18 September – 22 September 2023 – Design Week

What to do if you lose your creative mojo?

Ben Tallon — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:29:11 +0000

When I gained a clear sense of the two main types of creativity, a lot of things suddenly made sense. Peleg Top, who describes himself as a coach for accomplished creatives at a crossroads, told me about them on The Creative Condition podcast. He’d hit a wall, and went through the process most of us will be familiar with – unidentified lack of motivation. Despair. Malaise. A spiritual crisis…

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Salt handles and microbe packaging: real-life applications for innovative biomaterials

Abbey Bamford — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:02:09 +0000

Innovative biomaterials have been edging into the consciousness of businesses and consumers for some time, yet hesitations from both sides are delaying them from becoming mainstream. “The barrier is the infrastructure”, says Shellworks co-founder and CEO Insiya Jafferjee, as she talks with Atelier Luma’s material designer Henna Burney as part of London Design Festival’s Global Design Forum.

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Facebook unveils refreshed brand identity

Sophie Tolhurst — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 11:49:40 +0000

Facebook has revealed a refreshed identity aimed at unifying its brand and improving accessibility, featuring a redrawn logo and wordmark and expanded colour palette. It follows a number of other changes for social media giants this year, with Facebook’s parent company Meta also unveiling its Twitter-rival Threads, as well as Twitter’s own surprise transformation to X. The latest updates to…

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Helen Hamlyn Centre backs innovative inclusive design projects

Sophie Tolhurst — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 14:32:07 +0000

The 2023 Helen Hamlyn Design Award winners have been revealed, featuring a range of inclusive design solutions to real-world problems. The annual awards are organised by the Helen Hamlyn Centre of Design (HHCD) and are open to graduating students from the Royal College of Art. Following the selection of the shortlist, a panel of industry experts and Lady Hamlyn selected the winners…

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Tyre particle batteries and UV-sensing plastic: inside Materials Matters 2023

Abbey Bamford — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:09:39 +0000

Walking among the exhibitors at Materials Matters 2023 is like taking a glimpse into the – hopefully near – future. From abstract mushroom lamps to batteries made of tyre particles, the trade show invites visitors to consider how new materials might fit into our lives as well as how we can repurpose those that we already use. Housed by the Bargehouse in Oxo Tower Wharf, each floor has its own…

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“Taking away barriers”: Béa Fertility develops at-home fertility device

Abbey Bamford — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 14:05:15 +0000

Béa Fertility has launched an at-home fertility device with a “simple and intuitive” user experience and accessible price point. The team of 12 started working on the concept in 2020, after identifying a gap in the market for early-stage fertility treatments. Generally, if patients go to a GP with suspected fertility issues, they are advised to continue trying for another year before being…

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SomeOne designs “radical but minimal” identity for National Youth Orchestra

Abbey Bamford — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 11:12:03 +0000

SomeOne has designed a new identity for the National Youth Orchestra, featuring a “radical but minimal” animated wordmark that seeks to “cement the relationship between the brand and music”. In 1948, the National Youth Orchestra was founded as a symbol of hope and confidence following the second World War. Now 160-strong, the orchestra aims to foster a better sense of community, wellbeing…

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Non-linguistic place brand developed for Denver neighbourhood Sun Valley

Abbey Bamford — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:53:22 +0000

Colorado-based design agency Wunder Werkz has developed an identity for Denver, US neighbourhood Sun Valley, with non-linguistic icons that can be understood by all its inhabitants. In 1925, a zoning law turned the area into an industrial zone, leaving behind immigrant Hispanic families who were effectively redlined, beginning a period which has seen the community marginalised.

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Sector specialisms: are the risks worth the rewards?

Abbey Bamford — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:23:15 +0000

Working with diverse clients across sectors is the norm for most design studios but while having a varied portfolio is often seen as a strength, some designers have discovered the benefits of sector specialisms. From improving chances of winning work to making the task of recruiting easier, specialising seems to have been a wholly positive experience for New York-based studio Minds + assembly…

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