David Carson doesn’t just design—he disrupts. He’s the mad scientist of graphic design, turning conventions inside out and making the world feel something in a way Helvetica never could. In our exclusive one-on-one Graphis Journal Q&A, David takes us back to the days before he even knew what graphic design was through his rise as the mastermind behind Surfer, Beach Culture, and Ray Gun’s rule-breaking pages. He spills on pivotal career moments, the wild ride of designing for Nine Inch Nails, reflections on other favorites like The Macallan, the Aljada Skatepark in Dubai, Stussy, and what it’s like to have Wolfgang Weingart ban you from campus (badge of honor, honestly).
But we’re not giving it all away here. David’s unfiltered thoughts on smashing design norms, his unique sociology-meets-skatepark worldview, and why your gut might just be your best tool—those gems are waiting in the full Graphis Journal feature.
Get the Graphis Journal Now. GET 50% OFF promo code: SPECIAL383.
Because safe design is boring, and Carson’s world is anything but.
The Pivotal Moment
Q: David, take us back to the beginning. What was that pivotal moment in your career that flipped the script and shaped your design philosophy?
I can’t think of one pivotal moment philosophy-wise; it was more like a couple of pivotal moments early on. I taught at a small private school in southern Oregon; my first year, I had grades 1-12 all day in one room. While there, I received a request to post a postcard for the high school students about a two-week summer workshop on something called “Graphic Design.” It was the first time I remember even hearing the term. I read what they would be doing during the workshop at the University of Arizona and thought, “Hmmm, that’s a career? You can do that for a living? Sounds creative and fun.”
I’ve always been interested in photography, setting up darkrooms in my mom’s kitchen and stuff, but not graphic design. I didn’t even know the term. I called the program and asked if Icould attend as a teacher, and they said no problem. At the start of the summer, I had already arranged a summer job, so I informed them I would need to leave for two weeks in the middle
of summer, and they told me that if I backed out and left, there wouldn’t be a job when I returned. Something told me I needed to take this class, which I did under the instruction of the amazing artist, designer, teacher, and friend Jackson Boelts. Jackson had a huge impact on my decision to enter this field. After that workshop, everything changed, and I never looked back.
Smashing Traditional Design Norms
Q: Your work is famously known for smashing traditional design norms. How do you ride that fine line between chaos and structure in your creations?
My design journey was unconventional. I never learned all the things designers aren’t supposed to do, which I think actually helped me. I just did what made sense to me. It also helped that I had platforms open to, and to some extent, demanded a certain level of an experimental approach.
My career began as an unpaid intern pasting up quarter-page ads for Action Now, a magazine born after the original Skateboarder magazine folded. I later designed TransWorld Skateboarding magazine at night for three years while I taught high school sociology during the day in Del Mar, California.
In many ways, that was my schooling, trying to sort out this thing called graphic design, magazine flow, colors, type spec’ing, X-acto blades, wax, losing commas on the underside of T-squares, ordering type, and waiting two to three days until it was delivered to see if what you had spec’d actually worked. Next was the launch of TransWorld Snowboarding magazine,
then an abrupt decision to exit teaching and move to Gloucester, Massachusetts, to design Billboard Publication’s Musician mag for one year, and next was a brief stint at Self magazine in NYC under the wonderful Véronique Vienne. I left when I heard a rumor that a magazine called Beach Culture may be starting, and I quickly moved back to California.
Then, after three years and 30 issues with Ray Gun magazine and after relocating my studio to 20th Street in NYC, I designed the adventure lifestyle magazine Blue for a couple of issues, assorted special issues and covers from Form magazine to Japan’s Idea, special issues of Big Magazine, Metropolis, Trip magazine from Brazil, Speak magazine, and one for Armani. I was flown to Milan to present the entire magazine to Giorgio Armani. Later, I did some catalogs and ads for Burton Snowboards and Quiksilver.
Behind Ray Gun
Q: Ray Gun magazine is a cornerstone of your legacy. Spill some behind-the-scenes stories or challenges you faced while crafting its look and feel.
Overall, I’d say the challenges were minimal. The publisher brought me in because he liked my work at Beach Culture magazine, which I still feel is some of my best magazine work. There were just six issues, done on artboards with tissue and instructions. No one had to approve the design.
The mag itself had no grid or system; every page and article was a new design assignment based on its content. I just did what made sense to me for each article. Some of it worked, some of it didn’t. Design writer, critic, and overall great human Ralph Caplan said I was “experimenting in public.” Each month was a new issue of experimentation, with no way to delete or change any of it. There also was no immediate feedback, as that would only come in the occasional letter or snail mail someone might send weeks later, at which time I was heavily absorbed in the next issue.
Whenever I got a new issue back, I had three quick tests of that issue: weight, touch, and smell. Did it feel too light and that we were going out of business? Did the cardboard subscription page insets make it feel heavier and that we were doing well? And the smell. Something about the smell of a brand new, never-opened issue I enjoyed. Finally, was the cover stock too glossy, a good weight, or a good matte finish?
And then I’d start looking at the design. There was no preview on a screen to make sure everything was correct, and we often didn’t even get “blue lines”—an odd paper edition printed only in blue—the last chance to make corrections. It was strange paper, a bit like old fax paper. These faded away when left out in the light, btw.
It helped that my studio was in Del Mar, and the rest of the Ray Gun staff was in Los Angeles. When you hire people for what they do, you need to get out of the way and let them do it. This was the case with Ray Gun. With a very popular section of each issue, “Sound in Print,” I gave illustrators and photographers total freedom to interpret songs however they wanted, including picking the song. With Beach Culture and Ray Gun, I worked with some of the best illustrators in the business, like Matt Mahurin, Craig Frazier, Henrik Drescher, Paul Davis, Milton Glaser, Marshall Arisman, Gary Baseman, Anita Kunz, and so, so many others. Michael Stipe from R.E.M. submitted his photography and loaned some very early computer self-portraits he had done.
The Creative Process
Q: Give us a peek into your creative process. How does a spark of an idea evolve into one of your iconic designs?
I read the brief, look at all the material I’m given, listen if it’s music-related, and then think, “What would that look like?” while keeping in mind the audience, client, product, competition, and any other thoughts and feelings generated from my exposure to the brand.
Current Inspiration & Legacy
Q: What fuels your fire and keeps you inspired in your creative journey?
I’m just naturally curious and observing everything around me. Always. Maybe too much sometimes. Also, every brief is unique, and after reading or listening to it, I’m sent in a specific, unique direction. The variety of jobs also helps, as they all need their own unique design voice and interpretation.
Q: To the young creatives out there, what’s your golden advice for developing a unique design style?
Trust your gut, listen to what your mind and eye tell you, and use your uniqueness in your work. When you think you’ve finished a piece, go back and see if you can make it even a bit better. Trust your way of seeing, your way of feeling. What is unique about you as a human being, and how can you put some of that uniqueness into your work? No one can copy that. Everyone can use and learn the same software, but no one is you. Run with that.
Read the full David Carson interview and discover other talents in Graphis Journal 383—it’s definitely “not” the end of print! Preorder your print or digital copy now. GET 50% OFF promo code: SPECIAL383.
David Carson is the guy who changed the rules of graphic design—forever. Best known for his work with Ray Gun, the edgy magazine that defined alternative culture in the ‘90s, David flipped the industry on its head with seemingly chaotic layouts and typography that made you feel as much as it made you think. David’s design hit like a power chord, full of raw energy and rebellion, often throwing traditional design aside while launching a new era of visual communication. David’s radical approach, beyond Ray Gun and Beach Culture magazine, caught the attention of major players like Nike, Pepsi, American Airlines, Bose, Apple, Armani, and many others who called on him to shake things up. His work for these brands didn’t just sell products—it shaped culture. And the awards followed. David not only won a coveted AIGA Gold Medal but also earned an Emmy nomination, a spot in the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame, and recognition from Design Museum London. Apple called David “a pioneer with profound impact,” naming him one of the two most influential graphic designers in 30 years of Apple. April Greiman was the other. As if his design legacy isn’t enough, David teaches graphic design in the world-renowned MasterClass series, inspiring the next generation to break rules when necessary and design with intuition. When he’s not making waves in design, David is on the global stage, speaking at events like TED, Adobe Max, Cannes Lions 2022, and OFFF Barcelona/Mexico City—plus hundreds of others. His talks often revolve around trusting your gut and making people “feel” something from one’s work. Even now, decades after his first big splash, David is still inspiring creatives to take risks, push boundaries, and challenge convention. His 2024/25 clients include The Macallan, a Stussy collection, and a skatepark design in Dubai.
