Art of the Maker: David Caon

As the founder of multidisciplinary practice Caon Design Office and co-founder of Laker Studio and Actuel Studio, David Caon harnesses a deeply thoughtful and grounded approach to design in its many forms.

Caon’s portfolio, which spans furniture, accessories and interiors, serves as a detailed study of design that is pragmatic, visually exciting and rooted in an unending deference for the human experience. “Design sits at the intersection between a necessity or an idea and the real world, and it’s our job to bring these things to life,” he says. “Sometimes people get the idea that we’re inventing but we’re not. We’re trying to understand what a client needs or wants, then taking that ethereal idea and bringing it to life.”

“Sometimes people get the idea that we’re inventing but we’re not. We’re trying to understand what a client needs or wants, then taking that ethereal idea and bringing it to life.”

This philosophy has guided Caon throughout his career, which began with studies in industrial design in his hometown, Adelaide. Upon being accepted into a master’s course in the United Kingdom in the field of car design, he pre-emptively relocated to Italy where he stayed and became enmeshed in Italian design, working for various studios. From there, he moved to Paris to work in the studio of revered designer Marc Newson, before returning to Australia to work with Woods Bagot.

Fuelled by his affinity for working in smaller teams and a desire to spearhead his own creative venture, he established Caon Design Office, originally Caon Studio, in 2009. Today, the Sydney-based studio focuses on industrial design, spanning furniture, products and interiors, with a particular interest in aerospace interior design. He’s also behind Laker Studio, which he leads alongside friend and designer Henry Wilson as an additional creative outlet that complements their respective practices. Most recently, he co-founded Actuel Studio, a branding and creative direction studio, with Paulina Paige Ortega.

“I do love the openness and excitement that comes with those first few days on a project, where you’re just putting down your first sketches.”

Caon describes the design process as non-linear. For him, it begins with the concept phase, which is rooted in extensive ideation and research into the client and their brief. He draws on myriad references during this phase, from film, art and history to contemporary design, and sketches frequently. From here, the development phase ensues in the pursuit of a finished product.

“Even for a fully resolved idea, to bring it from that point to something that’s in your hand or on a shelf is very complex and it’s always different,” he says. “It depends on the material and the processes you’re using, so it is always a learning experience on some level.”

“Design sits at the intersection between a necessity or an idea and the real world, and it’s our job to bring these things to life.”

Caon cites a project developed for an aircraft interior with Woolmark Australia, which demanded a rethinking of how wool could be used. The result was Modulo, a modular seat cover that allows for seasonal changes within the cabin, blending material exploration and innovation with pragmatics, consequently challenging the paradigm of aircraft interior design.

When asked about his favourite stage of the design process, Caon highlights two moments: the initial sketching phase and the arrival of the first physical prototypes. “I do love the openness and excitement that comes with those first few days on a project, where you’re just putting down your first sketches,” he says. “The other phase that’s really quite exciting is the first prototypes coming back and seeing the physical manifestation of your work. It’s like getting a toy as a child. It’s terrific.”