David Carson: "The End of Print"

Graphic Designer David Carson made a splash in 1990 by publishing his work in the first issue of Beach Culture, a new cutting-edge surfing magazine.

In his ground-breaking design, Carson abstained from utilizing traditional print methods by creating a chaotic layout for the editorial that included:

-Experimental typography

-Overlapping Photos

-Numerous different fonts

- Folio numbers larger than the headlines

In all, Carson was lauded for his bold design, regardless of it's lack of a traditional, more legibile format. His "visually challenging" layout of text and images were famously used in other editorials such as Ray Gun magazine and paved the way for other designers to forego traditional typographic standards in favor of artistic expression.


Posted By: Rob Goodman

Sources:

Blackwell, Lewis ed. (1998). The End of Print: The Graphic Design of David Carson. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

Digital Poetry Overview. (2009). Typographic Innovations: 1980's and Onward. Retrieved September 28, 2009 from http://glia.ca/conu/digitalPoetics/prehistoric-blog/?p=217.