letter


Hi David I have no idea if you’ll get this,

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Hi David
I have no idea if you’ll get this, I got your email out of the End Of Print book (which says it was published in 2000) which was 9 years ago, so weather you still use this email or not, time will tell.
 
I am mainly emailing you to send a note of admiration, and considering your a famous and I’m assuming, very busy designer I shall try and keep this short and sweet.
 
I am quite a fan of Nine Inch Nails. I’ve liked a lot of the earlier work for years now. I have been studying graphic art and graphic design for the past 3 years now, though I have been working as a freelancer for many other years, however I have learned that after looking back, my knowledge of designers was quite limited, and the sheer fact I did not know anything about one of the worlds most famous designers (you) was quite laughable. I am pleased to say that after doing some research on you for an assignment, I am pleasantly surprised to find you were behind the imagery for the very NIN album I loved (The Fragile)
 
Design work like yours has greatly influenced and inspired my own directions and has opened my eyes to new possibilities (and design rules to break) and I just want to thank you for inspiring so many of us designers and budding designers.
 
I won’t use up any more of your time, I just feel the need when I have the opportunity, to send a note of admiration to the designers and artists that have influenced and inspired me.
 
I wish you the very best for your future and and hope you continue to inspire many more designers in the future (without them trying to emulate or copy your style directly of course)
 
All the best
Daryl
march 22.


david speaks at SXSW austin, texas,

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david speaks at SXSW austin, texas, march 15. 09.

davids topic and panel was “is spec work evil?” more response to come, heres the first:
 
David
God bless you for the comments you made on the spec work panel. I owe you a drink.
Sean
LA, Calif.
 
Hi David,
saw your panel on sxsw and thought you were right on – just wanted to let you know we are changing our future design contests to not allow for logos and such to try and keep our contests more pure. Appreciated your presentation.
I live in Laguna Niguel and surf trestles quite a bit – would be fun to surf with you one day ;)
Sincerely,
Marc
 
Mr. Carson:
I made the mistake of watching this clip right before bed!
Thank you for bringing a voice of reason to this topic. Unbelievable. I had a feeling the jokers from web sites that are making money from spec might disagree with you, but I was shocked that the woman from AIGA seemed unsure of AIGA’s spec work policy. She seemed to say, “we think it’s wrong, but maybe we are wrong. What say you?”
And thank you also for not wearing your bathrobe to the discussion.
Tony


david lecture at TED

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here david lecture at TED (http://TED.COM/)

Hi David
 
Just wanted to thank you for giving such an inspiring TED talk.
 
I’ve been passing on the link to everyone I know. Your point about putting yourself into the work resonated greatly.
 
It led me to change the world the best way I know how. One day (and one song) at a time.
 
You can see how at http://boscutti.com/
 
Mille grazie
 
Stefano
 
>Sent: Jan 19, 2009 5:06 PM
>To: dcarson@earthlink.net
>Subject: David /Probes/World’s Most Creative (And Dangerous) Quote Book
>
>
>Dear David,                                                   January 19, 2009
>
>What an insane world.  Today in Richmond, Virginia I just  discovered David Carson…no not the 2009 David Carson, the 2003 TED.com one (He was funny and entertaining.)  I’m sure the older one is even more creative and funny.  I discovered Marshall McLuhan, Buckminster Fuller, and Edward de Bono when I taught in Edinburgh, Scotland as the only male teacher in a school for girls.
>
>I became a teacher and writer because of being inspired by Ray Bradbury.  Years ago he came to Richmond and let me walk with him through the Poe Museum–Poe was his inspiration.  (He’s 89 and, even after a stroke in 1999, still writing.)
>
>My design heroes are Alan Fletcher, Ross Lovegrove, Mirko Llic, Milton Glaser, Tom Kelly, and now, David Carson.  I hadn’t heard of you until today, but I’ve been reading and cutting pages out of RayGun for years until it was sadly gone.
>
>I know I’m using Verdana (sounds like vanilla)…I don’t know much about this field.
>
>I’m retired from the chalk mines to full-time writing.  (I loved teaching.)   Go to
>www.knowords.com and see my first design for sale. My new book, The World’s Most Creative (And Dangerous) Quote Book; it opens in the middle and turns into two separate books.   I’ve had 100 pages of photographs and a book cover sold.   Great eye not connected to great hand
>
>As a retired teacher and new writer, I’m broke.    I know you’ve been there in your life; it sucks.   It’s the first time for me and I hope the last time.   Only creative me would be trying to sell a book to a major publisher by way of blurbs from famous people like Bradbury, followed by getting an agent, then the publisher, in this economy.   It’s a shame I didn’t hang out with Dean Kamen as a kid or have a $6,000.  TED ticket to hang out with rich and famous creative people for four days.   My book comes with  left-brain and right-brain wristbands, a bookmark, and a small poster of the 2nd cover.   I have over 200 quote books; none like my book.   I haven’t bought a book in over 3 months, but the first book I’ll buy when I’m back on my feet, is The Book of Probes -Marshall McLuhan.   In those 200 quote books are a few McLuhan quotes.   I have a few in my book.  Your illustrative talents and Marshall McLuhan’s way with word should have been a best seller.
>
>
>
>I like the way you spoke of imagination and creativity at TED.    As a teacher I received two major teacher awards, kids and most parents loved me, the janitors and cooks loved me, and most teachers loved me, and principals were always trying to figure out a way to get rid of me.   My classroom looked like 24 back issues of RayGun and a few illustrations from How and Wired.
>
>In the back of my new creativity book in the Creatography, I am adding David Carson under Best Creative Designers and under Creative Products I’m adding the book, The Book of Probes-Marshall McLuhan edited by David Carson.
>
>
>May 2009 be a great wave.
>
>
>N. Wylie Jones


Your work, and specifically

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Hi David,
 
Your work, and specifically your work for Nine Inch Nail’s ‘The Fragile’ is what encouraged me to study design.
 
I now pursue a career as a freelance motion designer.
In your TED lecture you ask, ‘if you could afford to, if money wasn’t
an issue, would you be doing that same work?’
I am so lucky because my answer is yes.
 
Just above my desk at home (where I work most of the time) is a framed copy of the cover art you did for ‘The Fragile’. The album itself had a profound impact on me and I’m still a huge fan of Trent’s to this day. Your work had just as a heavy an impact and I cant think of a single piece of artwork that stirs up as much emotion as that cover.
 
Sincerely,
Dan
july 27, 2010


dc london lecture SOLD OUT. june18.08.

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dc london lecture SOLD OUT. june18.08.
 
--------------------------------------
“Hi David,
I went to your talk in London, your print is currently hanging proud in my living room.
Thanks again for a great seminar.”.
-Nash
 
Date: Jun 25, 2008 7:02 AM
Hi David,
 
I just wanted to thankyou for the seminar in riverside studios, london last week, it was very inspiring and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
 
Up until that point I had worked for two different councils in Wales (uk) producing print graphics. There were no promotion prospects within the councils and graphics opportunities are generally very limited or very competitive in the uk, so I had decided to retrain in town and country planning (more money!) and had more or less given up on my graphics/illustration career.
 
But your talk has inspired me, by demonstrating innovative and original artwork, emphasising the need to concentrate on the smallest design details and also made me realise that I actually enjoy illustrating (I don’t look at the clock when Im doing it!). So I’ve decided to concentrate my efforts on freelance illustration, and see where that takes me. Fingers crossed!
 
Thanks again.
Jon.
 
p.s. Maybe a graphic design rule could be; “Never, no matter what the reason, use comic sans”?!?
p.p.s. Theres some very cheap digital projectors on the market!
 
 
Subject: Your London talk, 18 June 2008
Date: Jun 22, 2008 5:50 PM
Hi David,
I saw you speak at the Riverside in Hammersmith last week.
It gave me the push I needed for a project I’m working on – I’m a freelancer currently designing a book for a London Council. They have not allowed nearly enough time for the design work but I want it to be really good, especially as it’s going out to help kids, so I have been doing a lot of extra hours for free to make it special.
After a lot of tiring, working-round-the-clock, my enthusiasm was beginning to wane and I was thinking, “I’ll go to this lecture, then get back and just bang out the rest of the design to finally get it finished”. Your lecture inspired me to keep going and produce something really cool, instead of just what was expected.
When you have short deadlines and conservative clients it is easy to forget to enjoy it and play with design but your talk was just the tonic I needed to inspire me again. Thank you.
I hope you speak again in London soon. The slides flying around the place was a particularly cool touch ;)
 
Best wishes,
sue
 
Date: Jun 23, 2008 11:24 AM
Hi David
 
Just wanted to say thank you for a great slideshow last week – flying slides and dance beat from the slide machine included. I really enjoyed it and you have given me a new vigour for my work at a time when my clients had been driving me to insanity… Thank you again, and when you are next in London I will happily come see the same slideshow – or take you out and show you the hidden London by night that few tourists see – rather than the inside of your hotel bar.
 
Rob
 
Dear David,
I just wanted to write on behalf of my students to say how much we enjoyed your seminar on Wednesday evening 18th June at the Riverside Studios. There were 17 of us including 4 staff and we loved your desktop! (Was this intentional?!)
We had to leave on mass and I just wanted you to know that the mass exodus wasn’t a protest we just had to catch our ride home into the wild depths of Hampshire.
If you ever fancy popping by Farnborough College of Technology to talk to the students about design we would love it. We looking forward to owning ‘The Rules of Graphic Design’ when it comes out later this year (we hope!)
Kind regards
Ken
 
Dear Mr. Carson,
 
i hope you had a good stay in london last week and it was in the same way so inspiring for the people there like for me here in Zurich.
 
All the best,
Michael
 
Date: Jun 24, 2008 12:45 PM
Hi David,
I attended your talk on the Rules of graphic Design last Wednesday, which was extremely enlightening and highly refreshing (our desktops look the same! – its not just me!).
At the end of your talk you was selling signed prints, in which I was very interested in however only had my credit card. I would absolutely love one so it I can frame it and put it in our studio to look upon in times of desperate inspiration!.
I was wondering if you had any left that I could purchase? Kind Regards David,
 
Tom
 
Hey David,
Just wanted to say I really enjoyed your seminar in london a few weeks back.
I flew over from Ireland for it and it was worth it in spite of the technical difficulties!
just wanted to say thank you for proving that design can be fun!
eric,
ireland,
july 28,’08
 
hi david
i attended your seminar in june at the riverside studios which i thoroughly enjoyed. years ago,as someone who’d just come out of secretarial college, i’d stare at your ray gun layouts thinking “what is this?” but be totally enthralled by what was going on over the pages. i left my job as a receptionist at a travel agency – after two weeks – and found myself a job working in a publishing house as a pa. after hours i’d head down to the studio and make a nuisance of myself until eventually they had to give me a job. on weekends, i’d often find myself back at the bookshop, looking at raygun. and now i work as a graphic designer. my first purchase, when i moved to london, was the end of print.
thank you for not learning all the things you’re not supposed to do.
claire
london 080808
 
Hi David
 
I saw your presentation in Zurich on Monday 16 June. I wanted to thank you for giving me one of your Obama posters it really made my day and I’m still absolutely stoked by your kindness and generosity. We spoke briefly about New Zealand (as that’s where I come from) and you mentioned you had thought about going there.. here’s a photo of a break close to where I live in Taranaki.. wicked, eh? ;-) You should definitely visit..
 
Cheers
Bridgette