Creative Boom's Mascot Eyes Get Time-Zone-Aware Makeover by Dan Silverstone

Creative Boom has updated its mascot, the eyes, to react to the viewer's time zone and cursor, with new animations by motion designer Dan Silverstone. The eyes were originally designed by Samantha Wilkinson in 2017 as part of a rebrand. The new site, launched last month, allows for these dynamic features. The eyes will change based on time of day, showing sleepy, hungover, or other states, and will also respond to seasons and events like Halloween and Valentine's Day. The mascot was first introduced nearly 10 years ago and has become a key part of the brand. Dan Silverstone, founder of Pica, previously created motion stickers for Instagram and has worked with Google, Nike, Penguin, Design Museum, and Deloitte. The new animations include states like sleepy, hungover, funny, evil, creepy, tired, on deadline, judgy, and in love. The eyes will not react to political events. The rollout will happen over the next few weeks and months. The 2017 identity was a turning point for Creative Boom, shifting from grassroots to a serious publisher. Nine Sixty, a Manchester-based agency, helped evolve the brand in 2021, and Jane Bowyer provided illustrations. Samantha Wilkinson is now design director at Edit Brand Studio in Manchester.