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

A young woman with long, dark, wavy hair is smiling broadly and looking directly at the camera while standing on a red carpet.

Tilly Norwood is an AI actress, and we're all now living in a Black Mirror hellscape

By Tom May published

Unless creatives start to fight back, we're all getting replaced.

AI
Woman with phone

The older I get, the more I realise designing for seniors is better for young people too

By Tom May published

Accessible design isn't charity; it's just good design that benefits absolutely everyone.

Web Design
A still from the movie The Social Network showing Justin Timberlake and Jesse Eisenberg sitting side-by-side on a brown sofa.

Here's what '90s Napster can teach creatives about AI today

By Tom May published

The music industry's battle with file-sharing offers a brutal but ultimately hopeful roadmap for creatives facing AI disruption.

AI Art
A black ASUS ProArt P16 laptop on a green sofa

There are only 6 laptops that I'd recommend to creatives right now

By Tom May published

You can't go wrong with these excellent laptops.

Laptops
A hand plays a small, red-and-white keyboard that is connected to a larger, salmon-colored box with 25 chattering teeth toys mounted in a grid.

10 everyday objects that look nothing like you'd expect

By Tom May published

Here's what happens when designers throw out the rulebook.

Product Design
Affinity Designer

The best Adobe Illustrator alternatives, for all budgets and skill levels

By Tom May last updated

From Affinity to CorelDRAW, try these top vector-editing tools.

Graphic Design Software
A photograph captures a person in a judge's robe walking while on a phone call, passing by a Banksy mural on a building wall that depicts an old, robed man wielding a hammer over a child holding a book.

Banksy and the judge: why great art happens when things go wrong

By Tom May published

Sometimes the most powerful art emerges by accident.

Art
Three of the best laptops for watching movies on an orange background

The best laptops for watching movies

By Tom May, Beren Neale last updated

Discover the best laptops for watching movies and streaming.

Laptops
A real-life artist at Dragon Con

The art world finally drew a line in the sand over AI – and not before time

By Tom May published

Dragon Con's ejection of an AI art seller is fantastic news,

AI Art
Couple holding each others hand in a medical office and looking worried

Big tech will pull the plug on free AI. Can creatives afford to pay?

By Tom May published

Tech giants are hooking us on free, but it won't last forever.

AI
A group of people, including Gordon Ramsay and a Guinness World Records official, are smiling and laughing as a chef holds up a framed certificate.

Wow, there's a Guinness World Record for identifying fonts. Could you beat it?

By Tom May published

The Guinness World Records hits 70, and I think there's an opportunity for designers.

Fonts & Typography
Lego minifigures of Taylor Swift and Travis Scott

Taylor Swift got engaged – and brands went wild. Here’s the funny, the clever, and the cringe

By Tom May published

Which ones nailed it, and why?

Branding
Large colourful WPP sign in office

Creative job losses are rising – and we need to talk about it

By Tom May published

We need to think about how to respond.

AI
A woman taking a photo of a painting

'Dread, anxiety... but also hope': Here's how creatives really feel about social media in 2025

By Tom May published

Creatives reveal their true emotions.

Social Media
A website screenshot showing a collage of Taylor Swift dressed as a showgirl surrounded by other dancers with the text "The Life of a Showgirl" and "Available October 3" in a futuristic font.

There's a big problem with Taylor Swift's new website

By Tom May last updated

Her disabled fans deserve better than this mess.

Web Design
Collage of logos for Arizona Coyotes, LaCoste, Open University, CBS, Cooper Union, Audf, Mozzo and Bass

These are the best logos of all time

By Tom May last updated

We review the greatest logos ever designed.

Logos & Icons
ASUS Zenbook A14 on desk next to a water bottle and some pink stationery baskets

I love my ASUS Zenbook A14, and can't believe it's dropped $520 in price

By Tom May published

This featherweight laptop is now a serious MacBook Air rival.

Tech
Honor MagicBook Pro 14 laptop on desk

I tried Honor's premium ultrabook, and it's a serious alternative to the MacBook Air

By Tom May published

With good deals regularly available, the Honor MagicBook Pro 14 is well worth considering for creative work.

Laptops
A wide-angle shot of a public plaza in Vienna, Austria, showcasing a street art installation on a sunny day. In the foreground, a large abstract sculpture made of a twisted metal frame and various reflective geometric shapes, including pyramids, sits on a circular concrete base.

I'm sorry, but enrolling an AI into art college is just absurd

By Tom May published

Vienna's top art school has a non-human student called Flynn.

AI
Hand holding Redmi Pad 2 in bedroom

This 8GB tablet was cheap to start with: I'm astounded it's dropped to £165!

By Tom May published

The days you needed to spend £400+ on a tablet are over.

Tech
People drinking coffee and socialising in Starbucks cafe

Starbucks' printer ban shows remote working has gone too far

By Tom May published

Desktop PCs in cafés means something’s gone badly wrong.

Freelance
A poster for the show "Wednesday" shows the main character, with her hands tied, looking at the viewer.

Netflix's Wednesday typeface is sheer genius

By Tom May published

Designers! Be like Wednesday, and stop playing safe with type.

Fonts & Typography
Very basic prototype of platform game featuring a egghead character moving along a beach with a pier

ChatGPT5 is simultaneously filling me with joy and dread

By Tom May published

OpenAI's latest model is unsettling me something chronic.

AI
Images from Cara app

The 13 best social media platforms for artists and designers

By Tom May last updated

Where are the best social media platforms to share your art?

Social Media
Three of the best monitors for video editing on an orange background.

If you're a video editor, these are the 9 monitors that we'd recommend

By Beren Neale last updated

These are the best monitors for video editing.

Monitors
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