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

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
An exhibition space displays various colorful and patterned textiles hanging from the ceiling, with framed prints and display cases featuring designs on pedestals below.

Stop obsessing over Apple, designers: IKEA is where it's at

By Tom May published

The flat-pack furniture titan has far more inspiration to offer.

Design
Collage of four Black Sabbath album covers

How Ozzy and Black Sabbath's album art changed the look of rock'n'roll forever

By Tom May published

Their first albums created the visual language of heavy metal.

Design
Exterior of McDonald's restaurant lit up at night

Afraid of losing your design job to AI? This McDonald's story might help you sleep better

By Tom May published

Turns out automation isn't always the enemy.

AI
Hand holding Redmi Pad 2 tablet over desk

Tested: this super-cheap tablet from Xiaomi is surprisingly good

By Tom May published

This low-cost, premium-feeling tablet delivers where it matters.

Phones & Tablets
Image generated with Adobe Firefly showing a smiling cartoon boy with glasses, wearing an orange shirt and red shorts, walking down a pink and orange path in a colorful, candy-themed landscape with whimsical buildings

Adobe claims its AI tools are 'commercially safe', but does that stack up?

By Tom May published

I'm getting confused, and I don't think I'm alone.

AI
Scene from El Eternauta: A close-up shot shows a person's eyes visible through a large-visored gas mask, worn with a blue hood and a brown, fur-lined coat, amidst falling snow.

Netflix just normalised AI for VFX – and I'm devastated

By Tom May published

TV and movies will be hollowed out by this Faustian bargain.

VFX & CGI
Hand holding Honor Pad 10 tablet showing Creative Bloq homepage

I tested Honor's latest budget tablet, and it feels surprisingly premium

By Tom May published

My Honor Pad 10 review asks if this budget tablet is worth investing in.

Phones & Tablets
A wooden display case with three glass-fronted sections, each containing a white sheet of paper with text, and the word "TRANSMISSION" in gold letters across the top.

Is the idea of intellectual property outdated? These Damien Hirst plagiarism claims are making me wonder

By Tom May published

As the accusations fly about stolen ideas and appropriated artwork, do artists own anything anymore?

Art
Graphic representing the theme of Architecture and Landmarks

People will hate me... but our banknotes don't need a redesign

By Tom May published

Thrilling exercise in democratic wish fulfillment, or costly vanity project?

Graphic Design
Scene from The Penguin. A man with slicked-back brown hair and a scarred face wears a black and purple plaid suit jacket with a black bow tie, looking directly at the viewer with a serious expression.

Spectacular design has become TV's secret weapon – and the Emmy nominations prove it

By Tom May published

You can't cut corners for a modern audience.

Design
Compilation of AI generated images of Velvet Sundown

AI is killing music, and design can't be far behind

By Tom May published

We're witnessing the systematic dismantling of human artistry… and it's only getting started.

AI
David Hockney standing in front of his digital painting of a forest, projected onto the wallks of a gallery

Anyone who thinks the iPad isn't a serious art tool hasn't been paying attention

By Tom May published

From royal commissions to gallery walls, digital painting is no longer just a quirky sideline; it's a valued artform in its own right.

Art
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