David Carson

From his centre of operations in Zurich, David Carson oversees the design empire of David Carson Design, Inc. Its client list stretches from behemoths like American Airlines all the way to skate-culture title Transworld SKATEboarding. And he's not just a design giant: he was once the ninth-greatest surfer in the world...

CA: Given your reputation for breaking conventions, The Rules of Graphic Design seems like an odd title for your new book. What exactly does the book explore and what prompted you to write it?
DC:
People thought The End of Print was an odd title, too. It just seemed time for a book addressing all the rules of graphic design - the good and bad, the old and the new. I've certainly heard a lot on the subject over the years... We all have rules, whether they are self-imposed or otherwise, and this book takes a look at both. I asked people to send me their own personal rules and got some great responses, many of which appear in the book. Some folks have illustrated or designed their answers as well.

I appreciate anyone who is trying something different and speaking in their own unique voice. Design work needs to be personal and subjective to be of interest and value. Anyone can buy the same software and do a reasonable newsletter or business card. But no one can pull from your unique background - upbringing, parents, life experiences and all that. That's where the really interesting work comes from; also it's the most rewarding and fun work to do.

CA: Type plays a slightly lesser role in your current work than it did in the early 1990s. Have you lost your passion for it?
DC:
Hopefully my work evolves, though the basic approach remains the same - to interpret the emotion or tone of a piece through the design. I've always been very involved in photography, and the type placement always interacts with some aspect of the photography or art. The newer work gives equal or top billing to the photography or art. It's amazing how quickly some of the 'cool' fonts became so dated and unusable.

CA: Does your background in sociology have an influence on your design work?
DC:
I'm interested in the viewer's response. I'm very curious about who the audience is and how best to speak to that group. I was drawn to editorial work early on because it was much more interesting for me to read a real story, about a real person or event, and try to interpret that, as opposed to redesigning a soap container. So, it may not directly affect the outcome of the work, but my interest and degree in sociology steers me towards certain types of work.

CA: When working on a long-term project, like art-directing a magazine, when do you know it's time to move on?
DC:
When it no longer consumes you, it's time to move on.

CA: Your recent work, for example the Quicksilver campaign, could be described as more beautiful compared with your earlier work, especially in terms of colour harmony. Was this a natural transition for you or was it something you intentionally aimed for, given the types of client you now work with?
DC:
The answer to any design problem is always within the project itself: who's the audience; what's the message; what has the client done recently; where will the work be seen or read. All these considerations should send you in some direction. With the Quicksilver work, I saw the problem as standing out among zillions of colour photographs in a very crowded surf magazine environment. So I chose to examine some extreme cropping that forced the viewer to look at the image in a new way - to hopefully stop at the ad and spend a little time sorting it out.

On another level, it also sends a good message about the company - that they try new things, that they are progressive or whatever. Hopefully people feel the product is of the same attitude - unique; leading not following. Design can help send the message the product is good, without having to come out and say 'The product is good.'

CA: You're back working with Quark. Do you think contemporary designers depend too heavily on the abilities of their software packages?
DC:
Absolutely. I work in basically one program, Quark. It's not about having and knowing all the latest gimmicks and photo tricks. Good design comes from the most basic decisions - cropping, font choice, the overall design. If you haven't got the eye, no program will give it to you.

It's partly why we see so many solid, well-designed magazines today, but almost none that stand out. Designers get lazy and let whoever made their software make decisions for them. Your computer shouldn't tell you the proper distance between columns of type - you need to be making those decisions. Get that title, subtitle and byline out of the same box!

CA: What are your thoughts on the design lecture circuit that's grown over the last few years? It seems that some designers are too busy giving lectures to produce new work.
DC:
If the lectures inspire people to go out and do some great work, or something new they wouldn't have thought of or tried before, then yes, lectures can definitely be a good thing.

CA: Where's the best surf found?
DC:
In my front yard in the British Virgin Islands, on the island of Tortola. Seriously!

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

TOPICS
Creative Bloq Staff
All things Creative Bloq

The Creative Bloq team is made up of a group of art and design enthusiasts, and has changed and evolved since Creative Bloq began back in 2012. The current website team consists of eight full-time members of staff: Editor Georgia Coggan, Deputy Editor Rosie Hilder, Ecommerce Editor Beren Neale, Senior News Editor Daniel Piper, Editor, Digital Art and 3D Ian Dean, Tech Reviews Editor Erlingur Einarsson, Ecommerce Writer Beth Nicholls and Staff Writer Natalie Fear, as well as a roster of freelancers from around the world. The ImagineFX magazine team also pitch in, ensuring that content from leading digital art publication ImagineFX is represented on Creative Bloq.