Ray Gun: David Carson As A Graphic Designer

David Carson is a graphic designer who started his career in the 1980s and remains one of the most well known designers to this day. He has created a timeless body of work that has attracted attention from big brands all around the world. The decreased legibility of Carson’s designs such as the Ray Gun magazine cover from October of 1997, maximizes the functionality and effectively communicates his message, without employing the principles of minimalism that many graphic designers claim to be most helpful when solving visual challenges.

In 1992, David Carson became the founding art director of Ray Gun – a rock-and-roll magazine, featuring non-mainstream musicians. Though the magazine did not have any content related to graphic design, with

The type is a mix of san serif, serif and handmade type. Whereas most graphic designers would cringe at the multitude of fonts utilized in this piece, Carson makes it work by pairing the fonts with subtle textures. The main element of the piece – an edited photograph of Liam Gallagher – lead singer of the band Oasis, is mirrored and placed close to the center of the piece, but not quite. Even here, David Carson is faithful to his offbeat style and gives the image just a little nudge to the right and top edges of the piece. This technique adds asymmetry and a feeling of uneasiness to the piece. The interaction of the elements is what, ultimately, decreases the overall legibility of the piece and gives it that “grungy” quality that David Carson is so famous

The decreased legibility of the piece does not hinder communication and function, despite what many modern graphic designers believe to be true. The current idea of minimalism prefers fewer elements, more legible fonts, and crispier images. It employs bigger white spaces, and gives “more breathing room” to its elements. Minimalism is utilized in many spheres of graphic design (and other types of art) and is quite successful in simplifying user interfaces, developing more memorable logo designs, and encouraging the generation of ideas over techniques. There are many uses for it, but it becomes unremarkable and, quite frankly – boring, when used in projects that do not require it. The continuing insistence that minimalism is the most effective way of communicating ideas to an audience, is not only misleading, but it also causes designers all over the world to focus their attention on fonts and icons, when they could be producing original and creative works of art.

While keeping in mind his audience, David Carson created works that spoke to a specific audience of fans. As a magazine dedicated to experimental music, Ray Gun featured very unique and creative individuals like David Bowie, Bjork and Missy Elliott. Carson’s artwork is unique in its way of creating a visual representation of the musician’s specific style of music. He does not utilize the usual hierarchies of design,