November 2025 delivered an exceptional collection of creative projects that combined strategic brand thinking, cultural nostalgia, and innovative design solutions. From sophisticated workplace art curation to whiskey packaging inspired by 1980s sports culture, these five projects stood out for their clarity, emotional resonance, and exceptional craftsmanship.
Canvass studio transformed the branding for Art in Offices, a workplace art specialist that had struggled to differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded market. The workplace art sector has become saturated with suppliers offering generic curation packages and rotating programs, but Art in Offices had always taken a more personalized approach that their previous brand failed to communicate effectively. Canvass developed a strategic concept called "The Art of" that perfectly encapsulates the organization's approach to curation, consultancy, and workplace wellbeing.
This simple yet powerful phrase creates a flexible framework that works across all contexts: The Art of Focus, The Art of Energy, The Art of Belonging. The new identity emphasizes craft and curation through a refreshed A-mark that incorporates folded shapes, echoing the careful process of selecting and framing artwork. The brand's tone of voice highlights their all-female team's personality, while the color palette remains intentionally muted by default, then adapts by pulling colors directly from the 100 artists they collaborate with. This approach creates visual consistency in an environment designed to constantly change, and Canvass successfully created a brand that feels fresh without overshadowing the artwork itself.
Studio Arndt Benedikt revitalized GreatVita, a health food brand that possessed strong products, clean ingredients, and a comprehensive range spanning oils, superfoods, and natural cosmetics, but lacked the visual spark needed to stand out in the competitive health food landscape. The previous branding failed to convey the care and quality that went into each product, causing it to blend into the background of similar offerings.
Built around the concept that GreatVita brings lightness to healthy living, the new brand identity feels bright, grounded, and unmistakably human. A stylized flower serves as the core symbol, expressing growth and potential, while a deep green anchors the color palette. Light blues, lime greens, and warm neutrals soften the overall aesthetic, creating a sense of calm that feels refreshing in a space that often appears either too clinical or too alternative. The typography is confident without being aggressive, while botanical illustrations and natural textures introduce honesty and warmth. The design maintains enough structure for coherence while incorporating sufficient softness to make the brand feel welcoming and approachable.
Dentsu's latest trends report, "Human Truths in the Algorithmic Era," takes a refreshingly different approach compared to typical industry reports that often feel like exercises in buzzword creation. Instead of focusing solely on what platforms are promoting, this report examines what people actually need from the media ecosystem. The creative team translated dentsu's well-known dot-and-line system into kinetic compositions that behave like signals moving across screens, platforms, and digital voids.
Each of the nine identified trends receives its own visual interpretation, all built from a consistent six-line structure that is both mathematical and expressive. Small visual gestures form the foundation for bigger conceptual ideas. In one macro trend called "We Are Social Animals," the lines wrap around the eyes, ears, and mouth of a silhouetted figure, suggesting how our senses shape human connection. Animation brings these concepts to life with simple, controlled motion that feels appropriately digital and coded. This trends report stands out for its considered visual approach, functioning as a cohesive system with something meaningful to say rather than a typical PDF with superficial design elements.
Thirst created an extraordinary ready-to-drink beverage design for Gold Bar Whiskey's Double Gold, developed in collaboration with NFL legend Joe Montana. When tasked with launching an RTD featuring the football icon, Thirst chose to lean fully into confident nostalgia rather than ironic kitsch, resulting in a gloriously bold design. Double Gold celebrates the 40th anniversary of the San Francisco 49ers' 1985 championship season and revives the visual swagger of that era.
Working closely with Gold Bar founder Elliott Gillespie, the studio reinterpreted an original 1980s Montana poster into a modern identity drenched in red and gold. The can design feels like authentic memorabilia that might be found framed in a bar along San Francisco's Embarcadero. Matt Burns, Thirst's founder, explained that "Double Gold captures a feeling, not just a flavor." The varsity jacket visual cues, metallic typography, and gold-on-gold layering all build a sense of optimism and pride that feels infectious rather than nostalgic for nostalgia's sake. The launch included landmark billboards throughout the Bay Area during NFL season, proving there remains strong appetite for design work that taps into genuine emotion rather than following trend cycles.
Cole AD's refreshed identity for Faith in Community Scotland represents the type of meaningful rebranding that prioritizes clarity and approachability over flashy presentation. The charity, which originally worked with Cole AD in 2008, needed a modernized look that remained true to its grassroots mission of tackling poverty and building stronger, fairer communities across Scotland. Designers Garry McCann and Daniel Sheridan created a visual identity that balances professionalism with genuine warmth.
The new design features a symbol that suggests unity and connection, supported by a fresh color palette and contemporary typography that feels friendly while maintaining authority. Director Iain Johnston noted that Cole AD "knows what matters to the communities we work with and to us – our trustees and staff feel the new brand represents us exceptionally well." This project serves as a reminder that impactful design doesn't always require dramatic gestures; sometimes the most meaningful work lies in thoughtful details, especially when the people it serves feel genuinely understood and represented.
