David Carson "Father of Grunge"

 By Lindsey M. Musch

      Every profession has industry leaders and those that we are inspired by.  One of these people is David Carson, who is an American graphic designer who is often referred to as the “Father of Grunge” and is the creator of Generation X’s new standard for type.
      Carson's career began after he became a professional surfer which helped him in his creation of six issues of a surfing magazine.  These issues were just the beginning of many projects that have displayed Carson's one of a kind design style.
     There are many websites, blogs, even YouTube videos that share Carson's experience and work. Carson himself is not shy about sharing his secrets to success.

       Regardless if Carson is your cup of tea or not, any designer can appreciate his dedication and work, which he continued to develop through many projects in the 90's including ones for big-name corporations such as MTV Global, Kodak and Nine Inch Nails.
     Carson has been quoted on numerous occasions to have said,

“The message that the type sends, I feel, is as important as what it is saying. When those work together, you’ve got really strong communication.”

     David Carson is an innovator and should inspire any graphic designer and all should explore his work so one can become a better designer themselves.
     In the end, whether the work of the designer is clean, grungy, structured, or wild, a good graphic designer would be wise to follow the advice of David Carson:

“Trust your gut. Do what you love. Life’s to important to be taken seriously.”

Do you agree with David Carson's work?  Is there a "Father" of your profession that has gone off the beaten path?