Ted Kusio — Creative Technology Leadership

Pixels are just the beginning.
Ted Kusio

Creative Direction

Building collaborative teams and digital experiences that move people into action — buying, believing, sharing, showing up — by constantly pushing beyond the obvious, reaching for emerging tools and building scalable processes.

Case Studies

Reinventing CenturyLink as Lumen

From Silos to Partnership

From the Streets to the Screens
ABOUT

What I do

Building teams and digital experiences where creativity meets code, constantly pushing to create work that stands out

Creative direction is two jobs at once: find the idea worth chasing, and know enough about the tech to see if it'll actually hold up. My background — an aerospace engineering degree, years as a syndicated TV critic, hands-on design and development work, three decades leading teams — built that combination. It's less a résumé line than a habit: think it through critically before diving in, then lead a team that pulls in the right specialists to make it real.

I led rebrands for billion-dollar companies and creative for grassroots movements fighting for democracy and public health. Sometimes the win was millions in new revenue. Sometimes it was someone calling their rep before a vote. Different stakes, same job: find the exact hook — humor, urgency, clarity, simplicity — that earns someone's attention long enough to act, and know which one the moment calls for.

Now's our chance to build something that moves people. Let's roll up our sleeves and dance.

Creativity Get their attention, then earn the action
  • Read the room — short, urgent messaging for a rally; interactivity for a product launch; clarity and restraint when the stakes are real
  • Technical fluency adds to creative range — knowing what code can do expands what's worth pitching
  • Build systems, not one-offs — make sure it still works on project three
Technology Make the tech work harder, not just load
  • Dynamic creative — content and style that adapts and responds in the real world, not one-size-fits-all
  • Bridge the dev/creative gap — my tech foundation means I can translate between both, not just refer teams to each other
  • Accessibility — doesn't sacrifice creative vision
Leadership Lead the way I'd want to be led
  • Build teams that help each other — share expert capabilities and heavy, urgent workloads
  • Servant leadership — clear the obstacles, ensure psychological safety, advocate to amplify overlooked voices, then get out of the way
  • Strategic hiring that multiplies impact — from interns to seniors, including unicorn designer-developers; built a team that won Silver B2B Marketing Team of the Year
RECOMMENDATIONS

What people say about me

  • Ted's creativity elevated our work on the Lumen rebrand—he has a rare ability to turn complex ideas into clear, compelling designs. He doesn't just make things look great—he ensures they function beautifully, bridging design and technology thinking.

    David Ashton — ACD Copy, Lumen Technologies; David worked with me on the Creative Team

  • Ted is a fantastic creative mind and fast learner. He didn't just push our project forward—he kept generating new ideas that improved every product in the portfolio. A genuinely strong creative force.

    Callahan Krivanek — Director of Marketing, Lumen Technologies; Callahan was senior to me but didn't manage me

  • Ted excelled at turning creative concepts into reality. His Campaign-in-a-Box toolkit wasn't just creative execution—it required strategic thinking about real-world partner needs, and Ted delivered.

    Victoria Quintana — Marketing Leader, Lumen Technologies; Victoria worked with me but on different teams

  • Ted created space for exploration and encouraged ideas that helped the work grow. His leadership style taught me a lot about how to be a manager myself—he made me feel heard and supported.

    Tracy Zahn — Creative Design Manager, Lumen; Tracy reported to me, later became a peer

  • Ted constantly encouraged curiosity and pushed me to explore new ways to tell a story through design. His mentorship got me into motion design. He has that rare balance of creative vision and technical know-how.

    Ana Rivas — Senior Web & Visual Designer, Lumen; Ana reported directly to me

  • [Ted] excelled in implementing marketing and advertising campaigns from concepting designs to delivery. His reliability and organizational skills made him an indispensable asset to our entire Marketing team.

    Marina Carpenter — Web Art Director, Lumen; Marina reported to me

  • The rare quality that Ted has as a manager is he brings people of all departments and disciplines together.

    Aliya Robinson — Front-End Developer, Hook & Loop/Infor; Aliya reported directly to me

  • Ted possesses a unique combination of technical skill, creativity, curiosity, and general pleasantness. These traits made him a great manager, developer, and coworker.

    Lindsey Drake — Sr Director, Operations, Hook & Loop/Infor; Lindsey was senior to me

View complete, and more, recommendations on my LinkedIn profile.

Contact me

You can also reach me through LinkedIn.