David Caon (born 1977) is an Australian industrial designer and creative director. He is active in the fields of furniture, product, interior, and transportation design.

Early life and education

David Caon was born in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, Australia to a family of Italian origin. He graduated from the

University of South Australia The University of South Australia is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1991, it is the successor of the former South Australian Institute of Technology. Its main campuses along North Terrace are ...

with a Bachelor's degree in

Industrial Design Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical Product (business), products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in adva ...

and subsequently travelled to Europe to further his studies. In 2000 he enrolled in the Automotive and Transport Design Master's programme at

Coventry University Coventry University is a Public university, public research university in Coventry, England. The origins of Coventry University can be linked to the Coventry School of Art and Design, Coventry School of Design in 1843. It was known as Lancheste ...

, however, he quickly became disillusioned with the course and left after several weeks. He moved to Milan to work as a graphic designer at

Mondadori Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 19 ...

publishing group, after which he went to work for George Sowden, an English proponent of the Memphis movement. While in Milan, he also collaborated with , a post-punk artist and designer.

Work and career

Following his time in Italy, after a chance meeting with fellow Australian designer Marc Newson in 2003, Caon moved to France to join Newson's Paris studio. He worked on projects for clients such as

LVMH LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (), commonly known as LVMH, is a French multinational holding company and conglomerate that specializes in luxury goods and has its headquarters in Paris, France. The company was formed in 1987 through the ...

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

Samsonite Samsonite International S.A. is an American Baggage, luggage manufacturer and retailer, with products ranging from large suitcases to small toiletries bags and briefcases. The company was founded in 1910 in Denver, Colorado, Denver, Colorado, U ...

, , and

Qantas Qantas ( ), formally Qantas Airways Limited, is the flag carrier of Australia, and the largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations in Australia and List of largest airlines in Oceania, Oceania. A foundi ...

. In a

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in ...

profile, Newson recalls that Caon, who was 26 when he joined the studio, was "bright eyed, ambitious, confident and full of energy". In the same article, Caon describes how he went "from working with Jerszy and that kind of blue-sky, idealistic, exhibition-style open thinking, without restrictions, to working on serious projects for serious clients. And Marc Newson has a dream stable." The collaboration lasted over 5 years, with Caon working his way up to become a senior designer and project manager for Newson. Caon returned to Australia in 2009, and after briefly working with architects Woods Bagot, he established Caon Design Office, a Sydney based design practice. His first major client was Marc Newson Ltd. He has worked in a wide range of design disciplines including industrial design, product design, furniture design, transportation and aviation design, brand identity, graphic design, packaging, interior architecture and retail design. The studio has worked for companies such as

Noritake , commonly known as "Noritake," is a tableware and technology company headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. History In 1876, Ichizaemon Morimura VI and his brother Toyo founded Morimura Gumi with the intent of establishing overse ...

Recaro Recaro Holding, as the parent company of the Recaro Group, owns the Recaro brand and the independently operating companies Recaro Aircraft Seating (aircraft seats) based in Schwäbisch Hall and Recaro eGaming (gaming seats) based in Stuttgart, Ge ...

Schneider Electric Schneider Electric SE is a French multinational corporation that specializes in digital automation and energy management. Registered as a Societas Europaea, Schneider Electric is a ''Fortune'' Global 500 company, publicly traded on the Euronex ...

, Woolmark, and Qantas. Noritake for Qantas Tableware by David Caon

He has been a consultant responsible for the creative direction and design of the interiors of the Qantas fleet, including the refurbishment of its Marc Newson designed

Airbus A380 The Airbus A380 is a very large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner. Airbus studies started in 1988, and the pr ...

s, the design of new

Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...

787 Dreamliner aircraft, and ultra long-range Airbus A350s for direct Australia to New York and London routes, as well as ground based interiors, bespoke furniture and fittings. Caon's weight reducing designs for Qantas's in-flight crockery and cutlery resulted in an annual savings of over 500,000 kilograms of fuel. In collaboration with architects Acme and Akin Atelier, he has designed retail and hospitality interiors including restaurants for Australian celebrity chef Neil Perry such as "Margaret" and "Next Door" in Sydney; Qantas's first class, business class, and transit lounges in Australia and abroad; as well as residential interiors for private clients. In 2020 Caon and business partner Henry Wilson founded Laker, an Australian manufacturer of design editions, furniture, home accessories, and architectural fittings.

Personal life

Caon lives and works in Sydney, Australia. He is married to Jeramie Hotz, an Australian businesswoman. They have two children.

Notes

References

External links

* *
Caon Design Office
' (radio interview with ''Monocle'' magazine) *
Design for the long haul
' (radio interview with ''Monocle'' magazine) *
Designing The QANTAS 787 Dreamliner
' (brief interview) *
Designing Objects for Life with Henry Wilson & David Caon
', Design Your Life, Frost Collective (podcast) {{DEFAULTSORT:Caon, David 1977 births Living people People from Adelaide Designers from Sydney Businesspeople from Adelaide Businesspeople from Sydney Australian people of Italian descent University of South Australia alumni Australian designers Australian furniture designers Australian graphic designers Australian industrial designers Australian interior designers Qantas people Product designers Lighting designers