cAn
david carsOn
be
cONsidered
the paganiNI
of
graphic designers?
David Carson redefined the rules of visual communication and design culture, much like Paganini’s techniques in classical performance over a century prior. Carson was a highly influential designer in the late 1980’s and 1990’s, who is best known for his “grunge” style that breaks away from the traditional regulations of graphic design. His work is the ultimate symbol of experimentation which can be accredited in the regeneration of young designers’ interest in the medium. He perfectly captures the need for revolution during that time in his own words, “Graphic design is a visual language. And like any language, it needs to be constantly evolving and changing to remain relevant.
David Carson can be described as “The Godfather of Grunge.” A quick search on Google Images can tell you why he has received this nickname. He was born in Texas in 1954 and moved to Florida in his formative years. Before his success in Graphic Design, he was a passionate surfer, where he was ranked 8th best surfer worldwide in 1989. He would maintain his affection for the sport throughout his life, so much so that he started his career off of it. Despite his accomplishments in the world of design, he came to the subject of graphic design later in life. He initially earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from San Diego State University and went on to be a high-school teacher in California. At the age of 26 he decided a change in employment was calling him and he landed a job at Transworld Skateboarding Magazine designing covers and layouts. He admitted to feeling a bit underprepared for the role as his design experience had been limited to a two-week long course a couple of years prior. When asked about his role in the skateboarding magazine, he regarded his time in the company as his education in art and design. His work in Transworld Skateboarding advanced into Transworld Snowboarding Magazine which allowed him to gain enough experience to progress into a job as an art director for Surfer Magazine. This was the beginning of his rise into fame as a designer.
Life and Work
In 1994, Ed Fella wrote a letter to Carson comparing him to Niccolo Paganini, the
groundbreaking
musical composer. Through study of Carson’s life, work and criticism, there are evident
parallels
between him and the innovation of the 19th century musician. This proves that great
change and
breaking boundaries does not come without disapproval. His originality and constant
exploration
continue to impact the practices of modern graphic
designers.
The surfing media scene at the time was a conservative one. The height of dynamic graphics was an illustration of a wave. With the arrival of David Carson in the new magazine which overtook Surfer Magazine, Beach Culture, the surfing community was struck with radical change. This move was not a spur of the moment decision by the director however, David was a professional surfer and working on a magazine based on a sub-culture that he knew inside and out. He acknowledged that the culture of this time was aligned with mainstream print media and did not coincide with the ideals and aesthetics of many of the readers. He brought unconventional imagery to the magazine and his signature bold approach to typography and layouts. He bridged the gap between the board sports print, surfing lacking behind skateboarding and snowboarding print design. Despite Beach Culture only having six issues, Carson received over 150 design awards.
After the conclusion of Beach Culture, Carson landed a job at Ray Gun, a magazine focused on promoting alternative music. These editorial pieces allowed Carson to truly engage with his personal style, chaotic, abstract, and visually noisy style, making it deliberately challenging to read. This does not mean it did not convey the intended message; transmission does not rely on typography; “Just because something’s legible doesn’t mean it communicates the right thing. What is the message sent before somebody actually gets into the material.”
After setting up his own firm, “David Carson Design,” even large corporations wanted a “David Carson rebrand,” such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and Nike. He continues to advance in his field and has received copious amounts of recognition as an influential designer. He is the most
carsOn's
work Is
thE
defiNitiOn
of
searched graphic designer on google and has claimed to have “Changed the face of graphic design” by Newsweek. Complex.com listed him in the top thirty most influential designers of all time, and was one of three graphic designers on that list. He is currently lecturing his ideas worldwide in design workshops and actively creating more work to show designers his own methods of ideating and creation.
peRsonaL
sTYle
Carson’s work is the definition of personal style. He had very little education
in design so observed the techniques used in the pop culture that he enjoyed.
This allowed him to discover his eclectic style. The consistent elements of his
work are chaotic and unstructured typography, large and bold photographs, a lack
of a grid, and layering of gritty material. Many of his pieces can be described
as a grainy collage. Each artwork seems like a different style to the last because
Carson does not follow guides or rules. The only rule that he adheres to is
that he follows none, resulting in pure disorder guided by his own intuition. “His
work sought to reconnect with audiences for whom print had failed in its emotional range,
and as a result had often failed to engage readers at all.”
As humans, we are inclined to resist change. From an evolutionary standpoint, it may be
down to the fact that it was too dangerous to leave familiar places. This can be the
answer as to why Carson received such strong criticism to his work. He was accused of
having illegible designs and no style, and on the other end of the spectrum, using
style to hide the absence of a concept. Standing with his work and process, he argued
that creativity and emotional response is far more valuable than rule following and
lackluster communication. His famous quote, "Don’t confuse legibility with communication,"
further reflects his belief that design travels beyond simplicity.
Paganini was a gifted musician and considered the greatest violinist of all time.
He was so talented at his craft that he was accused of selling his soul to the devil.
There is a vivid likeness between Paganini and Carson’s ability to push boundaries.
throughout Paganini’s career he invented
numerous techniques for the violin which
rebelled
against the rules of the guarded music
scene of
that
time.
He was the first to implement showmanship into his performances such as tricks like severing strings and finishing his piece on the remaining ones. His work undoubtedly became the first of its kind and many artists began to imitate his work.
Carson also made the conscious choice to betray the academic rules of graphic design, maybe an effect of his lack of formal education. He made mistakes and ignored the conventional methods, such as organised type with correct spacing. But without rule breaking we will never see development. Both artists paved created media unseen before their time which valued emotion over function.
In both of their endeavours, there is an imposing question if their work is intended for solely those with elite status. Paganini’s work was so complicated that it could only be understood by those who understood musical techniques, and at that time that was recognised by the people of high society.
In a similar vein, Carson’s work appealed to a niche collection of people with an interest in avant-gardism, something the common man would be too busy to look into. The everyday person often found his layouts and layering very difficult to dissect. So not only were their audiences majorly composed of “elite” status people, it was also something that they were both shamed for appealing to.
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COnclusion
COnclusion
Critics of Paganini claim that he uses flashy techniques to hide his mediocre composing abilities. This is extremely reminiscent of critics discussing Carson’s style. Their work was so out of the norm that they both accumulated a broken audience.
You either love or hate Paganini’s work, and the same can be said for Carson. Carson was such a big target for abuse because he was creating a movement that ignored fear of development that would inspire a new generation.
So, can Carson be considered the Paganini of graphic design? Undoubtedly yes. There are stark parallels between both their careers, particularly the fact that they were one of the few rule breakers of their time.
Carson found new ways of engaging with type and image that was not seen before in print. His style was informed by his interests outside the design world, which made his work and style so unique. The constant experimentation with bold colour and forms allowed for him to receive recognition from successful brands such as Microsoft and Levi’s and in turn, progress as a brand designer.
Paganini and Carson also shared the trait that their work did not suit a large audience. As a result, they received harsh criticism from both their audience and the media. While Carson’s work remains divisive, it has undeniably influenced modern graphic design. Graphic designers today realise that you can stray from the rules and still create a piece that conveys their intended message, maybe even more so than taking the conventional path.
Bibliography
Carson, D. and Blackwell, L. (2000). The end of print : the graphik design of David Carson. London: Laurence King.
Carson, D. (n.d.). David Carson : 2nd sight : grafik design after the end of print. New York: Universe.
Carson, D. (2003). Trek : David Carson, recent work. Corte Madera, Ca: Gingko Press.
www.youtube.com. (n.d.). David Carson Teaches Graphic Design | Official Trailer | MasterClass. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJgvgD-vjIc.
Adobe UK (2023). Live with David Carson at OFFF 2023. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1UmVNdrzx0
www.youtube.com. (n.d.). David Carson On Typography, Graphic Design And How Not To Lose Passion With Experience. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdDiN2R1mLw.
Carson, D. (2009). Design and discovery. [online] www.ted.com. Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/david_carson_design_and_discovery?subtitle=en.
Carson, D. (2023). david carson design. [online] www.davidcarsondesign.com. Available at: https://www.davidcarsondesign.com/.
Carson, D. (n.d.). Work | david carson design. [online] www.davidcarsondesign.com. Available at: https://www.davidcarsondesign.com/t/work/.
C-Skins. (n.d.). David Carson – The Designer Who Transcended Surf Culture. [online] Available at: https://c-skins.com/blogs/news/david-carson-the-designer-who-transcended-surf-culture.
Stab (2018). How To Design Your Way Out Of Mediocrity. [online] Stab Mag. Available at: https://stabmag.com/style/how-to-design-your-way-out-of-mediocrity/
LizzyB (2021). Legibility. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@lizzybdesign/legibility-4b180cb61154.
de Lange, S. (2021). The evolution of graphic design craft — An interview with David Carson. [online] Medium. Available at: https://shanedelange.medium.com/the-evolution-of-graphic-design-craft-an-interview-with-david-carson-e0094c736e52.