David Carson

I've decided that David Carson will be a great starting point in my work as he is known to break rules, and he's also very popular - even to those not in the know how which is uncommon. I am hoping that by looking at his work and where he gets his ideas from will also enable me to use his techniques, and create my own distinctive style as opposed to mimicking his layouts or something similar.

"Who is the audience, what is that audience's visual language, what type of things are they seeing?"

So who is David Carson?
 Carson was a celebrity surfer before taking part in a three week workshop for Graphics in Switzerland, so he doesn't know all the rules, but that's perhaps makes his work so uniques, he doesn't break the rules on purpose he does what feels and looks right to him. He is inspired by the his environment he says, '

 "My environment influences me. I'm always taking photo's & I believe things I see and experience influence my work. Not directly, but indirectly in some shape or colour or something that registers. The ocean has always played a big part in my life... I'm always scanning the environment I'm in, and I'm sure it ends up in the work."

He also believes that the work should be almost personal to the designer as that makes improves it. This is something I completely agree with, I think personal work always turns out better as it means something. Carson says,

"I think it's really important that designers put themselves into the work. No one else has your background, upbringing, life experiences, and if you can put a bit of that into the work, two things will happen: you'll enjoy the work more, and you'll do your best work. Otherwise we don't really need designers - anyone can but the same programs and learn to do 'reasonable safe' design."

• Environment 
• Personal context
• The audience
• Reading everything about the project
• Marshall MuLuchan's dictum: "Medium is the message"
• "I paint with type and image, in a way I hope the message of the words hits people on an emotional, gut level." 

 When asked about his process he said, 

"Even if you have no process, that is your process." 

So I don't think there's much chance of my stealing his way of working in a hurry. Despite this, I am pleased that he also thinks that the personal context of a designer improves work. 


His work.

His work is sometimes frowned upon for not being so legible and easy to read, but in my personal opinion that makes it more interesting, it's makes you want to work out what it does say.

I enjoy looking at his work, because it is so very unique, especially when it comes to looking at what is around today. It can't be copied, it is inspiring in itself.

The layout here for me is just beautiful. It's simple and complicated, bold and delicate and it's so visually pleasing to the eye. The use of the grey is subtle and hardly noticeable it's a touch I like, it stops it being plain.

  When looking as Carson's work, his name is a common theme - perhaps to stop the the fakers. However I am more interested in the composition of the letters here - something says they shouldn't work together so well but they do. Sideways, backwards, faded and bold - yet tother the mix is so readable.

When I go to generate ideas, I will look at the environment I am in, and perhaps use the shapes of the the room I am in to produce lettering. I will also be able to look at my own context, something that means a lot to me and influence my work in that way. Carson is someone I am constantly exposed to because of his status in  the world of design, so I am always looking at his work, or work that is inspired by his. 


In the words of others:
"he changed the public face of graphic design" -newsweek
"the art director of the era" creative review london
"the most important work coming out of america" american center for design
"the most influential graphic designer of our times" surfrider foundation, july '09
"He significantly influenced a generation to embrace typography as an expressive medium"- steven heller 2010