Hasta La Ideas

Eight top graduates are profiled in our September issue – each has a page with which to introduce themselves to the creative world, and we also take a look at some of their best work to date. It’s the CR Gradwatch class of 2013…

The September issue of Creative Review is available to buy direct from us here. Better yet, subscribe to make sure that you never miss out on a copy – you’ll save money too. Details here.

Before the 20-plus pages of new graduate work, Patrick Burgoyne looks at the history of an institution that has, since 1952, represented the very best in graphic design: the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI).

Once an elite club for the profession, the AGI has extended its membership to a younger generation of practitioners – and next month brings its Open conference to London for the first time. (This issue’s subscriber-only Monograph, see below, features a collection of AGI-related ephemera, collected by designer Ben Bos.)

Over the past three months, along with our online army of volunteer talent spotters, we’ve reported on a wide range of the UK’s art and design degree shows and have picked eight graduates to look out for.

First up in our Gradwatch feature is University of the West of England illustration graduate, George McCallum. A cake version of his Chest of Drawers furniture introduces his feature. (The cake also found its way to the CR office – yum.)

Chelsea College of Art graphic design communication grads Johnny Holmes and Charlie Patterson (aka Opposite) form our second profile. The pair also designed/stitched our September issue cover.

Next up is the otherworldly work of Royal College of Art visual communication graduate, Guilia Garbin. Her final MA project was an illustrated collection of four stories about the last generation of print workers of Fleet Street in London. 

And School of Communication Arts team, Ran and Max (Roanna Stallard and Max Maclean), make up our fouth grad profile. They introduce themselves via a wordsearch, quiz and their Ten Creative Commandments. 

A graduate of the design for publishing course at Norwich University of the Arts, Matthew Callaby has already designed the visual identity for Sony Music at this year’s BRIT Awards. His intro page is an abundance of juicy monsters.

And our final Gradwatchee is Rachel Dixon of Gray’s School of Art’s visual communication course. Her Reading and Leeds festival project won a YCN Student Award earlier this year. 

Staying with our educational theme, CR’s Rachael Steven looks at various university-run enterprise schemes which enable students to work on commercial briefs while studying – but are the rewards fair to them?

And rounding off the features this month, Mark Sinclair meets Nick Asbury, one of the best branding and design writers working today.

Asbury discusses the rise of ‘tone of voice’, the importance of poetry in helping him write for brands, and how he has managed to produce an acclaimed series of products with his wife, Sue – including the Disappointments Diary 2013.

In Crit, Wayne Ford visits the Museum of London’s exhibition on the Radio Times as the magazine turns 90. 

Jeremy Leslie looks at some magazines which aim to help young graduates and creatives, and talks to the founder of new title, Intern.

Paul Belford praises a Tampax advert from 1981 for its unpatronising stance; while Daniel Benneworth-Gray dons his outdoor gear to go looking for his own work in the wild.

Gordon Comstock ponders why finding new advertising talent can prove so difficult; and Michael Evamy salutes the longevity of the work of design agency Lippincott, which is 70 years-old this year. 

And finally, in our Monograph supplement this month (for subscribers only), we have a special selection of material and ephemera produced for the AGI over the years from the collection of designer, Ben Bos. 

The September issue of Creative Review is available to buy direct from us here. Better yet, subscribe to make sure that you never miss out on a copy – you’ll save money too. Details here.