Carbone Smolan Agency Founders Ken Carbone and Leslie Smolan to Release "Dialog," a Celebration of Their 35-Year Design Partnership

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Oct 3, 2012) - Ken Carbone and Leslie Smolan, founders of leading brand strategy and design firm Carbone Smolan Agency (CSA), announced today the release of their new book, "Dialog": What Makes a Great Design Partnership (http://www.pointedleafpress.com/dialog), on November 8, 2012. Published by Pointed Leaf Press, the book is timed to coincide with CSA's 35^th anniversary and will be available on Amazon.com and at other major booksellers across the U.S.

With "Dialog," Carbone and Smolan have created a smart, thought-provoking tribute to their partnership combined with a beautifully rendered catalog of their extensive branding portfolio. In total, the book showcases 35 of the agency's most celebrated design projects for its world-class clientele, international brands and cultural icons alike, including the Musée du Louvre, Christie's, W Hotels, Aether Apparel and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

"Our partnership is based on our mutual love of art and design, combined with our trust in each other's diverse perspectives," said Smolan. "Even though we have different styles and different skills, we work well in concert."

Presented as a conversation between the two partners with text by architectural designer and journalist Raul Barreneche, a foreword by Italian design legend Massimo Vignelli and a preface by celebrated design critic Steven Heller, "Dialog" is lushly illustrated with a wide arrangement of materials, including exclusive images and sketches from CSA's archives. The book is divided into four sections -- Fame, Fortune, Fun, and Freedom -- each containing work samples with commentary from Ken and Leslie about the subject and their collaborative process. 

"'Dialog' is an active demonstration of a truly successful partnership," said Vignelli. "It is hard to distinguish the work of one from the work of the other, and that is precisely the point of a meaningful collaboration."

"The key to any collaboration is trust and aligned ambitions. As long as you have those things, the rest will always fall into place," said Carbone. "'Dialog' may be a celebration of our partnership so far, but we look at it as a launching pad for CSA's next chapter."

Leslie Smolan 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. Smolan's work has been featured in publications such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and she is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), a select group of world-class designers. "Dialog" is Smolan's second book. Her first, The Hat Book (Nan Talese/Doubleday -- 1993) won a number of major design awards, including the AIGA 50 Great Books Show and the Leipzig Book Show.

Ken Carbone is a celebrated graphic designer whose multi-disciplinary experience with large scale, complex projects has enabled him to hone the cross-cultural sensibilities necessary to work successfully in today's global business environment. Ken is the author of The Virtuoso: Face to Face with 40 Extraordinary Talents (Stewart Tabori & Chang), a featured "Expert Blogger" on Fast Company magazine's "Co. Design" blog, and he is a professor in the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His work has been recognized by the AIGA, Print, Graphis, Idea, Communication Arts, ID and the New York Art Directors Club, and is included in the permanent collection of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum.

About Carbone Smolan Agency
Founded in 1977, the Carbone Smolan Agency offers a comprehensive set of strategic and creative services designed to build a singular brand voice across all media. Based in New York, the firm has built an international reputation creating outstanding programs for world-class clients, including Morgan Stanley, W Hotels, New York Botanical Garden, Museum of Modern Art, Canon U.S.A., and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. To find out more, visit www.carbonesmolan.com. 

About Pointed Leaf Press
As a publisher of high quality, photography-driven monographs on personalities from the worlds of design, architecture, and fashion, Pointed Leaf's goal is to create books that stand out, both for their unique content and matchless design quality. Pointed Leaf Press was founded in 2002 by Publisher and Editorial Director Suzanne Slesin, an internationally-respected journalist in the field of home design with thirty years of experience as a writer and editor at such publications as the New York Times, Esquire, New York and House & Garden. Slesin was named one of the "12 Design Visionaries to Watch" by House Beautiful in their December 2011/January 2012 issue.