The New York Times Design Cases
Designers behind the work
Designers and creative leads credited on The New York Times projects in press coverage.
Designers and creative leads credited on The New York Times projects in press coverage.
Creative Boom profiles New York-based Chinese illustrator Hannah Li, exploring her transition from editorial and publishing work to a more personal fine art practice. Her new series, 'The Way Back', captures quiet, light-filled moments that exist between movement and stillness. The article reflects on her artistic evolution, influences, and the emotional resonance of her observational approach.
It’s Nice That announces the July 2026 edition of its Nicer Tuesdays event in London, featuring talks from motion studio Daisy Chain, illustrator Lily Kong, multimedia artist Jazz Grant, and photographer Alfie Whiteman. The event highlights a diverse range of creative practices from motion design and collage to photography and illustration, with sponsorship from El Rayo Tequila and Love Corn.
The article profiles London-born illustrator Palesa Monareng, who has created over 100 graphite self-portraits and is now turning them into a book. It explores her decade-long practice rooted in pencil-based portraiture and motion drawings, her meticulous rotoscoping process, and her reflections on digital identity. The piece also highlights her major clients and her upcoming literary debut with Janklow & Nesbit.
Creative Boom profiles artist and independent publisher Vanilla Chi, exploring her philosophy of ego-death and her experimental approach to bookmaking. Through her studio Pearl Slug Studio, Chi creates publications that challenge conventional reading, drawing on Buddhist philosophy, folklore, and anthropology. The article highlights her projects 'Snakelike, Through These Grasses' and 'Eyes Close... the Words Open', which transform reading into performative and fragmentary experiences.
The article profiles illustrator Steph Hardy’s latest body of work, which shifts from nature-inspired compositions to whimsical depictions of snacks and comfort foods in her signature soft, painterly style. It explores her evolving use of color, her process of layering and blending digital textures, and her recent collaborations with editorial and branding clients such as Queer Atmosphere and Coldcuts. Hardy also discusses her growing interest in animation and motion as a natural extension of her fluid mark-making.
Creative Boom profiles Gina Guasch Studio (GGS), a queer-led design studio based in Barcelona known for its colourful, activist, and identity-driven work. Founded by Gina Guasch in 2019, the studio creates branding, flyers, and visual systems for clients across culture, music, and activism. The article highlights GGS’s bold aesthetic, inclusive ethos, and commitment to design that goes beyond trends.
Creative Boom’s feature by Tom May explores photographer Xavier Nuez’s 25-year project 'Alleys & Ruins', a series of light-painted photographs of derelict American spaces. Using long exposures and coloured lights, Nuez transforms abandoned sites into theatrical compositions while processing his own trauma through the act of creation. The forthcoming book, published by Gypsy Press, is both a visual and psychological exploration of beauty emerging from decay.
Creative Boom’s 2026 community poll highlights 15 illustrators shaping the global illustration scene, emphasizing originality and human touch in an AI-saturated era. The list spans established names like Noma Bar and Malika Favre to emerging talents such as Anna Micheloni and Genie Espinosa. The article celebrates craftsmanship, individuality, and the enduring commercial relevance of distinctive illustration.
