Hi, my name is Phil Padilla. I was born in Santa Cruz, California, moving to Seattle with the family clan at the age of ten. On Sundays we used to gather around the TV, all twelve of us (yup, 12!), and watch the Simpsons. I began to draw the characters as we watched, the outcome even shocked myself. From this point on, I had found a love for art, but not simply the art, it was the creation portion that had my attention.
This trend followed me into high school, where I blindly walked head-first into a Graphic Communications course. I quickly embraced this opportunity and became the go-to guy for all school functions collateral, t-shirts, event flyers, fundraisers and more. This is where I learned that art can be so much more than a piece in a museum or gallery. My door had just opened to the lifetime love with computers and graphic software.
While attending SCCC, I learned to network and expand my skill set beyond the basics. I had begun taking on outside work for friends and family, this is where I learned what it really meant to run a business doing freelance design work.
My first real opportunity was with a small company ‘Seattle Menu’. Within the first year they were acquired by American Printing & Publishing, and my world opened up. This is where I learned how to hustle, how to consistently crank out quality work at a high level. We specialized in print collateral for large national restaurant groups, and with an in-house print production facility, my print production education was fast tracked.
From there, I eventually took the leap, and ventured out on my own freelance adventure. This is where I nurtured my creative growth, diversified my portfolio, and partnered with many Seattle area agencies. My specialty quickly grew into multiplatform branding systems intended for the biggest stage – retail. I worked with brands such as Starbucks, Target, Brooks, Clarisonic, Microsoft, Philips and more.
When an opportunity came along to partner with Kenna Media as their Art Director, I welcomed the change, and with it came partnerships with brands such as Pokémon, Gold’s Gym, and Live Purple. With this role came the responsibility to spearhead the entire creative process from end-to-end, while also being able to lead a team to a common goal. This work lead to strong partnerships, which transitioned my career into my role, currently held today.
I love what I do, the passion is real. I am a firm believer in falling in love with the process, and finding the right visual solution to meet business goals. Once the process is trusted – it will push your creativity to places you have never imagined.
Please, do not hesitate to drop me a line. I love talking about design, strategy, execution and all the other decisions that revolve around it.
