Active Theory Wins Oct 5 SOTD With Santioni Spirits
Los Angeles-based interactive studio Active Theory claimed Awwwards' Site of the Day on October 5, 2026 for their work on Santioni Spirits. Active Theory is one of Awwwards' most decorated PRO studios, having earned multiple Sites of the Day and a Site of the Month across recent years — a track record that marks their technical and creative bar as among the highest in interactive web design. The Santioni Spirits site joins a week of standout Awwwards picks that demonstrate a clear industry momentum toward immersive, experience-first digital design.
DRZZL's Neon Typography Declares War on Olive Oil Heritage
London agency Derek&Eric, with custom lettering from typography firm Studio Drama, has designed the brand identity for DRZZL — a new single-source olive oil aimed at young home cooks, launched by Natalia Rudin, creator of the 1.6 million-follower Instagram account Nats Nourishments. Packaged in ergonomic squeeze bottles, the product drops traditional anti-design trends in favour of stacked lettering and an energetic palette of dark green, orange and yellow. "Olive oil has become a seriously crowded category, with lots of brands using the same visual ingredients," said creative partner Adam Swan. "We stripped everything back and let the simple pleasure of drizzling great olive oil inspire the entire identity."
Pentagram's Jody Hudson-Powell: Build an Identity With a Narrative Universe
Pentagram partners Luke Powell and Jody Hudson-Powell have revealed their rebrand of Xsolla — the biggest gaming infrastructure company most people have never heard of — building the identity around a concept called "the Xsolla Archive," a liminal space where all gaming artefacts are stored. "We used a skeuomorphic technique to invoke a sense of dimensionality and space in the assets we created. For example, if items in the Xsolla Archive are narratively placed in glass boxes: when you see these items in a 2D UI grid, the grid is made to look like the glass boxes. The narrative of the space is maintained as much as possible," says Jody. The mascot, named Sol, had an animation palette that felt closer to a behavioural UI — visually functional and endearing, without being annoying.
Hachette Opens Free Publishing Design Festival — Apply by Oct 16
On 24 November, Hachette UK will host its second free design festival at its London headquarters, aimed at designers from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds. The event targets UK residents aged 18 and over. To ensure finance is not an obstacle, Hachette will pay travel expenses for attendees and provide lunch — a practical measure in a sector where travel costs routinely exclude talent outside the capital. Attendees will take part in creative workshops, learn how art directors evaluate portfolio submissions, and see how cover designs move from initial concepts to bookshop shelves. Applications close on 16 October.
ManvsMachine Speaks Live Tomorrow — Get a Free Education Tonight
It's Nice That's Nicer Tuesdays returns to Earth Hackney in London on Tuesday 6 October 2026, with a lineup featuring ManvsMachine, Silvana Trevale, and Luci Pina. ManvsMachine is one of the world's most award-decorated motion design studios, known for work with Apple, Adidas, and global brand campaigns at the highest level — they meet the expert credibility bar decisively. Nicer Tuesdays is a global event from It's Nice That: an evening of talks where speakers from across the creative sphere share insights from landmark projects — fun, candid, and ever-eclectic.
You’re done for today!
5 stories · under 10 minutes. See you tomorrow.
TODAY’S THREADEvery story today collapses the same distance: between the **insider** and the **outsider**. Pentagram makes a gaming giant legible. Derek&Eric drags olive oil out of museum glass. Hachette literally pays your train fare to the industry. Active Theory and ManvsMachine put their best work in public view and invite you to study it. The tools and the access have never been more available — the only remaining variable is whether you show up and do the work.