Tom May

Tom May

Freelance journalist and editor

Tom May is an award-winning journalist specialising in art, design, photography and technology. His latest book, The 50 Greatest Designers (Arcturus Publishing), was published this June. He's also author of Great TED Talks: Creativity (Pavilion Books). Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. 

Latest articles by Tom May

American Eagle Sydney Sweeney ad

The Sydney Sweeney ad for American Eagle revisited: what can it teach us about branding in the 2020s?

By Tom May published

When a jeans campaign becomes a culture war battleground, it forces us to step back and take a wider view of society.

5 Comments
Branding
A collage showcasing various Walmart brand applications, including a storefront, a mobile app, apparel, tote bags, delivery boxes, employee vests, and a colorful in-store mural.

These logo design trends will define 2026

By Tom May published

Identity design is ditching corporate rigidity

Logos & Icons
Three office chairs in an AI-generated home office.

Our favourite 2025 office chairs have seen massive discounts in the end-of-year sales

By Tom May published

These brilliant ergonomic chairs just dropped to low prices.

Chairs & Desks
The old Cracker Barrel logo with a barrel and old man and the more minimalist new Cracker Barrel logo side by side

The biggest logo moments of the year weren't always in the headlines

By Tom May published

The design press and mass media went in different directions.

Logos & Icons
A selection of the best 3D scanners and printers.

Our top picks of 3D scanners and 3D printers all have discounts in the 2025 holiday sales

By Tom May published

Pro-grade 3D scanning and printing just got more affordable.

3D Printing
A side-by-side comparison of two movie posters, one featuring a romantic embrace for Wuthering Heights and the other showing a man at a gambling table for Ballad of a Small Player.

Breaking rules and bringing joy: top typography trends for 2026

By Tom May published

From deliberate friction to mutant heritage.

Fonts & Typography
New Cracker Barrel logo and branding

This was branding's most dangerous year yet

By Tom May published

2025 was the year when every logo became a potential fight.

Branding
Two boxes of Tesco Finest tea are displayed: the box on the left is for Earl Grey (Floral, Aromatic, Citrus) with 50 tea bags and features an illustration of a cityscape at dusk; the box on the right is for English Breakfast (Rich, Robust, Malty) with 80 tea bags and features an illustration of a sunrise over a rolling landscape.

Messy, meaningful and made by humans: the biggest illustration trends for 2026

By Tom May published

Illustration is pushing back against AI polish.

Illustration
A hand paints a NY scene

How 2026 will finally kill photorealism

By Tom May published

In a world where anyone can summon a fake photo in four seconds, why spend four months painting one?

4 Comments
Digital Art
A MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024) on a desk

Our favourite laptops of 2025 are finally discounted in the end-of-year sales

By Tom May published

These top-rated laptops just got serious price cuts.

Laptops
In a scene from Friends, Santa Claus and the Holiday Armadillo stand in a kitchen facing each other while Monica Geller looks on from the center.

Streaming stole our Christmas TV experience – but can we get it back?

By Tom May published

The algorithm suggests no, but I think there's hope yet.

Movies & TV Shows
A woman in a blue dress sits on a rug in a cozy living room, wrapping a model train set near a lit fireplace and a decorated Christmas tree.

The most beautiful Christmas films to inspire you creatively

By Tom May published

From candy-coloured suburbs to candlelit noir.

Movies & TV Shows
A group of felt-textured mice and a bird gather around a star-topped mince pie in a snowy outdoor scene at night.

The 5 Christmas animations that every creative should watch now

By Tom May published

They all showcase the power of visual storytelling.

Animation
Montage of poster and Instagram screengrabs from Zohran Mamdani's campaign

Texture, warmth and tactile rebellion: the big graphic design trends for 2026

By Tom May published

From handcrafted rebellion to layered storytelling.

Graphic Design
Two small landscape paintings and a paintbrush covered in paint

Why Gen Z artists are rediscovering anatomy, gesture and plein air painting in 2026

By Tom May published

Gen Z are starting to choose easels over screens.

Art
The pair of JUZEAR Harrier in-ear earphones, one with a prominent golden tiger's eye faceplate and the other with a dark blue/green variant, are angled and nestled among pieces of clear, light-blue-tinted crystal.

Meet the JUZEAR Harrier: A new earphone that skips the hype train to get the tuning right

By Tom May published

These new IEMs aim for balance over bling

Headphones & Earbuds
A blonde woman (Sabrina Carpenter) in a black dress is on her hands and knees while a person in a black suit pulls her hair.

From Springsteen to Sabrina: pop stars and the fight for control

By Tom May published

What pop stars have learn the hard way offers lessons for every creative.

Branding
A group of Stormtroopers in white armor advance across a rocky, desert landscape, aiming their blaster rifles.

18 discounted Switch 2 games are perfect stocking fillers for the gamer in your life

By Tom May published

From Star Wars to Final Fantasy, here are the best discounts.

Gaming
A digital art picture frame

Art lovers! These e-ink photo frames actually look like art (and they're on sale)

By Tom May published

These paper-like displays make art look genuinely printed.

Tech
Three animated women, styled like a K-pop group with vibrant hair and edgy outfits, look intensely at the camera while pointing upwards with one finger in a bright, neon-lit setting.

What creatives can learn from the Wicked vs KPop Demon Hunters controversy

By Tom May published

Why did the Golden Globes "snub" the blockbuster musical, and how did a K-pop cartoon do so well in the nominations?

Animation
A shot from behind Taylor Swift, wearing a sparkly blue outfit and holding a guitar, as she walks onto a brightly lit stage between two crew members.

Taylor Swift's new Disney+ series is hiding a creative secret weapon

By Tom May published

Behind-the-scenes footage isn't just good marketing; it's the secret weapon every creative professional needs to master.

Movies & TV Shows
A young person wearing a black t-shirt has their back to the camera, wearing black over-ear headphones (likely a Final UX5000) while standing outside an office or apartment building.

High-end audio brand Final just released a $65 headphone, and I'm fascinated

By Tom May, Beren Neale published

This level of sound quality, at under $65, is quite incredible.

5 Comments
Headphones & Earbuds
A pair of open-back headphones with wooden earcups and a black padded headband is resting on a wooden desk in front of a black headphone amplifier with gold trim and VU meters.

These headphones look like they're from a designer's steampunk fantasy

By Tom May, Beren Neale published

The hi-fi manufacturer combines British craftsmanship with advanced nano-diaphragm technology in latest offering.

Headphones & Earbuds
Four young men standing in a line against a dark background, all with their arms crossed, looking at the camera.

Gen Z doesn't care about your brand heritage

By Tom May published

This new research offers some pretty startling insights.

Advertising
A collection of white, blank square papers scattered and overlapping against a background of a light blue sky with white, fluffy clouds.

Pantone's colour of 2026 is more apt than you think

By Tom May published

Is this a lazy stunt, or genius philosophical insight?

Design
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