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Creative Direction

TED KUSIO — CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Building and leading teams to create digital experiences that move people into action — by pushing past the obvious and building systems that scale.

CASE STUDIES
01 CenturyLink to Lumen brand transformation Major B2B Rebrand - Lumen Technologies → 02 Creative and development teams working in partnership From Silos to Partnership - Lumen Technologies → 03 Stand Up for Science virtual rally banner Takin’ It to the Screens - Stand Up for Science →
01 — WHAT I DO

About

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.

01/1

Creativity

Get their attention, then earn the action

Read the room — short, urgent messaging for a rally; interactivity for a 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

01/2

Technology

Make the tech work harder, not just load

Dynamic creative — work that adapts and responds instead of shipping one-size-fits-all

Bridge the dev and creative gap — translate between both instead of referring between them

Accessibility — without sacrificing the creative vision

01/3

Leadership

Lead the way I’d want to be led

Teams that help each other — shared expertise, shared load

Servant leadership — clear obstacles, amplify overlooked voices, get out of the way

Hiring that multiplies — built a Silver B2B Marketing Team of the Year

02 — WHAT I SHIPPED, AND WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE

Experience

Two parts: the big hits + the work

02/1 — EXPERIENCE

Select high­lights

Launched Digital Wheelie to work directly with progressive, mission-driven people, movements, and orgs SITE → Creative strategy and visual direction for three online rallies at Stand Up for Science CASE STUDY → Led the complete CenturyLink-to-Lumen rebrand: 1,300+ assets, under seven months CASE STUDY →
Digital presentation for Vogue’s ad team that led to record ad sales
Launched the New York Times paywall campaign
Taught at Canisius University and City University of New York, and led training at many companies
Won a Bronze Telly for Lumen/Cisco Better Together ANNOUNCEMENT →
Led the Lumen team that won Silver B2B Marketing Team of the Year, 2021
Took 1st and 2nd Place Buffalo News Advertising Awards for one of Buffalo’s first dynamic web ads
Built systems and processes for Creative and Development Teams to actually collaborate at Lumen CASE STUDY →
02/2 — EXPERIENCE

Design samples

02/3 — EXPERIENCE

Companies I worked with

03 — WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT ME

Endorsements

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

04 — HOW TO CONTACT ME

Let's talk and build awesome stuff together!

Creative direction, design, team leadership, connection, feedback, rants, raves... Write it and send it.