David Caon
After earning a degree in Industrial Design from the University of South Australia, David travelled extensively, living and working abroad, honing his skills and knowledge while developing an aesthetic and voice of his own. During this time, he had the good fortune to collaborate with a number of highly acclaimed designers, first in Milan with George Sowden, an English proponent of the exuberant Memphis movement, and then with Jerszy Seymour, the post-punk industrial design iconoclast.
Later, in Paris, he worked alongside Marc Newson for clients such as LVMH, Samsonite, Magis and Nike, and also played a key role in the multi-year design development of the award-winning Qantas flagship Airbus A380 fleet. David subsequently returned to Australia and founded his eponymous Sydney design studio in 2009. Caon Design Office's first major client was Marc Newson Ltd., who engaged the studio to oversee ongoing design development of the Qantas fleet and ground-based services. This enduring relationship with the iconic airline led to Caon Design Office being entrusted by Qantas with the design of multiple lounges and seating programmes, and most recently, an entire fleet of ultra-long-range, custom Airbus A350 "Project Sunrise" aircraft. The studio has also designed products for companies such as Noritake and Recaro.
Alongside this industrial work, David maintains a close engagement with craft. In 2025 he was selected for the Tokai Edition of Craft x Tech, collaborating with Yohei Ito of Fudogama Kiln on Fushi, a collection of modular ceramic furniture and lighting made using the Mino Yaki tradition. A regular inclusion in Vogue Living's Top 50 Designers, David was named Vogue Living Creative of the Year for 2026.
About Caon Design Office
As the studio has grown and evolved, its scope has expanded beyond industrial design into creative direction, brand identity and graphic design, packaging, retail design and interior architecture. At its core remains a long-term collaboration with Qantas, spanning lounges, seating programmes and aircraft interiors. With business partner Henry Wilson, David also manages and designs products for the boutique furniture and accessories brand Laker, and with Paulina Paige Ortega he co-founded the graphic design studio Actuel Studio. The studio's wider body of work includes the Modulo seat concept developed with Woolmark and a time capsule for the new Powerhouse Parramatta, fabricated in space-grade alloys using metal 3D printing.
Caon Design Office embodies David's interest in the overall ecosystem of design, treating every facet of the creative process, from concept to final result, as integral to the whole, with no part or individual greater than another. David heads a close-knit, experienced team of long-term collaborators and works within a circle of respected creative thinkers, designers, architects, engineers, graphic designers and artists. Drawing on the unique skills of this network, the studio strives to exceed the ordinary, delivering refined, logical, pragmatic yet elegant solutions to its clients' needs.