Creative Characters S6 E7: John Trauscht on what it takes to design at Pixar.

“ Only people can express what it’s like to be human. AI can only imitate that. ”

John Trauscht.

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Podcast

On Creative Characters, we meet creative people working at the intersection of type and everyday life. You can listen below, or on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and wherever quality podcasts are available.

What does it take to bring a Pixar film to life for audiences around the world? 

In this episode host Bill Connolly sits down with John Trauscht, Senior Graphic Designer at Pixar Animation Studios, to explore the craft behind adapting films for global audiences and the creative mindset that makes it all possible. 

From designing band posters to shaping global Pixar films, John’s career has been consistently artistic but not exactly linear. He shares how collaboration, critique, and “creative surfing” help bring stories to life across languages and why humans are still central to storytelling. 

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