Creative Boom

Most packaging is designed to win one second on a busy shelf. But what if your product lives on a restaurant table instead? 👀

Antwerp agency WeWantMore reimagined Belgian sparkling water BRU from the table up – a calmer navy palette, a leaping stag turned sculptural, and plenty of room to breathe. It's a smart reminder that good packaging starts with understanding what the product actually needs to do.

Full feature on Creative Boom. 👇

Read more: https://www.creativeboom.com/news/what-wewantmores-redesign-of-brus-bottles-can-teach-us-about-packaging-design-in-2026/

Affinity and Cavalry are staying free – and that's just the start 👀

Canva has brought Affinity, Cavalry, Flourish and Leonardo together into one connected ProSuite, with more than 100 new features designers actually requested.

The big ones for a lot of us: Affinity's new Blend Tool, its biggest-ever photography update, and the ability to import old InDesign files.

Full breakdown on Creative Boom. 👇

Read more: https://www.creativeboom.com/news/canva-launches-prosuite-bringing-affinity-cavalry-flourish-and-leonardo-together-with-more-than-new-100-features/

McLaren evolves its identity with a wordmark inspired by Bruce McLaren's family garage 👀 🏎️ 🏎️ 🏎️

The racing marque's new look pays homage to a service station in Auckland, while keeping the Speedmark, the Papaya, and the Speedy Kiwi.

Find out all the details over on the Boom:
https://www.creativeboom.com/news/mclaren-evolves-its-identity-with-a-wordmark-inspired-by-bruce-mclarens-family-garage/

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Asking which typeface DeafCity Hub used is entirely the wrong question 👀

For this new cultural and co-working space for the deaf community, Templo used motion-tracking to capture real hand movements inspired by British Sign Language – then built the whole logo and identity from those gestures.

Wonky by design, wrapped in bead-like circles, and finished in a gloriously loud pink and orange. It's a brand built from how the community actually communicates.

Full story on Creative Boom. 👇

Read more: https://www.creativeboom.com/news/asking-what-typeface-deafcity-hub-used-for-its-logo-is-the-wrong-question/

A clay squirrel sets out to bake a cheesecake, gets distracted, and pours the sugar straight into her tea instead 👀

That's Suuugar!, the graduate film by stop-motion animator Qiaoyu Liao – and it's the most charming ode to losing focus we've seen in ages.

She trained in traditional Chinese painting before discovering clay, and she leaves every handmade fingerprint in on purpose.

Full feature on Creative Boom. 👇

Read more: https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/inside-qiaoyu-liaos-suuugar-the-clay-animated-cheesecake-disaster-that-shows-what-happens-when-you-get-distracted/

Rob Farmer keeps a phone full of 'half-baked' sketches – and some of them grow into New York Times covers 👀

The Melbourne motion designer didn't start his degree until he was 27, and now works for the NYT, The Economist and the Design Museum.

His advice for anyone who hoards unfinished ideas: share them anyway. 'Perfectionism gets in the way of a lot of great work.'

Full feature on Creative Boom. 👇

Read more: https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/how-rob-farmer-turns-half-baked-sketches-into-new-york-times-covers/

Pricing is the thing most creatives would rather not think about – and it's exactly why so many of us undercharge 👀

From gathering real data on what others charge, to hourly vs per-project, to value-based pricing and actually getting paid, this guide walks you through setting your freelance rates with a clear head.

One from the archive, still just as useful.

Full guide on Creative Boom. 👇

Read more: https://www.creativeboom.com/tips/how-to-set-your-freelance-rates/

Before she illustrated a single magazine page, Fei Meng spent years learning to paint a face the old-fashioned way 👀

Anatomy, form, light, the tiny gestures that make a character feel alive – she learned the classical fundamentals first, then carried them into editorial illustration, advertising, and even award-winning silk scarves.

The result has a warmth and maturity that really stands out.

Full feature on Creative Boom. 👇

PlayStation controllers and Froot Loops, painted like a 17th-century old master 👀

Self-taught painter Matthew Blackburn fills classical Dutch still lifes with an early-2000s childhood bedroom – and puts the controller right in your hands.

'Nostalgia is a complex emotion. You can be happy and sad at the same time,' he says.

Full feature on Creative Boom. 👇

Football, memory, and the warm colours of a Brazilian backyard 👀

São Paulo illustrator Gabriel Diogo turns terrace flags, retro kits and sticker albums into sun-baked, handmade scenes. His faceless characters are a choice – he wants you inside the picture, not just watching.

'It's a synthesis of the memories I've carried with me since I first became aware of life,' he says.

Full feature on Creative Boom. 👇