Much of John Samels’ work is grounded in highly contrasted blacks and whites, giving his images a certain eye-catching severity. From this foundation, he’ll introduce a pop of color, like a neon chartreuse or an antique mauve, to draw his viewers into the message at hand. Samels is a multidisciplinary art director based in New York City who works on creative content across video and print platforms for a wide range of industries. Presently, he serves as the Creative Director for Colossal Media, leading their in-house creative agency, Colossal Studios, working closely with brands to turn murals, billboards, and activations into memorable experiences. 

From creating album covers for musical artists and posters for film and television productions, to collaborating with entertainment and culture-based commercial brands, Samels’ focus lies in image-making, photo and video direction, and typography. He has created imagery for brands, companies, and television networks including Converse, Vice, VH1, HBO, and Target, among others. Samels is sure to inject his gritty style, funky lettering, and masterful play on color into any given project—three essential elements that come together to not only catch your attention, but maintain it. Every client’s dream.

You can check out more of their work here. 

What is the first creative project you remember? 

My first design project was in 1999. I was a senior at a high school that focused on the arts, and I jumped at the chance to design an album cover for a student band. We had a few computers on campus with a very early version of Photoshop and I fell in love. 

Describe your aesthetic in three words. 

Clean, dirty, clean.

What was the most fulfilling collaboration you’ve worked on?

I have worked on a number of music collaborations. As a music creator myself, it has always been uniquely challenging yet fulfilling to approach designing content for another field to which I’ve contributed.

What’s one creative project that taught you something fundamental about yourself?

I think with all creative output there is a desire to be regarded and admired for the work you do, however with graphic design, I prefer to approach all decision making with the content in mind. I always want the design to be supportive without taking center stage. I have found this is also very much a part of my personality—I tend to make sure others around me are taken care of before I cater to my own needs. 

Do you think creativity is something you’re born with, or something you’re taught?

I think creativity is synonymous with curiosity, and we are all born with curiosity. What is learned is the implementation of creativity—whatever the skillset may be: painting, photography, fashion design etc. To make creative output one needs to be curious about doing things a different way, pushing against the status quo and declaring one’s personal vision based on what has been done before. That’s the process of finding your voice, and it takes courage, vulnerability, and determination to do well.

What’s the last dream you had?

Ha! Last night I had a dream that I was late for a meeting but I couldn’t get out of bed because my bed was made of pizza.

One hundred years from now, what do you hope people write about your work?

I think some design is inherently ephemeral and some is intended to be timeless. I hope they say my work deliberately oscillated between the two.

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