Rulebreaker, Father of Grunge Typography, prolific surfer. All things that aptly describe David Carson.
Carson started out as a high school teacher in Oregon, where he caught wind of a graphic design summer program at University of Arizona. Soon after he was off to Switzerland to another summer program under the instruction of instructor Hans-Rudolf Lutz. He began working at various magazines such as, Transworld Skateboarding, Beach Culture, and Surfer. In the early 90s, he landed at an alternative music magazine, Ray Gun, and really developed his style. Working at Ray Gun in the peak grunge era, Carson was able to lean into it and make it his own. After three years, Carson left Ray Gun in pursuit of his own design business.
What makes David Carson so unique is his fresh perspective on design. He tosses out the traditional design rules and forges his own. This take on design is what gives him his edge and personality. That’s essentially his brand.
Some of his work
A really great interview article to better understand Carson and his philosophies: click here!
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