Phil Barrera BW Meet Phillip Barrera, a senior art director and web developer, as well as a Brand Architect™ whose canvas at Spiro & Associates came on the cusp of decades of graphic design, printing and mentoring services. Known as the go-to guy for projects that come with a quick turnaround, he maintains office morale with weekly industry-based satirical cartoons and Taco Tuesday celebrations. And if that is not enough to intrigue prospective clients, Phil is also self-taught in web development, hence the add-on to his job title. But to truly capture the essence of this denim-wearing, mac-and-cheese-loving, buzz-cut-sporting artist, we must cram a lot of details into a few short words.

 

A Successful Career … And Still Going

So, where does Phil’s motivation come from, you wonder? To start, he worked at an art institute, assisting professors, as well as lecturing and training graphic-design students on Macintosh platforms and portfolio preparation. Even now, Phil considers that to be one of the fondest time periods of his career, because he helped young people expand upon their creativity.

From there, he branched off into a range of industries, such as print shops, design studios, national and international publishers, pre-press departments, corporate art departments, advertising agencies and nonprofit organizations, that gave him the opportunity to hone some highly involved technical skills. This includes leading the art department at a local nonprofit organization, where Phil initiated a rebranding project of extensive marketing research, creative writing and storytelling, logo development and website development.

Phil’s last stop before becoming an ever-popular Brand Architect was at one of the largest advertising and marketing firms in the region, where he guided the art department through 10 years of award-winning, renowned and graphically appealing campaigns.

 

From Class to SASS

Then, Phil came to his senses and applied for a job at the Agency. From his witty jokes to his can-do attitude, he is always there for our clients when they need a pick-me-up or a last-minute hand. On an average day, it is not unusual to find Phil off-site, hanging renderings at a sales center or providing a consultation via conference call. And when he returns, he is ready to create ads, log onto our evolving website and place finishing touches on anything and everything that makes its way to his desk … while playing some beloved tunes on his tablet — set to shuffle for the spontaneity of it, of course.

So, if you happen to see Phil decked out in a sombrero and thrift store shirt of some sort one of these days, smile and be proud to have him working for you … we know we are!