EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR/CO-FOUNDER
COLOSSUS, BOSTON MA
Obsessed with design, enamored with the big idea, and armed with the weirdest backstory you’ve ever heard, Travis co-founded Colossus in 2021. His time at agencies like Arnold Worldwide, Fort Franklin, MMB and others saw him run creative departments and global accounts for iconic brands like Jack Daniel’s, Volvo, Subway and Toyota, among others. In stark contrast, he has also worked extensively with non-profits, startups and small businesses on everything from identity systems to packaging to activations and beyond.
But his true secret power is his life experience (see: backstory) which offers him a diverse perspective when approaching any problem — business, creative or otherwise. Perhaps that stems from working as an actor alongside Steven Spielberg as a child, boxing in the seedy underbelly of Bangkok or cooking under the tutelage of a James Beard award-winning chef (told you.)
His work has been honored by Cannes, The One Show, Clios, Emmys, FWA, D&AD, Type Directors Club, ADC, ANDY’s, Webby’s, Communication Arts, Graphis, Archive and is on exhibit in the permanent collection of the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.
As we pivot into a post-pandemic era marked by societal challenge and change, are you optimistic about the future of Graphic Design in supporting and shaping commerce, culture and causes? Why do you feel the way you do? Are you optimistic about the future of your own design career or business?
Emerging from the long hibernation of the pandemic era, I think we all felt a hesitant, but renewed sense of freedom and possibility. Essentially, our profession is built on a foundation of optimism. The variety of this practice, however, comes in many forms. Some days we are hawking salad dressing and fanny packs with little impact on the greater good. And yet, on other days we are articulating the environmental value of wind turbines or fighting against inequity in the justice system. I’m continually reminded that our work makes ripples in society. Our creativity helps steer culture–a massive privilege which cannot be taken lightly. Because of this, we must continue to make space for unique perspectives and marginalized voices in our field. It’s that diversity in thinking that moves culture forward. At Colossus, our growth and evolution over this past year has left us all feeling incredibly energized for the future. It’s an exciting time to be a creative mind.
We are seeing an increased focus on Package Design to advance the brand, tell the story, amplify the experience, forge an emotional connection. Do you agree with this observation and, if so, what advantages does packaging have over other graphic communications?
My appreciation for packaging can be traced back to my father’s jazz record collection. I’d obsess over the typography of Miles Davis and the geometric collages of Dave Brubeck. The visual storytelling set the mood long before the needle hit the wax. Color, typography, illustration, and other elements make mundane products like olive oil and house paint worthy of public display. Unboxing videos show consumers gushing over the intricacies of die-cuts, subtle shine of spot varnish, and clever copy on packaging inserts. An affinity once shared only by designers now commands appreciation by the masses.
