David Carson, arguably the most innovative and influential graphic designer of the 1990s, was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on September 8, 1954. He went on to study Sociology from San Diego State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He touched upon graphic designing briefly while attending a two-week commercial designing class at the University of Arizona, in 1980. Subsequently, in 1983, Carson started to really experiment with graphic design and found himself immersed in the artistic and bohemian culture of Southern California. He attended the Oregon College of Commercial Art to study graphic designing and a three-week workshop in Switzerland as a part of his degree. After finishing his studies, he also took up a teaching job at a Californian high-school where he taught for several years.

“You have to utilize who you are in your work. Nobody else can do that: nobody else can pull from your background, from your parents, your upbringing, your whole life experience”