Tribute to Gérard Caron

Saturday, October 31, 2020, we are all a bit orphans this morning.

Gérard Caron, founder of Carré Noir, the man who structured design thinking in France, who taught us to leverage this approach to build a recognized profession , who was the patron of the 2004 graduating class at the Intuit Lab School, and who dazzled us less than two years ago with a lecture on the differences between Japanese thought (which he knew so profoundly) and Western thought , is no more. He passed away in Paris on October 31, 2020. Our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to his family and friends, and to all those he trained, inspired, and inspired to embrace our profession.

Gérard Caron is recognized as one of the pioneers of French design internationally. He founded the design agency Carré Noir in 1973. Under his leadership until 1998, the agency opened offices in five countries, designed over 13000 packaging designs, 1200 visual identities and branding campaigns, and 90 store concepts. Author of several books published in France and Japan (where he celebrated his 150th trip in 2018), he is a co-founder of the Pan European Design Association and the Enseignes d'Or awards, which recognize the most successful retail chains each year. As founder of the Caron Design Network, he participates in numerous media appearances and international seminars.

His words , as rare as they are precious , shed light on certain points that extend his presentation. From his Franco-Japanese collaborations to his invaluable advice on practicing the profession of designer , he illuminates a unique approach to our work, bringing both a human logic and a welcome breath of fresh air to a profession that goes far beyond the graphic appearance of things.