the community's supportive nature. This global reach creates a sense of shared workspace that many members say is exactly what they need.

Your learning calendar just got intense

But The Studio isn't just about chat. The platform has also developed into a comprehensive learning ecosystem with expertly curated events happening constantly, each designed to solve specific problems you're actually facing in your creative career.

These aren't generic webinars delivered by people who haven't touched real client work in years. They're intimate, interactive sessions led by industry leaders who understand the daily realities of creative work, from cash flow anxiety to difficult client relationships.

Take James Hurst's session on 15 May, 'Weird the Normal, Normal the Weird', which drew over a hundred members eager to learn from the chief creative officer at Zag consultancy and former head of brand design at Google. His exploration of how design can recalibrate our sense of normal wasn't theoretical—it was practical wisdom from someone who's shaped brands, including Pinterest and Tinder.

Real events, real breakthroughs

The proof is in the outcomes. Liz Mosley's '100 Rejections, Zero Regrets' workshop on 20 February attracted 68 members, who learned how actively seeking rejection can transform creative careers. Liz, a graphic designer with over 16 years of experience, shared her bold experiment that completely changed her mindset. Members are left with practical strategies for reframing rejection as a powerful growth tool—the kind of mindset shift that can unlock years of creative potential.

The 'Behind the Brand' series has been particularly revelatory. When Ben Watkinson from GF Smith and Pali Palavathanan from TEMPLO discussed their dramatic rebrand on 27 February, 84 members got unprecedented access to the strategic thinking behind one of the industry's most talked-about transformations. They revealed how they moved GF Smith beyond monochrome heritage into a world of colour and movement—insights you simply can't get from case study videos.

Denise Strohsahl's session on 5 June, 'How to Stand Out in a Sea of Creatives', drew 87 members hungry for positioning advice that actually works. As a marketing consultant who challenges the obsession with self-promotion, Denise shared actionable strategies for carving out your niche without competing with everyone. Members walked away with clearer direction on identifying what makes them unique, without the constant pressure of self-promotion.

Even practical sessions deliver immediate value. Rhea Freeman's goal-setting workshop on 8 May taught members how to reverse-engineer big ambitions into achievable micro-goals. PR expert Claire Blyth's session on 6 March gave 42 members insider knowledge on getting featured in top-tier media, moving beyond social media noise to build genuine recognition.

We could go on, but you get the point. And The Studio's upcoming online events continue this tradition of insider access to industry leaders.

Upcoming opportunities

Thursday, 19 June, at 12:00pm BST, brings 'Find Your Water' with Ben Mottershead, founder of Never Dull Studio and co-owner of Glug Events. Drawing inspiration from penguins who may seem clumsy on land but are unrivalled swimmers in the water, Ben explores how creatives can find their natural element.

With 65 members already registered, this session addresses career transitions, redundancy, and turning setbacks into stepping stones. Ben's diverse experience spanning graphic design, branding, animation, and strategy—plus his work with the Disabled Creatives Initiative—offers unique perspectives on building a fulfilling creative career.

Thursday, 10 July at 4:00pm BST features Simon Dixon sharing 'The 24-Year Overnight Success' story of DixonBaxi. With 93 members signed up so far, this promises an honest look at how they built one of the world's leading branding agencies, having worked with notable clients such as Netflix, AC Milan, Google, and Hulu. Simon reveals what shaped their 'Be Brave' philosophy, how they've scaled with purpose, and the real lessons from building brands that move people and shape culture.

Thursday, 21 August at 4:00pm BST brings award-winning creative director Livvy Moore to discuss 'Starting from a Blank Page'. Having shaped global campaigns for Dickies, PUMA, Eastpak and Under Armour, Livvy explains why she walked away from the traditional ad world to launch her own agency. This session explores building an inclusive studio on your own terms, creating space for industry misfits, and what it means to speak truth to power in the advertising industry.

Thursday, 18 September at 4:00pm BST features twin sisters Abigail and Chloe Baldwin of Buttercrumble discussing their book 'The Brand Power Manifesto', which has recently been shortlisted for the 2025 Business Book Awards. The Leeds-based design duo explores why branding is such a powerful tool for founders and freelancers, sharing practical insights from their inclusive approach to design and their journey of building a business their way, not the unicorn start-up way.

But that's not all. We have future sessions yet to be listed on The Studio, including a talk with Ayo Fagbemi, one of the founders of Explorers Club Studio in London; Elliot Jay Stocks, the famous designer, author, and typography enthusiast, and Claire Parker, group creative partner at The Chase, will also be joining us to discuss 'The Art of the Movie Poster: Why it Still Matters'.

At the same time, The Monthly Wrap continues on the last Friday of each month at 4pm GMT, providing a relaxed social space where creatives celebrate month-end achievements and spark new connections over casual conversation.

Face-to-face magic

Of course, while online events offer convenience and global reach, nothing quite replaces the energy of meeting your creative peers in person. That's why Creative Boom IRL has become such a vital part of The Studio experience, bringing members together across Britain for relaxed, inspiring gatherings.

The inaugural Manchester event at Common on 39-41 Edge Street on Thursday, 3 April, from 6-8.30pm BST, setting the perfect tone. Photographer Pip Rustage hosted 27 members for an evening that felt more like a gathering of old friends than a networking event. Conversations flowed naturally from creative challenges to career aspirations, with several attendees exchanging details for potential collaborations.

The momentum has been remarkable since then. Thursday, 24 April, saw simultaneous events in Sheffield and Birmingham—twenty-five creatives gathering in Sheffield for lively discussions about the city's evolving creative scene, while 10 Birmingham members connected over shared industry experiences.

Durham's gathering of ten on Thursday, 29 May, at 4pm BST created the perfect environment for deeper conversations, proving that smaller events can often be more valuable than large, unwieldy ones. Leeds followed suit with 24 attendees at their 6 pm event the same day, demonstrating the appetite for connection across Northern England's creative hubs.

The Manchester Summer Social on Thursday, 5 June, drew 22 members back to the city, proving these aren't one-off networking attempts but the foundation of genuine creative communities. And so far, each event has maintained the relaxed atmosphere that makes The Studio special. No awkward elevator pitches or desperate business card exchanges, just authentic conversations between people who understand the unique joys and frustrations of creative work.

Your invitation to transform your creative career

Whether you're a freelancer seeking connection, an agency employee looking for broader perspectives, or a creative entrepreneur building something new, The Studio provides the relationships and knowledge you need to thrive. The upcoming events represent just a fraction of what's planned—each one designed around real challenges facing real creatives like you.

Many members report that their average workday has taken on a new rhythm, beginning with genuine community connection that energises their entire day. It's this sense of shared journey that transforms isolated creative work into collaborative growth.

Ready to stop feeling isolated and start feeling inspired? Join over 3,000 creative professionals who've already discovered their creative sanctuary and apply to join The Studio today. Your future collaborators, mentors, and friends are already there, sharing insights, celebrating wins, and supporting each other through the inevitable challenges of creative careers.

The conversations that could change your career are happening right now. The events that could unlock your next breakthrough are already scheduled. The creative community you've been searching for is waiting to welcome you.

As The Studio continues to evolve, the message from members is clear: this is the space creative professionals have been yearning for. Your only remaining question should be: what are you waiting for? Submit your application today: it's free!