David Carson is an American graphic designer born in 1954 known for pioneering unconventional typographic designs. He became renowned in the 1990s for his innovative magazine and book designs that broke traditional type conventions. Carson has designed for major corporate clients and published several influential books on design. He is considered one of the most influential graphic designers and helped popularize experimental typography.

1. David Carson - the most famous
graphic designer on the planet
“You have to utilize who you are in your
work. Nobody else can do that: nobody else
can pull from your background, from your
parents, your upbringing, your whole life
experience.”

2. Biology
- Carson was born on September 8, 1954 in Corpus Christi, Texas.
- he has lived in and traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe
and lectured frequently around the world.
- Carson's first actual contact with graphic design was made in 1980 at the
University of Arizona on a two week graphics course, taught by Jackson
Boelts.
- He became renowned for his inventive graphics in the 1990s.
- In the later 1990s he added corporate clients to his list of clients, including
Microsoft, Armani, Nike, Levi's, British Airways, Quiksilver, Sony, Pepsi,
Citibank, Yale University, Toyota and many others. When Graphic Design
USA Magazine (NYC) listed the “most influential graphic designers of the
era” David was listed as one of the all time 5 most influential designers,
with Milton Glaser, Paul Rand, Saul Bass and Massimo Vignelli.

3. Publications
- November 1995, Carson published his first book the End of Print - it sold over
200,000 copies in five different languages and soon became the best-selling
graphic design book worldwide
- 1997, his second book, 2nd Sight. It is said that this book simply changed the
public face of graphic design (Newsweek)
- 1998, Carson worked with Professor John Kao of the Harvard Business School
on a documentary entitled "The Art and Discipline of Creativity"
- 1999, Carson published his third book, Fotografiks which earned Carson the
Award of Best Use of Photography in Graphic Design.
- 2000, Carson’s fourth book, Trek, was released.
- Carson is also featured in The History of Graphic Design byPhilip
Meggs and The Encyclopedia of Surfing by Matt Warshaw

4. Recognitions
Today his studio’s work has been recognized the New York Type Directors
Club, the American Center for Design and I.D. to name but a few.
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.
During the period of 1989–2004, David Carson has won over 170 Awards for
his work in graphic design. Some of these awards include:
• Best Overall Design, Society of Publication Designers in New York.
• Cover of the Year, Society of Publication Designers in New York.
• Award of Best Use of Photography in Graphic Design
• Designer of the Year 1998/99, International Center of Photography
• The most famous graphic designer on the planet, April 2004 - London
Creative Review magazine (London)

5. Works
David Carson's boundary-breaking typography in the 1990s, in Ray
Gun magazine and other pop-cult books, ushered in a new vision of type and
page design -- quite simply, breaking the traditional mold of type on a
page and demanding fresh eyes from the reader.
Squishing, smashing, slanting and enchanting the words on a layout, Carson
made the point, over and over, that letters on a page are art.
You can see the repercussions of his work to this day, on a million Flash intro
pages (and probably just as many skateboards and T-shirts).
PRINT – BRANDING – BOOK – MAGAZINE – MUSIC – LOGO – VIDEO

6. For Quicksilver Pro NY
Design Armani magazine/catalogue

7. Cover for the Yale University Art Gallery Fall 2012 program

8. Master Card werk

9. Cover Design for
Surfin Rico
Design D.C fall 2010

10. Carson design for Quicksilver