Tom May

Tom May

Freelance journalist and editor

Tom May is an award-winning journalist specialising in art, design, photography and technology. He is the author of the books The 50 Greatest Designers (Arcturus) and Great TED Talks: Creativity (Pavilion). 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 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
Sabrina Carpenter and taylor swift
When the White House hijacks your work: what creatives can learn from Sabrina Carpenter's fight

By Tom May Published

This sad episode reveals some harsh truths for all of us.

Branding
The Noble FoKus Rex5 and FoKus Amadeus IEMs.
Forget the AirPods Pro - Noble’s Rex 5 are the kings of wireless earbuds

By Tom May, Beren Neale Published

The 'Porsche of wireless earbuds' gets a rare discount.

Headphones & Earbuds
A wide-angle photo of two men standing on a stage during the Upscale Conference in Malaga, with a large screen behind them displaying the red text: "Now we can drift, dream and make mistakes at no cost."
Are we in the era of the disposable artist?

By Tom May Published

To AI, your work is nothing more than convenient compost.

4 Comments
AI Art
16 brilliant creative gifts under $100

By Tom May Last updated

Treat the creatives in your life (or, let’s be honest, yourself) to something inspirational this Cyber Monday.

Product Design
Disney Plus
Get cosy for Christmas with the best streaming deals – including Disney + AND Hulu for $4.99 a month

By Tom May Published

Here are the best discounts for viewers in the USA and the UK.

Movies & TV Shows
Close-up, black and white image of the word 'YOU' carved into a rough, grainy stone surface, resembling a tombstone or ancient monument
Is creativity really dead?

By Tom May Published

The industry needs clear leadership on AI, not vague provocations about 'making stuff'.

Creative Careers
The Honor Magic V5 foldable smart phone.
This foldable smartphone is like an iPad mini and iPhone 17 Pro combined

By Tom May, Beren Neale Published

If you're looking for a foldable phone, check this sweet deal.

Phones & Tablets
This image shows a simple black-and-white abstract drawing dominated by loosely looping and swirling thin black lines and a few thicker splatters, typical of a child's messy, spontaneous drawing.
Science says your kid is better at expressionist art than you are

By Tom May Published

Children can replicate Pollock paintings more accurately.

Art
A composite image features the cover of "Angel Train: Four Novellas" by Elizabeth Smither on the left and the cover of "Obligate Carnivore and other stories" by Stephanie Johnson on the right, flanking the logo for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards in the centre.
Why are we punishing authors for illustrations they had nothing to do with?

By Tom May Published

Fighting back against AI needs to be done thoughtfully.

Design
A child, smiling and wearing glasses, inserts a bright orange "The Famous Five: Five Go Off To Camp" story card into a white, cube-shaped digital audio player with a pixelated picnic basket display.
Get 30% off Yoto Players: The perfect screen-free gift for kids

By Tom May Published

Give the gift of imagination this Christmas with Yoto’s biggest Black Friday sale ever.

Toys & Collectibles
A selection of MacBooks on a tri-coloured background.
Oh! Black Friday MacBook deals are actually pretty decent

By Tom May Last updated

Save hundreds on MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models.

Art Supplies
A few if the most popular Cricut machines.
Black Friday Cricut deals have started with an astonishing price drop

By Beth Nicholls Last updated

These crafty deals will run up to and beyond Black Friday.

Art Supplies
A man wearing headphones is relaxing in a light gray and white ergonomic office chair with his feet propped up on a white desk.
I love this office chair, and with $200 off it's one of the best options out there

By Tom May Published

There's at least $200 off this highly adjustable ergonomic chair.

Chairs & Desks
Two contoured wireless computer mice, one in dusty pink and one in mint green, are displayed on a clear acrylic block and a round grey pedestal in a brightly lit, stylized setting.
Minimalism was a mistake: I think it's time for scented laptops and marshmallow keyboards

By Tom May Published

We've lived too long with grey rectangles.

Laptops
A smiling black woman in a blue uniform shirt leans in to assist a smiling white woman in a denim jacket who is looking at a tablet and a laptop screen.
Should you get a Best Buy membership ahead of Black Friday 2025?

By Tom May Published

These loyalty tiers may offer better value than you think.

Tech
A close-up screenshot of a photo editing program interface showing a young man holding a bundle of white flowers above his head against a blue sky, with a drop-down menu for Canva AI features, including Remove Background, open at the top.
Affinity's free gambit could shatter Adobe (but if it doesn't, that tells us a lot)

By Tom May Published

Can we actually quit the AI features we claimed to hate?

3 Comments
Design Software
Montage of poster and Instagram screengrabs from Zohran Mamdani's campaign
New York mayor Zohran Mamdani's branding is a graphic design masterclass

By Tom May Published

Mamdani didn’t just run for office; he built a visual identity.

Graphic Design
An Amazon Prime delivery driver in branded uniform holding packages while standing in front of a Prime-branded delivery van.
6 killer tips for getting the best Black Friday prices

By Tom May Published

Our best advice to help you win Black Friday 2025.

Tech
A black-and-white still from an animated cartoon shows Betty Boop standing on a bed, looking down at Pudgy (a dog character) who is dressed as a waiter and presenting a platter with a roasted bird.
I can't believe all these pop-culture icons come out of copyright in 2026

By Tom May Published

It's exciting times for creators, but beware the legal traps...

Creative Inspiration
A smiling Best Buy employee wearing glasses and a blue polo shirt hands a small blue box to a customer at a checkout counter.
These retailers are all offering Black Friday guarantees for 2025

By Tom May Published

Shop Black Friday deals early without the worry – these retailers promise to refund you if prices drop further.

Tech
This guerrilla network sharing art gallery memberships is my new favourite thing

By Tom May Published

A scrappy WhatsApp group is helping artists to see actual art.

Art
Forget AI: shrinkflation is the real threat to your brand strategy

By Tom May Published

Branding
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