Travis Lonigan
Director, Product Creation & Innovation, Century Martial Arts
Oklahoma City, OK
In My Own Words
Travis is a passionate and results-driven design and development leader who thrives on building and empowering high-performing teams. With a proven track record of driving brand strategy, product innovation, and go-to-market success, he believes that leadership is about harnessing the collective talents of a team to achieve remarkable outcomes. Equally important is team member empathy and commitment to the customer—understanding their needs, anticipating their expectations, and creating products that elevate their experience.
He graduated from the Art Center College of Design with a degree in Industrial Design, Transportation and currently leads Product Creation and Innovation for Century Martial Arts, a brand with an impressive history and commitment to outfitting schools and individuals with training equipment, bags, uniforms, and apparel.
He's had the privilege of designing and leading design and development initiatives for globally recognized brands, including Mercedes-Benz Smart, Walt Disney Imagineering, Johnson Controls Automotive Interiors, Volkswagen AG, BMW Designworks USA, Columbia Sportswear Company Footwear, Boeing Commercial Aircraft Interiors, L.L. Bean hard goods, and currently the diverse product assortment of Century Martial Arts. His expertise spans leading multidisciplinary teams across design, development, and merchandising—fostering collaboration, creativity, and excellence. He's known for his curiosity and willingness to participate to better understand customer context and pain points. His experience in diverse brands and industries provides him with proven frameworks and methodologies that drive results while optimizing workflows, implementing systems, reducing costs, and aligning product performance with stakeholder goals and elevated end-user experiences. He is committed to delivering innovative, high-quality products and experiences that strengthen the bonds between customers and brands.
Work Experience
Director of Product Creation & Innovation
Century Martial Arts2022 – Present
I’m actively leading and coaching a high-performing cross-functional team, enabling them to deliver innovative Research & Development concepts for combat sports.
+ Aligning stakeholders around customer-centered insights before initiating product improvements and validating new product concepts.
+ Driving assortment strategy through the commercialization of new products and apparel for athletes, Martial Arts schools, sporting goods channels, and fitness training.
+ Improving product margins (+4 to +7% annually) by reducing COGS across core product categories (Customs, Uniforms, Training Bags, & Training Apparel).
+ Leading a lean global Go-To-Market process enterprise-wide through process management, assortment strategy, product briefs, and design for manufacturing with factories in Bangladesh, China, Pakistan and the U.S. (Qty. = 250 - 275 New, Relist, and Third-Party items annual)
+ Driving $2M in new product commercialization/sales annually to realize new customer growth targets in e comm, wholesale, direct, fitness, and sporting goods channels with lower cost uniforms and gear and novel curriculum based training equipment.
+ Managing IP portfolio, ensuring state-of-the-art technologies, materials and constructions across product categories.
+ Responsible for department budget, project management, process improvements, technical packages, and value engineering.
+ Integrating connected technologies and unique user-experiences within combat sport products.
Design Manager/Sr. Design Manager of Hard Goods
L.L.Bean2015 – 2021
+ Directed design and seasonal trend, color, print, pattern and graphics within hard-goods categories, driving +1M in new customer acquisition and $600M in annual revenue. (2020-2021)
+ Delivered on sustainable materials and circularity goals for new and existing private label items, achieved 60% sustainable materials in Travel & Sport/Equip categories.
+ Coordinated cross-category collaborations, optimizing product aesthetics, color, materials, and finish, constructions, and achieved margin targets.
+ Led talent development, ensuring design teams met all milestone deliverables, maintained high technical standards, and managed information in FlexPLM.
Industrial Design Manager, Boeing Commercial Aircraft
TEAGUE2013 – 2015
+ Catalyst for improved experiences in next generation Boeing 737, 747, 777X and 787 aircraft cabins (including DoD P8 Poseidon, Starliner Spacecraft).
+ Managed design, human factors, and insights teams, proposing and delivering advanced concepts, integrated technologies, and improved human factors for Boeing aircraft, Department of Defense projects, and space exploration. (22 direct reports)
+ Oversaw projects from concept definition to final design, including First, Business, and Coach Class, lavs, galleys and crew rests. (~65 projects annually)
+ Collaborated with Boeing stakeholders & Chief Architect, engineering teams, and suppliers to ensure high-quality execution (technologies, class A surface, and Color, Material, & Finish) and strict adherence to timelines.
Sr Footwear Designer / Design Manager: Performance Footwear
Columbia Sportswear Company2008 – 2013
+ Designed performance and casual footwear for Columbia, Montrail, and Sorel, focusing on innovative materials and construction.
+ Led design projects for uppers, outsoles, midsoles, and footwear components enhancing product performance and aesthetics.
+ Collaborated with sponsored athletes to achieve lighter, faster, and supportive solutions for trail running, day hiking, thru-hiking, backpacking, and scrambling.
+ Drove market-leading performance trends, colors, materials, constructions, compounds, user-insights for core trail, watersport and winter categories ensuring high-performance athlete validated footwear.
Associate Creative Director
Ziba Design2006 – 2008
Led innovative design projects for brands including Coca-Cola, Citi Group, Logitech, Proctor & Gamble, and Newell-Rubbermaid, focusing on elevated customer experiences and segmentation through new technologies, Color, Material, & Finish, UX/UI, industrial design, rapid prototyping, proof-of-concept, and product commercialization.
Creative Director
Designworks, A BMW Group Company2004 – 2005
Directed advanced design initiatives for commercialization with key stakeholders from Carver & Marquis Motor Yachts, Celebrity Cruise Lines, Embraer, and Pilatus Aircraft.
Senior Designer
Volkswagen of America, Inc2000 – 2004
+ Led VW Design Strategy team - proposing new vehicle concepts to executive leadership.
+ Designed innovative vehicle concepts for VW platforms, including the New Beetle face-lift, exterior proposals for Jetta, Passat, Polo, Scirocco and interior production concept for the Seat Ibiza.
Principal Designer Johnson Controls Interior Group
Johnson Controls1998 – 2000
Contributed to designer vision for OEM interior trims and components in Ford, Lincoln, Dodge RAM, Jeep, and Chrysler, vehicles and trucks including overhead consoles, headliners and features, lighting, and in-vehicle storage.
Concept Designer
Walt Disney Imagineering1997 – 1998
Concept artist reporting to Eddie Sotto, Senior V.P. of Concept Design. Focus on new rides and theme park attractions in Disneyland Tomorrowland, Disney World Tomorrowland, and EPCOT.
Automotive Designer
Mercedes-Benz AG1994 – 1997
Created production and advanced automotive concepts and elements for the Smart ForTwo Coupe and Cabriolet.
Automotive Designer
GEMBALLA GmbH1996 – 1996
Collaborated with founder Uwe Gemballa to realize his vision for the Gemballa “Extremo” supercar based upon a Porsche 911 GT2.
Education
Undergraduate Studies
Pacific Lutheran University1987 – 1989
Skills: College Recruiting · Design Management · Management · Product Innovation
Bachelor of Science
ArtCenter College of DesignGraduated with honors Transportation Class representative to faculty - Senior Year Sketch-help teacher, Part-time - Senior Year
