Hi First name / friend,
Yay, we made it to Friday! I hope you’ve had a good week. I’m in the middle of a branding project right now. I’m deep into the logo mark stage, and wow, it’s always a process. So many ideas flying around, people to please, different angles to consider, and plenty of meetings. Honestly, designing a logo might be one of the hardest parts of a graphic designer’s job. You need to make something unique that looks great, answers the brief, connects with the audience and then sell that idea to a client who might have zero creative experience. It’s a lot. But it’s also kind of fun.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to share a few previews next week (if the client gives me the green light!). In the meantime, this week’s newsletter is packed: some solid portfolio inspiration, a great branding project that proves minimalism isn’t going anywhere, and a thought-provoking piece on whether AI can actually be creative. Enjoy! |
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The Best Emerging Creatives, All in One Place
The D&AD New Blood Portfolio Picks celebrate up-and-coming creatives by showcasing the best student and graduate work from around the world. Out of hundreds of entries, a panel of industry pros selects standout portfolios across design, advertising, animation, illustration, and more. This particular award is packed with inspiration, whether you’re looking to see what top emerging talent is up to or need ideas for building out your own portfolio. The featured work is super varied and a great place to see what design work, (and how its showcased) is coming out from all the new young designers. |
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Clean, Clever, and Cell-Inspired
Studio Format's identity for Oraas is a brilliant fusion of science and design. Inspired by microscopic cellular structures, the branding embraces precision and repetition, mirroring the electrolyte’s role in driving highly controlled processes. The logotype and patterns subtly hint at cell division and molecular geometry, giving a sleek, technical vibe that reflects Oraas’s focus on accuracy and performance. The visual system expands with clean monochrome packaging, modular graphics, and lab-style imagery, all of which reinforce Oraas as a serious, research-driven brand. The result is a polished, minimal identity that feels both methodical and modern. I love minimal design and this proves you don't need all the bells and whistles to create something that really works. |
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When Machines Steal the Artist’s Soul Christoph Niemann shares a thoughtful look at how AI is changing the way we create art and express ideas. He explores the balance between human imagination and machine assistance, raising questions about what creativity really means in a world where technology can generate ideas and images so quickly. The piece encourages us to think about the future of art, not as a competition between humans and AI, but as a new kind of collaboration. It's emotional, deeply personal, and accompanied with some great illustrations. |
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The Tool That Solved Illustrator’s Biggest Challenge Hands up if you kind of suck with the Pen Tool? I'm the first to admit, I'm not great with it, most the time I live trace a shape I find on Google instead of drawing it from scratch. Have you ever tried to draw a curved symmetrical shape with the Pen Tool? Yeah its tough!
I recently read an interesting article about the design of Adobe Illustrator’s new Quick Pen Tool (on the beta app). The tool was created to solve a common frustration, making the pen tool easier and faster to use while still allowing precise control. The article goes behind the scenes on how the team balanced innovation and simplicity to help designers work more smoothly, especially when creating complex paths. I actually made a video a few months back showing off the Quick Pen Tool and how powerful and easy it is to use, and reading this article gave me even more appreciation for it. Let's hope it gets a general release soon. |
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MISSED MY LATEST INSTAGRAM POSTS? |
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If you got this far, here is your question of the week:
Can something truly be called ‘creative’ if it wasn’t made by a human? Hit reply and share your answer. |
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NDSM
Amsterdam, 1033NA, The Netherlands |
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