david CARSON
broke FREE from the rules of CLASSICAL I GRAPHIC DESIGN and tried things with fonts that had never been done ...– purposely distressing them and mixing styles.
of As art director , Ray Gun magazine he invented new typographical and s layout technique to create his distinctive look w and usher in a ne nt era of independe magazines
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david Carson is principal and chief designer of david Carson design, Inc. with offices in del mar,california and zurich switzerland. CarsongraduatedwithDiego “honors anddistinction”fromSan state university,wherehe received a BFA degreeinsociology.A former professional surfer,hewasranked #9in the world duringhiscollege days.
Carson graduated with “honors and distinction” from San Diego state university, where he received a BFA degree in sociology. A former professional surfer, he was ranked #9 in the world during his college days. Numerous groups including the New York Type Directors Club,American Center for Design and I.D. magazine have recognized his studio’s work with a wide range of clients in both the business and arts worlds. Carson and his work have been featured in over 180 magazine and newspaper articles around the world, including a feature in Newsweek magazine, and a front page article in the new york times . London-based Creative Review magazine dubbed Carson “Art Director of the Era.”
N The American Center for Design (Chicago) called his work on Ray Gun magazine “the most important work coming out of America.” His w ork on Beach Culture magazine won “Best Overall Design” and “Cover of the Year” from the Society of Publication Designers in New York.
Carson’s arson’s first first book, book, with with Carson’s first book, with Lewis ewis Blackwell, Blackwell, The The End End Lewis Blackwell, The End of f Print, Print, (forward (forward by by DaDaof Print, (forward by David id Byrne) Byrne) is is the the top top sellsellvid Byrne) is the top selling ng graphic graphic design design book book ing graphic design book of f all all time, time, selling selling over over of all time, selling over 200,000 00,000 copies, copies, and and printprint200,000 copies, and printed d in in 555 different different languages. languages. ed in different languages. The he work work featured featured in in The The End End The work featured in The End of f Print Print is is the the subject subject of of of Print is the subject of various arious one-man one-man exhibitions exhibitions various one-man exhibitions throughout hroughout Europe Europe and Latin Latin throughout Europe and and Latin America,Asia merica,Asia and and australia. australia. America,Asia and australia. Carson’s arson’s other other titles titles ininCarson’s other titles include lude 2nd 2nd Sight, Sight, Fotografiks Fotografiks clude 2nd Sight, Fotografiks (with with design design historian historian Philip Philip (with design historian Philip Meggs). eggs). He He has has two two recently recently Meggs). He has two recently released eleased books, books, TREK TREK and and The The released books, TREK and The Book ook of of Probes Probes with with Marshall Marshall Book of Probes with Marshall McLuhan. cLuhan. David David is is also also art art McLuhan. David is also art director irector for for the the Mcluhan Mcluhan esesdirector for the Mcluhan estate(“the ate(“the medium medium is is the the mesmestate(“the medium is the message”). age”). sage”). Carson arson lectures lectures extensively extensively Carson lectures extensively throughout hroughout the the world, world, as as well well throughout the world, as well as s at at colleges colleges throughout throughout the the as at colleges throughout the U.S., .S., including including Cranbrook, Cranbrook, U.S., including Cranbrook, ARTcenter, RTcenter, Notre Notre dame, dame, RISD RISD ARTcenter, Notre dame, RISD and nd Cal Cal Arts. Arts. he he has has had had nunuand Cal Arts. he has had numerous erous one one man man exhibitions exhibitions of of merous one man exhibitions of his is work work worldwide, worldwide, and and has has his work worldwide, and has spoken poken at at over over 100profession100professionspoken at over 100professional l symposiums, symposiums, including including “De“Deal symposiums, including “Designer igner As As Editor” Editor” at at the the DeDesigner As Editor” at the Design ign Institute Institute in in Amsterdam. Amsterdam. sign Institute in Amsterdam. He e teaches teaches aaa week week long long workworkHe teaches week long workshop hop at at the the school school of of visual visual shop at the school of visual arts rts in in nyc nyc each each summer. summer. arts in nyc each summer.
int, The End of Pr l, el kw ac Bl book s wi si Le de t book, with is the top selling graphic d ingn 5 Carson’s firs te e) vid Byrn , and prin 0,000 copies (forward by ,Da 20 er ov g in ll se in of all time work featured e Th s. ge ua ng la t differen
the f Print is an - TheEnd o ious one-m r a v f o t c subje out Europe h g u o r h t s and exhibition erica,Asia m A n i t a L and australia. Carson’s other titles include 2nd Sight, Fotografiks (with design historian Philip Meggs). He has two recently released books, TREK and The Book of Probes with Marshall McLuhan. David is also art director for the Mcluhan estate(“the medium is the message”).
Carson lectures extensively throughout the world, as well as at colleges throughout the U.S., including Cranbrook, ARTcenter, Notre dame, RISD and Cal Arts. he has had numerous one man exhibitions of his work worldwide, and has spoken at over 100 professional symposiums, including “Designer As Editor” at the Design Institute in Amsterdam. He teaches a week long workshop at the school of visual arts in nyc each summer.
The International Center for Photography (NY) singled out Carson as the “Designer of the Year” for his use of photography and design. Print Magazine proclaimed his work “Brilliant,” while USA Today described it as “visually stunning,” adding that his design of Ray Gun Magazine “may actually get young people reading again.”
David is featured in both “The History of Graphic Design” by Philip Meggs, as well as”The Encylopedia of Surfing” by Matt Warsaw. He designed a special issue of Surfing Magazine titled “Explorations” which came out in july of ’04. He also recently directed a television commercial for the progressive UMPQUA Bank in Seattle, Washington.
David’s work continues to be subjective and largely driven by intuition, with an emphasis on reading material before designing it, and experimenting with ways to communicate in a variety of mediums. Carson remains a hands on designer, keeping his studio small and mobile. chaotic spreads with overlapped photos and mixed and altered type fonts drew both admirers and detractors. Photographer Albert Watson, for example, declared, “He uses type the way a painter uses paint, to create emotion, to express ideas.”
Typography, a title published by Graphis magazine (NY), lists Carson as a “Master of Typography.” I.D. magazine chose Carson for their list of “America’s most innovative designers”. A feature in newsweek magazine said of carson “he changed the public face of graphic design”. The graphic design publication Emigre devoted an entire issue to Carson, the only American designer to be so honored in the magazine’s his- He has tory. And in April 2004, London based appeared creative review magazine calls David, in adver“the most famous graphic designer tisements on the planet”. David recently picked endorsing up 4 gold awards at the Charleston Apple Computers, SamADDY awards, including a “special sung monitors and various paper judges award” for “professionalism”. companies. Carson has art directed and designed In the past few years, Carson has Surfer, twSkateboarding, Snowboarding, Beach branched out into film and television Culture, and Ray Gun magazines. He has an extensive list of international clients: Nine Inch nails, to direct commercials and videos. He Toyota, mercedes benz, Bank of montreal, directed the launch commercials for LuMicrosoft, Quiksilver, Meg Ryan, Dacent technologies and teamed up with william vid Byrne, Bush, Pepsi, and Xerox. burroughs in Carson’s short film, “The End of Print”. He also collaborated with Harvard Business School professor John Kao on a documentary entitled “The Art and Discipline of Creativity.” David designed the worldwide branding campaign for Microsoft, as well as the worldwide advertising for Giorgio Armani (Milan).
Carson’s philosophy of design is exemplified in his work. There are no boundaries----none for images, none for text, and none for his imagination. The individual viewing the design does not necessarily need to come away with a complete understanding of what he or she is seeing. Perhaps he or she simply needs to be drawn to it out of curiosity, out of confusion, or even out of admiration. Carson sees the value of connecting with Generation X though his designs. Just as the boundaries are limitless, so are the possibilities in the mind of David Carson when it comes to his designs.
“His unique style has been called illegible. Rules of design are constantly and consistently broken in Carson’s work.”
In the November, 1999 edition of I.D.Magazine, Chip Kidd describes the technique Carson used in his book, Fotografiks, by writing, “...the images....are flung onto the pages like paint on a canvas that magically lands in just the right place.�
Carson is not afraid to use blurred images as in his photograph of a woman in a subway, the image of a baby with a red background, and in a shot from a Venetian water taxi. Likewise, he is often exuberant in his use of color and emotionalism in his work.
Examples that contain these elements include a design with a man in front of a building with a mural, the varied building colors in a photograph taken in South America, and his design with a girl twirling around to the camera.
Carson has a unique eye for symmetry. His photograph from a European hotel room is simplistic in its clean lines around the window that are complimented by the fencing outside the room. His design with a young boy holding up a fish finds symmetry though Carson’s use of the water theme.
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David Carson is considered by many to be one of the world’s most influential graphic designers. He describes himself as a “hands-on” designer and has a unique, intuition-driven way of creating everything from magazines to TV commercials. In addition to various awards and achievements for his graphic design and typography work, Carson has also written books on design, including The End of Print (with Lewis Blackwell), Trek: David Carson, Recent Werk, and the soon-to-be-released The Rules of Graphic Design. Graphis magazine referred to Carson as a “Master of Typography.” I.D. magazine included Carson in their list of “America’s most innovative desigers.”
In Newsweek magazine, a feature article said of Carson: “he changed the public face of graphic design.” Emigre, a graphic design journal that ran for 21 years up
until 2005, devoted an entire issue to Carson. His long list of clients includes American Express, AT&T, Atlantic Records, Budweiser, CNN, Levi’s, MTV, Sony, Toyota, Warner Bros., and Xerox, to name just a few. Carson travels throughout the United States and the world, speaking at seminars and conferences on topics of graphic design and typography. He also enjoys surfing and at one time was a professional surfer.
agrfer M n u S d signe ay Gu u rede founded R ing a o Y : s Layer 1991 and s redesign zine a e in azine l. How do it’s a mag rom l r e r e fe f as w wheth paign, dif ch? , m u medi rtising cam from scrat very ve thing s they are ho or ad some w ay g n i t me w determine o crea s n I es: m o n t e o s e hav t is th well- Car a u t h o s Y w u o o gh the m hic de- similar. nce is, and ortray thr ou f o e e p p i sy d ra on you the au u want to esign give elp tial g : As n s o e r d u e l y f d w n yo nh La and i world, ho you still sage A new , as you ca Gun . n n w g i o o es kn the ?D k Ray edom the d rs in k and play re fre age. I thin ual lano m signe r t y i o u vis ce w lang ke m a b ertain c. But rec balan urf often? s felt I ma ucky define the a h usi l s y g ablis get to : I’ve alwa by, so I’m cLu- helped est ternative m somethin l b n g a M o nd r so h tin ll lit- Car from my arsha lved in guage fo or inven hallenges a g a M s s u l A , l invo eir c s lon ning living respect. you te totally work, it’s desig oth have th joy both. A t a could k? e r h the , ’ t d u i r o n v f b o i oo if y w, I en nge on in n, s i b e : Da , t o s e l n d d l u i r w l n u a e o e o a s R y s is n La an ur n t he king o r. rewards, k for the ed T rking on i h mething, it .” out yo e wor ormuwinte o r o y a l r tle ab : It’s call e e u o o r u I v s o w e y y yo df isu re n n. I’m rland, whe e “play or le Caribbean break in m as icular thing edetermine run out g i Carso s e the ic D surf part y on itze e pr oint ever Graph Zurich, Sw , besides m f the I surf in perfect p e Internet mot som you will n n d n h a o t o o a n , i ll is c now i small stud show a lot past There’s . I watch ystem rd a swe tish West la or s . a ll e a i y h n e t w e v t t h a r I n i s h e . w - fro the Br states ne ov and of idea e sug , and in the rk I’ve do as the titl les” reports d down to cial place wo “ru ill, spe hea new and w he official ld be ing, I It’s a very , n s r a t e u desig rge. a dies. a few y inally get ign. It sho n h I c g r e n f er s creati r, article, o lps m n gests, graphic de 8. e e h n h e o v s o t 0 co ed n : W azine w of the m ld out o ly spring 20 ver attend and, Layers g a m e r Ie as a shou itzerl re a f out ea workshop in Sw affected such te, what a a designer s t s a r i w f i be My ebs ign ngs hat doubt ic des in the w portant thi nce, w e, graph ook will no started it e. e m i i d u I b er . ea er? uag so the eing here finished th consid : Who is th visual lang ing? b e y n b s e l o m ’ l i ys e ce by Cars nd it w udien gs are the and rea a s t e a t sta is th pe of thin icate en or ty mmun o ritt c what u yo t is w and out n a a h c w How ally ou st rticucan y e visu inforc , and how n in that pa n io spoke e competit h t m fro ld? lar fie
Layers: I remember attending a seminar when you spoke at a local school here in Central Florida years ago, and you told us a story about where you had the text in a magazine article covered up or unreadable, but the layout was spectacular. Do you have any other humorous or quirky stories of editors getting mad that your layout caused the article to be unreadable? Carson: You might be referring to the article I set in the font Dingbat, largely because I found the article very boring. To start designing, I have to read the article, or brief it or listen to the music, to see where it takes me visually and emotionally. It was [a] bit funny, maybe, that at Ray Gun some of the writers complained early that their articles were hard to read. But then by the 30th issue, the same writers would complain if they thought their articles were too easy to read! The layout came to signal something worthwhile to read, so the writers came to look forward to see how their words were interpreted.
t you d tha an. i a s oce ave me h ed by the o S : c s u find Layer vily influen ere do yo hen h w ea are h true, and w nspiration i t Is tha ources of s ys insign? ment alwa hoother e d a ng on king p creati : My envir ays ta see and w l n a o s Car . I’m s I es me lieve thing work. Not fluenc e b ce the shape nd I tos a nce influen ly in some ters. is ct ie exper but indire g that reg big n , i a y l h t t d c e e lay om dire ays p to say exr or s o w l l o a c or has rds s hard cean but it’ e is in rega g , The o e f i l my nnin uenc part in at that infl always sca sure h m d I’m actly w ork. But I’ in, an w m ’ I e t h t n e to vironm ork. at de the en up in the w portant th ork. w m s it end it’s really i es into the und, v l o k r e I thin put thems our backg d if s y r es, an ur has c signe n e s e l i r e yo xpe ne No o ing, life e f that into ou’ll o g y upbrin put a bit ll happen: ll do i n a w u c o y ’ gs you o thin more, and e don’t w t , k wor ork ise, w the w e can therw enjoy st work. O rs—anyon n to e ar ne your b eed desig ams and le n r really same prog ” design. fe e a h t s , y bu ble a n o s a do “re
out nched ideo a r b nd v have : You elevision a s of print s r e y t ct La g t aspe irectin direct into d rcials. Wha use when on e o comm do you als ften focus ? o n f u o it desig o? Do yo r part irect o j e a d i m to d ing v phy as a asked e plays ra n g e o t f p o y y t t p n: I’m re the ometimes Carso rcials whe s e ork. , and comm ortant role peoples’ w rint: p r r to p an im pe to othe simila the e l y y p r t e m d v a is t is I ad an ex yed oach ence, wha feeling e r v p i p g a o j My the audi u en ld you is the he spot, or t from : Cou ject that yo do you or s o r h e w y t g ro La e of o e re ting otion e viewer t ually can w ideo p hat softwa a v e m r e a c f h n o s t i e W t v h n w a obe ing? se w we w g, and ho direct sociates u include Ad n i n? h e s c y t p a e wa th hap o t your d a h d t , an ely make these fects? is hug s I work s t f c E e f l r Afte er Ef mmercia d n: Aft o we di Layers: Finally, what advice would Carso nt in the c gine how — w o a ta kn you have for other graphic designimpor hard to im actually I suites l, ’s ve i ers just starting out? s n e on. It efore. Wel ry exp b Ange Carson: Do what you love, trust them them in ve ses in Los u d ome your gut, your instincts, and intuwe di editing ho I just did s s stwa rk! t o i ition. And remember the definition Y d in po n w d Ne ars, a ects. of a good job: If you could afford les an r Saturn c h After Eff ion it fo ot to, if money wasn’t an issue, would work all done w tool for m t st you do the same work? If you almos rly the be al ea merci nd would, you’ve got a great job! If you m It’s cl s. o c eco ic ight wouldn’t, what’s the point? You’re graph ed an in-fl es—a 90-s , ct Airlin very much g going to be dead a long time. So I dire n a c i n er ed ecti for Am hat I enjoy tors to sel h find that thing, whatever it is, that t c it spot— sting the a ome fun w rcial you love doing, and enjoy going to s e ca aving e a comm r the from work for, and not watch the clock or h o t fo ad ge foota e. I also m nch Nails wait for weekends and holidays. h c n I p au the ty band Nine and the l ich , s h e for th usic award ologies, w l, a n m h e c n V e ge r MT nt T n I e . c s u t L o ng f ing o pe-only sp ward movi s y y t o were wn more t ut I’ll alwa s a b a r I’m d and type, gh “print h s u image t, even tho in do pr ” . ended
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Carson’s first book, with Lewis Blackwell, The End of Print, (forward by David Byrne) is the top selling graphic design book of all time, selling over 200,000 copies, and printed in 5 different languages.The work featured in The End of Print is the subject of various one-man exhibitions throughout Europe and Latin America,Asia and australia. Carson’s other titles include 2nd Sight, Fotografiks (with design historian Philip Meggs). He has two recently released books, TREK and The Book of Probes with Marshall McLuhan. David is also art director for the Mcluhan estate(“the medium is the message”).
Carson lectures extensively throughout the world, as well as at colleges throughout the U.S., including Cranbrook, ARTcenter, Notre dame, RISD and Cal Arts. he has had numerous one man exhibitions of his work worldwide, and has spoken at over 100professional symposiums, including “Designer As Editor” at the Design Institute in Amsterdam. He teaches a week long workshop at the school of visual arts in nyc each summer.
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“David Carson continues to become one of the world’s most distinctive typographic voices .. much imitated, but never match” Ellen Lupton, ID Mag. Nyc
RayGun for iPad
Audi Exploration 2013
davids wall design for Ace hotel, portland, jan.2014
BOSE 30
david spoke to a sold out crowd at the new york type directs club, april 23,2014.
design +surfer:dc foto ola, april 2013.
david carson + kelly slater discuss fin placement. biarritz, france.
david carson + Carl Ekstrom
Buzz Poole on David Carson’s experimental typography, its continuing relevance, its wider cultural importance, and how Marshall McLuhan predicted it all. july 20,2012 What David Carson committed himself to was reading culture as it existed in technological frameworks that altered visual communication and short-circuited longstanding traditions of design and typography in order to fuse them to new and indifferent mediums that were no less effective in making their points.
quiksilver pro france
The Magazine Factory london 2013 new logo design, latin america.2013/
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The characteristic of using of layers in the cover also adds to the chaos and makes it more difficult to really understand what is being communicated;
at e elements th th ll a g in k a ,m is, that is toe el to the piece e th f o g d in to y if y n it u il b add a very se of his a ble whole, that I believ s u e a o c e d b it , is r e It v . e elate how nd sta ess and harsh ssembled coernrts into an organized a a tn c ly a m tr o s d b a n a is r .H seem r chaotic elem g and fun rs in the world in e ir n p ig s s e in d ly t s bring togethe u te tr re rea designs that a is one of the g n te o a s e r r a c C r u id lo v o a c D nd xtures, type a te in ts to view. s a tr n co
All rights reserved. Copyright Š 2014 by Aryo First Edition, 2014 Published in the Indonesia