Designer shares down-to-earth advice from heights of success

A graphic designer who has created and revitalized brands to international acclaim shared his grounded advice recently with graphic design students at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Todd True’s world has revolved around such companies as John Deere, FedEx, BP, Canadian Airlines and Johnson & Johnson, but he is connected locally – serving on the Advertising Art/Graphic Design Advisory Committee and being the father of a Penn College freshman. 

“Having a graphic designer with the breadth of experience that Todd has was an exciting opportunity for our students to learn from,” said Brian A. Flynn, assistant professor of graphic design and department head. “He is at the top of the graphic design industry; the knowledge that he was able to share will be invaluable to their development as designers.”

In Penn’s Inn on the second floor of the Bush Campus Center, True addressed Penn College’s graphic design students, sharing the evolution of his career and designs and advice on crafting meaningful work for a range of audiences.

A resident of Centre County, True is a co-founder of the creative agency, True Geist, along with Christina Geist, a New York Times bestselling author. The two were founding employees of Johnson & Johnson’s in-house global design team and are creators of Boombox, heralded as an “instant heirloom” on Oprah’s O List. 

True’s son, Jett, is enrolled in automotive technology management: automotive technology concentration.