David Ray Carson

David Carson is a creative director and designer at R/GA (Robert Grennberg and Associates) and also principal of David Carson Design New York City. He has a B.A. degree in Sociology. London-based »Creative Review« magazine proclaimed Carson »Art Director of the Era« and calls his work on »Ray Gun« magazine »the most important work coming out of America«. His art direction and graphic design for Beach Culture magazine has won over 150 awards, including »Best Overall Design« and »Cover of the Year« from Society of Publication Designers in New York.

Carsons book, »The End of Print« (with a preface by David Byrne), is now in its fifth printing and has sold over 125.00 copies worldwide, making it the biggest-selling design book of all time. The work featured in »The End of Print« is also the subject of a one-man exhibition which opened in Munich, Germany in 1995 and has traveled to Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Rome, Venice, Milan, London, France and the United States.

Carson is currently art directing and designing Microsofts 1998 advertising campaign and the entire fall/ winter advertising campaign for Giorgio Armani, including the redesign of the Emporio Armani magazine. New work also involves a room-size collage built for the film »Addicted to Love« starring Meg Ryan. Carson is also currently directing television commercials for Lucent Technologies among others.

Design and advertising groups have invited Carson to lecture in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, England, France, Holland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and throughout the United States. Carson most recently led a workshop in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, becoming the second American ever to be invited to speak there (the first being Milton Glaser in 1971). He was also invited to design the covers for special typography issues of »How« and »Aldus« magazines and the architectural magazine, »domus«. Carson´s design for the book by famed Vogue photographer Albert Watson, »Cyclops«, won the 1995 Best Book Design award from I.M.I (NY).

The International Center of Photography, New York, recently named Carson »Designer of the Year« for his use of photography and design. The American Center for Design selected eight pieces of Carson´s work for its 1995 100 Show - the most work chosen from any one U.S. design firm. The 1996 100 Show referred to Carson´s new work as »the most important work in this year´s show«. His designs have been profiled in publications around the world, including in Australia, England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan and Sweden. In 1996, Newsweek magazine said of Carson: »He changed the public face of graphic design«. Print magazine called Carson´s work »brilliant«, while USA Today defined it as »visually stunning,« adding that his work may actually get young people reading again. The New York Times featured Carson and his work as a cover story for its »Style« section in the May 15, 1994 issue. »Typography«, the new book by Graphis magazine (NY), lists Carson as a »Master of Typography«. »I.D.« magazine selected Carson for their list of »America´s most innovative designers« (only five graphic designers from United States were included). The graphic design magazine, »Emigre«, devoted an entire issue to Carson; he is the only American designer to be honored in the magazine´s 10-year history.

Clients include: Lucent Technologies, Microsoft, Armani, AT&T; Pepsi, Packard Bell, American Airlines, MCI, MGM Studios, Kodak, US West, Ray Ban, Xerox, Individual, Britsh Airways, Cuervo Gold, Blue magazine, Addison-Withney, Aldus Corporation, American Express, Atlanta Olympics Commitee, Budweiser (1995 Superbowl spot), David Byrne, Citibank, Gannet Outdoor, Glendale Federal, Levis, Lotus software MTV, Magic Johnson AIDS Foundation, Nations Bank, Nike (Europe, Asia, United States), Prince, Ray Gun magazine, Ryder Trucks, Sony, Spalding, Speak magazine, Suziki and Warner Bros.

Carson is directing commercials and videos in New York and working with Harvard Business School professor, John Kao, on documentary film entitled »The art and Discipline of Creativity.