DON't
CONFUSE BREAKERS
THE RULE
T H E S CA R L E T L ET T E RTYP E M
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FOR A
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DAV I D
CARSON
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COMMU-
In our new series, we are looking at a specific type of thinkers. These are the designers
that saw the rules and turned around and said, “fuck that” and created things that hadn’t been seen before. They challenged the norms of their time and in turn, were praised for producing innovative works that changed the course of design. They are visionaries.
They are the forbearers of new thought.
They are the rule breakers.
Can
Having no formal training has not slowed or hindered Carson in any way. His sociological way of thinking represented a more humanist approach to editorial design. Interested more in the stories, people, events, or music. Aiming to represent what is heard, written, spoken, or sung in his design explains the sometimes chaotic, envelope pushing layouts that have come to be known as the signature look of Carson’s work
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DAVID CARSON
Playing by my rules
you break the rules if you’ve never learned them? That’s the question when looking at the work of acclaimed designer David Carson. His journey from teaching sociology in a Californian High School to the fame of ‘Ray Gun’ magazine and breaking the top 10 in world surfing is nothing short of spectacular. At 26, Carson attended a 2-week workshop at the University of Arizona under the tutelage Jackson Boelts. It was likely that this ‘late start’ was integral to his successful career that seemed to radiate around counter-cultural ideology.
Sociology is the scientific study of society, including patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture.
As a result I didn’t know any of the various schools of thought, or
main players,
and had never heard of grids. I just did what made sense to me, and later people I didn’t have the started saying I was breaking rules I never knew existed.
traditional four years at uni learning all the things I wasn’t supposed to
I remember reading somewhere what I did was called deconstructionism,
and thinking, ummm, so that’s what I’m doing. -Carson in the Australian
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Having no formal training has not slowed or hindered Carson in any way. His sociological way of thinking represented a more humanist approach to editorial design. Interested more in the stories, people, events, or music. Aiming to represent what is heard, written, spoken, or sung in his design explains the sometimes chaotic, envelope pushing layouts that have come to be known as the signature look of Carson’s work. The RAY GUN article on Bryan Ferry set in Dinbats by Carson
Carson’s most known work comes from the publication ‘Ray-Gun”, the alternative rock and roll magazine known for its focus on artists that were ‘ahead of the curve’. Although it received more than its fair share of criticisms, most commonly because of its tendency to be unreadable. Carson famously set an entire article in the Dingbat font, an entirely image based typeface because he wasn’t a fan of the content.
In similar fashion to Brody, Carson worked on a NIKE Air campaign with a ece like a , even in a communicative pi gly in t es er t In . pe Ty on us heavy foc d little more than an abstract large brand advertisement, Carson use
tisi ithesis of what large format adver
ng
Carson for the “NIKE AIR” Campaign
arrangement of the text. It’s the ant of the quotes should be. The attraction being the obvious interpretationllb oard series. bi g n catchi eey an ce u od pr to c words and focus on specifi an, e worked cle there was no hint of a grid. Even when h
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Reviewing a lot of Carson’s work would suggest that he just has no respect for grid methodology or any of the modernist sensitivities commonly applied to layouts. This is most evident in an article titled ‘Mixed Messages’ from the Beach Culture magazine. At first glance the body is presented in such a way that a reader would need to turn the page sideways to read it. This was not only an intentional grab at attention, but in fact a visual representation of a very real perspective.
Carson with Designboom.com - I
felt the title mixed messages should be CARSON - “Mixed Messages” (RAYGUN) mixed up. this was a result from printing out the title page in 4 pages, as it was the largest I could get on my printer at that time, then laying them out to cut and tape them together. but stopping midway through the process, I realized there was something nice happening with the 4 single pages laying on my studio floor, as they were – so I used them in that way. It would be unfair to write Carson off as a purely anarchist type arranger, nor as an uneducated designer with no understanding of legibility and ease of communication. He’s a seer of sorts. Someone who interprets visually whatever he reads or hears. This is hardly a flaw in a designer and presents a visually engaging alternative to the norm.
I think Carson says it best himself;
“Use your eyes, not the rules.” CARSON - “INDIEpendants DAY” (RAYGUN)
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