Carbone Smolan Agency is an independent branding agency founded in 1976 in New York City.

History

In 1976 Ken Carbone opened the New York office of the Canadian graphic design firm Gottschalk+Ash International. In 1977 he met and became business partners with Leslie Smolan. Theirs was an expanded view of "graphic design" beyond its two-dimensional applications and embraced the range interdisciplinary communication practices including customer experience design, architectural graphics, branded environments, and packaging design.Design Observer Interview with Debbie Millman
Design Observer, April 27, 2012. Carbone and Smolan bought out their Canadian partners in 1980, and renamed the company Carbone Smolan Agency. Carbone is creative director; Smolan is director of creative strategy. Company has served many notable corporate and cultural brands including such organizations as Musée du Louvre,

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Morgan Stanley, Boston Consulting Group, Tapestry Inc., Dale Carnegie,

Credit Suisse Credit Suisse Group AG is a global investment bank and financial services firm founded and based in Switzerland. Headquartered in Zürich, it maintains offices in all major financial centers around the world and is one of the nine global " ...

, High Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In December 1985 Carbone Smolan Agency presented its credentials for the “Signalétique du Grand Louvre,” the visitor information and signage program to complement the Louvre's visitors' entrance and underground plaza being designed by I.M. Pei, creator of the

Louvre Pyramid The Louvre Pyramid (Pyramide du Louvre) is a large glass and metal structure designed by the Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei. The pyramid is in the main courtyard ( Cour Napoléon) of the Louvre Palace in Paris, surrounded by three smalle ...

. The

French government The Government of France ( French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who ...

awarded the New York-based Carbone Smolan Agency the signage project October 3, 1986. Introduced to the public 1989, Carbone Smolan's visitor information and signage program was predicated on the Arrondissements of Paris plan and remains in place today. In their report on the selection of Ken Carbone and Leslie Smolan as

AIGA Medalists The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is a professional organization for design. Its members practice all forms of communication design, including graphic design, typography, interaction design, user experience, branding and identity. ...

in 2014, AIGA journalist Angela Richers noted, "In 1985 they won the commission—an honor for a relatively young studio. The project’s success and high visibility helped establish CSA as a studio of major importance in the larger design landscape. Since the Louvre commission, CSA has served many of the most significant cultural institutions in the United States (see references below). Carbone Smolan Agency's Louvre way-finding system is also featured in "Graphic Design Since 1950" by

Alliance Graphique Internationale Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) is a club of the world's leading graphic artists and designers. There are 527 members from 43 countries. Its members have been collectively responsible for the identity design of most of the world's top co ...

, This visitor's information program was also recipient of the Communication Arts 1990 Award of Excellence and featured in

Communication Arts magazine ''Communication Arts'' is the largest international trade journal of visual communications.Au ...

. In the ensuring years, Carbone Smolan Agency has designed for numerous notable cultural institutions including AIGA, MoMA (New York),

Jewish Museum (Manhattan) The Jewish Museum is an art museum and repository of cultural artifacts, housed at 1109 Fifth Avenue, in the former Felix M. Warburg House, along Museum Mile on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. The first Jewish museum in the Unit ...

, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. CSA has 20 exhibits in the AIGA permanent archives.

Awards and recognition

*2014 American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA) Medalists, Ken Carbone and Leslie Smolan *2012 GDUSA's American Web Design Awards, Website design

Niles Bolton Associates Niles Bolton Associates is a US-based design firm providing architecture, planning, landscape architecture and interior design services. The company is based in Atlanta, Georgia, with offices in Alexandria, Virginia. The company was founded by G ...

*2010 Chicago Poster Biennial, Poster Finalist: Diego Rivera by Ken Carbone *2008 SEGD Design Awards Merit Award, W. L. Gore Capabilities Center *2008 AIGA 365: 29, American Institute of Graphic Artist *2005 ReBrand 100 Awards: Best of Show, Assurant

References

External links

Carbone Smolan Agency website

Ken Carbone On The Future Of Design
at Fast Company
Advertising Guru Ken Carbone Reveals 'What Drives an Entrepreneur
at Wilkes University {{Authority control Graphic design American graphic designers Design writers Branding companies of the United States Companies based in New York City Brand valuation