Ken Carbone

Co-founder and Chief Creative Director
Ken Carbone is among America’s most respected graphic designers, whose work is renowned for its clarity, intelligence and longevity. He has built an international reputation creating outstanding programs for world-class clients, including Tiffany & Co., W.L Gore, Herman Miller, PBS, Christie’s, Nonesuch Records, the W Hotel Group and The Taubman Company. His clients also include celebrated cultural institutions such as the Museé du Louvre, The Museum of Modern Art, The Pierpont Morgan Library, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the High Museum of Art.

These clients are evidence of his multi-disciplinary experience with large scale, complex projects and expert knowledge of art, architecture, retail merchandising, entertainment, music, science and technology. Often international in scope, these projects have also enabled him to hone the cross-cultural sensibilities necessary to work successfully in today’s global business environment.

In addition, Ken is the author of The Virtuoso: Face to Face with 40 Extraordinary Talents , published by Stewart Tabori & Chang. The book’s emphasis on human achievement in all walks of life reflects his wide-ranging curiosity.

He frequently speaks to audiences across the country about the value of strategic design and communications in the corporate, consumer and cultural sectors. He has presented at events sponsored by Inc. Magazine, Metropolis Magazine, HOW Magazine, the American Center for Design, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the Luxury Marketing Council, and has lectured at both top business schools and art colleges. He is currently an adjunct professor in the MFA Program at the School of Visual Arts, New York City.

Ken is a member of the prestigious Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), and of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). His work has been recognized by the AIGA, Print, Graphis, Idea, Communication Arts, ID, the New York Art Directors Club, and is included in the permanent collection of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. In addition to his design career, he has been an avid guitarist for over 40 years.

Leslie Smolan

Co-founder and Director of Creative Strategy
Leslie Smolan brings the wisdom of her 30 years of experience in the business to mentor both clients and CSA designers on the power of strategic design to transform businesses and motivate customers. Her passion lies in making large amounts of complex information understandable and appealing to a wide audience.

She has been internationally recognized for her work in brand identity, publishing, and marketing communications. Her long-range planning for large organizations, and her ability to clarify objectives, organize complex data and focus attention to create understanding has been at the heart of each of her projects. While her creative direction is notable for its timeless finesse and carefully nuanced detailing, she has a relentless pursuit of a distinct client-driven aesthetic.

Recent projects include a global brand strategy and identity system for her longstanding client, Morgan Stanley; a branding, marketing and sales campaign for Nizuc, a new ultra-luxury resort and residences on the Riviera Maya; and an identity, branding and website design for Bideawee, one of the country’s oldest pet adoption centers.

Leslie has been widely awarded and published. She authored The Hat Book (Nan Talese/Doubleday) which won every major design award including the AIGA 50 Great Books show and the Leipzig Book show. In January 2006, her views on the disastrously poor information design of the US healthcare system were published in the Op-Ed section of the Washington Post.

She has received numerous other awards from the Art Directors Clubs of New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles; the AIGA, Communication Arts Magazine, as well as being named an outstanding alumnus of the University of the Arts, Philadelphia. In 1998, Leslie was elected to the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), a select group of world-class designers.

Outside of work, Leslie and her husband, photographer Rodney Smith, have spent the past 17 years restoring their home in Rockland County, while raising their daughter Savannah.