The ten biggest branding stories of the year
Looking back on Design Week’s biggest branding stories, from two social media giants to Girlguiding, the National Portrait Gallery and Center Parcs, via the newly named Le Shuttle.
Graphic design
The latest graphic design projects spanning brand identity design, animation and print, along with interviews with up-and-coming and established graphic designers.
Koto creates new masterbrand for the Call of Duty franchise
The hero assets of Call of Duty’s new identity is a bespoke typeface called Hitmaker, inspired by the games roots and military heritage.
DesignStudio revives Trivago’s “unique and charming spirit” with new identity
Hand-drawn illustrations and a “warm and inviting” tone of voice look to bring personality to the brand and encourage users to return.
Five of our favourite fonts from 2023
Featuring out-there designs inspired by spherical marble forms, a stencil font that’s protest-ready, and typography to build chairs with.
Design Week’s most popular news stories of 2023
From firsts in football and festivals to Royal design stories that will go down in history, here are the ten news stories that got you reading this year.
SomeOne designs lattice-inspired identity for Graff
The new designs – including the brand’s first ever monogram – are inspired by the diamond jewellery specialist’s unique metalwork.
Pantone reveals “youthful” but “timeless” 2024 colour of the year
In packaging and multimedia design, the colour of the year could be used to bring “a vintage vibe” to a project, according to Pantone.
“A world of wonder for pets” in Ragged Edge’s designs for Omlet
The new designs use tactile 3D illustrations and cute characters to “celebrate the bond between pets and people”.
Design Week’s most popular long reads of 2023
From Twitter’s rebrand to X, to the collaborative process of designing the UK’s first gallery of South Asian culture, here are our top long reads of 2023.
Charity takes the lead in Really Good Beer Society’s new identity
The rebrand led by Derek&Eric sees “a harlequin colour palette” added to the identity, with hues relating to the name and charitable cause each beer supports.
Sound design and ‘planting design’ honoured among new RDI recipients
The prestigious Royal Designers for Industry accolades announced as its head calls for designers to “accept the blame” for climate crisis
Pentagram’s Reddit refresh aims to unite cohesion and “creative spirit”
Pentagram New York has refreshed the brand identity for Reddit, aiming to make its Snoo mascot “as iconic as Super Mario”.
Things to do in December: our pick of the best design events this month
An exhibition celebrating influential female fashion designers and an event on digital design from an Asian perspective feature in Design Week’s December highlights.
Rhyme & Reason: Jake Noakes talks us through designing hip hop
A new book offers a behind-the-scenes look at hip hop’s biggest artists, just as the genre was breaking into the mainstream.
Kids’ brand Talou targets ‘conscious creatives and ‘mindful mums’
The Yard Creative’s visual identity for new children’s circular fashion brand Talou “celebrates the joy, creativity, and exploration of childhood”.
“A bolder composition”: designing the 2023 Booker Prize winner cover
Inspired by jazz record covers and the “brutal” imagery of oppressive states, Prophet Song’s cover was designed to depict the hostile environment inhabited by the characters.
Paist’s modular identity looks to disrupt “same-old” toothpaste market
Designed by Two Times Elliott, Paist’s identity features a modular typeface that works in tandem with a bright colour palette and abstract 3D forms to create a unique brand system.
Nice and Serious rebrands Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
The protected areas of land have a new identity system that allows each location to have its own personality while remaining part of “a living patchwork”.
Revisiting W.E.B. Du Bois’ 1920s magazine for Black children today
Kieron Lewis designed the New Brownies’ Book, by Karida L Brown and Charly Palmer, mixing century-old content with new writing and art to inspire a new generation of Black families.
Nomad develops identity for Sky Live’s AI-powered home workout app Mvmnt
The app’s green and orange gradient colour palette was chosen to “exude pulsating energy” while also indicating how well movements are being performed.
People People brings retro poolside aesthetic to Seattle restaurant Layers
The sandwich restaurant aims to invoke memories of “lakeside summer camps, picnics and classic striped beach towels” through its suite of playful illustrations.
How design helped OpenAI transition from niche to mainstream
Area 17 designed a new identity and site for OpenAI featuring “humanist ” design references and touches of “magic” as it moved from research-focused non-profit to a mainstream talking point.
Christmas window displays 2023: festive theatre and classic winter tales
Whether futuristic fashion modelled by Bauble-head mannequins or festive food with a mind of its own, this year’s Christmas windows displays will not disappoint.
Designing out racism is “work for everyone”
Design educators Lisa E. Mercer and Terresa Moses explain in their new book, Racism Untaught, how design can offer tools for anti-racism accessible to anyone.