Background

David Carson is a renowned graphic designer and art director whose unconventional style revolutionized visual communication in the 1990s. He was born September 8, 1954 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Despite many accomplishments and awards for his art, Carson did not originally pursue a career in graphic design and in fact it was not until the age of 26 that graphic design really caught his interest. He initially studied Sociology at San Diego State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduating he taught for several years at a Californian high-school and in his early life he was also a very accomplished professional surfer who ranked in the top 10 best surfers in the world, in 1989. It was not until he took a two-week summer workshop at the University of Arizona on graphic design that he really learned anything on the subject. In this discovery he claims to have found something he was passionate about and from there he made the decision to pursue it, without a second thought.

Image Source

Design Philosophy

From his perspective he considers graphic design to be something that never felt like work, but rather a hobby he can make a living from. That being said Carson has never had any formal training in graphic design, a fact that plays a large role in his approach to design. His work is famous for its unique approach to type and refusal to adhere to traditional layout systems. His approach could be described as experimental, intuitive, personal, and open-minded. With no background in design he claims that just doing what feels right is what works for him. He believes that his background in sociology may be what allows him to make work that connects with people on an emotional level. Making work that can connect with people so personally is what he believes to be the most effective and lasting way to design. He believes his strongest skill is his ability to speak visually and emotionally to a wide variety of audiences and topics; he also credits these traits with why so many big name companies want to hire him. Creating such unique work, Carson has a very hit or miss effect with audiences. What calls certain people in is exactly what repels others. Generally, younger crowds have been known to appreciate his style more so than other, more conservative generations of people. This radical, bold, and innovative style of visual communication was found to be fascinating by younger readers and this led large corporations to hire Carson for brand advertisements via print and electronic mediums. His work is specifically known for its chaotic typography, photos and text overlapping each other, and high amounts of contrast. To some his pieces may seem meaningless on a surface level but its about taking in the larger picture.

Design Experience

In his early days as a designer Carson worked for several magazines. He began as a designer with the magazine, Self and Musician where he covered surfers’ interests, a subject he was very familiar with. He also worked for Transworld Skateboarding magazine. In 1989 he got a job as art director for Beach Culture magazine. The magazine only lasted six issues but in that short window of time the work he created there won him over 150 design awards. Shortly after, in 1992, Carson caught the attention of Marvin Scott Jarrett the publisher of the magazine Ray Gun. Jarrett saw great potential in Carson’s work and offered him a job with Ray Gun. Carson’s work with said magazine was usually radical and bold and many of his design choices were so far out there people didn’t know how to react, it was something that had never been done before, the way he would lay out spreads in this magazine. With the changes Carson brought, the magazine’s circulation triples as his design choices greatly intrigued young readers. From there Carson began catching the attention of much larger corporations. This prompted Carson to quit Ray Gun in 1995 and establish his own firm, David Carson Design. With his own company Carson began designing for companies such as Nike, Pepsi Cola, Ray Bans, Levi Strauss, etc.

Works Cited

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "David Carson." Encyclopedia Britannica, September 4, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Carson.

Designboom. Designboom.https://www.designboom.com/design/interview-with-graphic-designer-david-carson-09-22-2013/.

Famous Graphic Designers. Famous Graphic Designers.https://www.famousgraphicdesigners.org/david-carson.