One thing I learned very early in my career

One thing I learned very early in my career.

The brands people love don’t just communicate information. They connect to something deeper. That realization started to form during my first job out of school.

When I graduated from ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, I had one goal: To work at Nike.

Art Center was often the conduit. The place that could get you there if you were lucky, good and worked hard enough. When I got the offer, I remember running around the house the house in excitement. It was my first job in design and it felt like I had made it.

Nike in those days was an incredible place. The quality of the designers was second to none. Nike had attracted some of the best designers in the world and put them under one roof. And I remember thinking as I packed my bags for Portland... how did I end up being one of them?

The place was as iconic as I had imagined. Work covered the walls. We worked on big, highly-visible projects. We felt like we we're on the leading edge of design. Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was to be in that environment so early in my career.

But I made a mistake. I wanted to impress. So I said yes to everything. Every project. Every opportunity. Every request.

I thought that was the way to prove myself. The projects got done. But it wasn't my best work. What I wish I had done instead was slow down a little. Look around. Absorb the creative energy in that place. Ask more questions. Ask for help.

Early in my career, I really thought I had to do it alone. But when I slowed down and started paying attention, something became clear. The best work around me wasn’t just technically great.

It connected to something deeper. Not just aesthetics or execution, but meaning. Something people could feel. Design works best when it pulls from the emotional center.

Sports make that obvious. And the athletes represented something larger than life. Grit. Determination. Passion. Commitment.

The best design at Nike tapped directly into those emotions. Not just what the product was. But how it made you feel.

That idea has stayed with me ever since. Because the brands people love don’t just communicate information.

They connect to something deeper. And when design does that well, it becomes more than graphics. It becomes meaning.

Looking back, a few things from those early Nike days have stayed with me:  Slow down. Stay curious. Ask questions. Pay attention to the people and ideas around you. And look for the emotional thread in the work.

Because the best design rarely comes from rushing.

It comes from understanding what people actually feel.

-John Trotter, Founder, Chief Creative Officer - March 12, 2026