David Caon

David Caon was born in Adelaide, Australia to a family of Italian origin.^[1][2][3] He graduated from the University of South Australia with a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design and subsequently travelled to Europe to further his studies.^[4] In 2000 he enrolled in the Automotive and Transport Design Master's programme at Coventry University, however, he quickly became disillusioned with the course and left after several weeks.^[1][5] He moved to Milan to work as a graphic designer at Mondadori publishing group, after which he went to work for George Sowden, an English proponent of the Memphis movement.^[6][7][8] While in Milan, he also collaborated with Jerszy Seymour ^[de], a post-punk artist and designer.^[9][7][4][3]

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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.^[7] He worked on projects for clients such as LVMH, Nike, Samsonite, Magis ^[it], and Qantas.^[10][6][4] In a Sydney Morning Herald 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.^[1][11]

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.^[12][4] 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.^{[13][6][4][1]} The studio has worked for companies such as Noritake, Recaro, Schneider Electric, Woolmark, and Qantas.^[7][14]

He has been a consultant responsible for the creative direction and design of the interiors of the Qantas fleet,^[16] including the refurbishment of its Marc Newson designed Airbus A380s,^[17] the design of new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft,^[3] and ultra long-range Airbus A350s for direct Australia to New York and London routes,^[18] as well as ground based interiors, bespoke furniture and fittings.^[18][19][16] Caon's weight reducing designs for Qantas's in-flight crockery^[20] and cutlery^[21] resulted in an annual savings of over 500,000 kilograms of fuel.^{[15][10][22][23][1][a]}

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;^[24] Qantas's first class, business class, and transit lounges in Australia and abroad;^[25][26] as well as residential interiors for private clients.^[27][12][11]

In 2020 Caon and business partner Henry Wilson founded Laker, an Australian manufacturer of design editions, furniture, home accessories, and architectural fittings.^{[28][29][30][31][5]}

In 2024 Caon and creative director Paulina Paige Ortega ^[d] founded a graphic design practice called Actuel Studio.^[32][33][34]

In 2025 he was invited to Japan to take part in the Tokai Project, the second edition of the Craft x Tech initiative.^[35][36] The programme is an exploration of how traditional "aesthetic sensibilities embedded in Japanese craft can be reimagined through a thoughtful and skillful creative process" reinterpreted through the lens of contemporary design, cultural preservation, and technology.^[37][38] The programme is part of a movement that "explores how inherited knowledge can evolve without losing its soul" and has been described as "one of the most interesting conversations happening today." The work was unveiled in Tokyo at Kudan house in the summer of 2026, and subsequently exhibited in the Victoria and Albert Museum during the London Design Festival.^[39][40][41] Other participants have included Eugene Kangawa, Philippe Malouin, Sabine Marcelis, Yoichi Ochiai, Studio SWINE, Bethan Laura Wood, and Atang Tshikare, Hideki Yoshimoto, and Michael Young.^{[42][43][44][45]}

In 2026 Caon was commissioned by the Powerhouse Museum to design a 100 year time capsule to be buried at the museum's new Parramatta site.^[46][47] Caon's addition to the tradition will be the third capsule compiled by the museum–the first was buried in1879 at Garden Palace, and the second at Ultimo in 1981.^[48]

Caon lives and works in Sydney, Australia. He is married to Jeramie Hotz ^[d], an Australian jeweller and entrepreneur.^[49] They have two children.^[9][1]