Tony is available for hire
Hire TonyTony Phillips
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Location
Louisville, CO, United States
Toptal Member Since
October 9, 2017
Tony has more than 15 years of experience within several ad agency environments designing interactive experiences for big brands such as Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Chiquita, 3M, Verizon, and more. Most recently, he lead a team of Product Designers as the UX Director, building apps and enterprise solutions. He’s comfortable in Agile environment. Tony loves mentoring and also enjoys illustrating, presenting, and inspiring. WillWork2Create.com
Work Experience
User Experience Director/Creative Director
2016 - 2017
Exadel
- Led a team of Product Designers through projects including enterprise applications, responsive websites, mobile apps, and collaborating with investors/startups to develop ideas for potential technologies.
- Spearheaded the full rebrand of the global company, developing new logos, styles, guidelines, and tone.
- Designed an architecture for a collection of online scientific journals, publishing scientific articles. The architecture was plotted out using Axure, while collecting and planning requirements with the client directly. A modern, readable design followed architecture.
- Performed a usability study of a major toll road company's plate review software and staff. My team and I conducted user interviews, built personas, and performed prototyping exercises with actual users.
- Worked with my team and the C-Level staff at Exadel to develop my team and team members, plotting career paths for those interested. In addition to advancement, I also worked with other Directors to advance processes across the company and I advocated and evangelized for User Centered Design approaches to software development.
- Collaborated with startup clients, developing investor materials for them and creatively assisting them in exploring and developing their ideas - often times creating conceptual deliverables, such as clickable demos, comps and mockups, and even wireframes.
Technologies: Skype, Slack, InVision, Sketch, Axure, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Senior Interactive Art Director
2014 - 2016
Motive
- Led digital projects, driving IA, UX, design, and best practices. Worked with clients such as Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Vans Natural Foods, Amp, Sierra Mist, Tyson, and more.
- Designed a promotional, responsive platform for Gatorade called Sweat With the Best. I was responsible for planning and designing everything from IA to building a fully functional prototype in Axure - which I performed Usability Testing with to iterate. I also handled the Visual Design, working directly with the clients at all times.
- Created a micro-site for Mountain Dew during a promotional engagement with the second Avengers movie. The site focused around the heroes powers and their character details allowing fans to interact with them in a digital environment, collecting powers, and winning prizes.
- Directed and managed the social media design for Vans Natural Foods. Each month we developed a social content calendar, which i designed all posts for. Several categories of branded content existed, meaning I was responsible for maintaining visual interest while continuing consistency.
- Contributed to, and lead, several other projects within the agency, including campaign ideation, brainstorming, conceptual deck construction, and print and display advertising design.
- Redesigned the agency's website, working with all facets of the agency to compile work examples and content, while plotting out architecture and design.
Technologies: Microsoft PowerPoint, Skype, Slack, InVision, Sketch, Axure, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Senior Interactive Art Director
2012 - 2014
Proof Advertising
- Served as the Lead Digital Designer on the creative team. I contributed and lead all digital projects and worked with clients such as 3M, Huwaei, San Antonio Tourism, Baylor University, and more.
- Designed and architected a new responsive website for Visit San Antonio. The website was poised to do more than the typical tourism site, delving into giving relative context to users as they explored attractions and things to do in San Antonio.
- Created a primarily digital campaign for 3M, exploring the technologies offered in their telecom division. Collaborated with contractors to sketch and direct 3D modeling, and video and audio production of several commercial video segments that would live on 3M's website.
- Continually participated in pitches, designing concept work that drove presentations and won work.
Technologies: Microsoft PowerPoint, Skype, Slack, InVision, Sketch, Axure, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Creative Director
2012 - 2012
Heyo
- A startup company, Lujure needed to rebrand itself to better match it's product, a Facebook page builder. I led the small company through a rebranding exercise, resulting in a new logo and identity - Heyo.
- During my short time here, I also began building out the Creative Team by interviewing and hiring candidates.
Technologies: Microsoft PowerPoint, Balsamiq, Skype, Slack, InVision, Sketch, Axure, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Interactive Art Director
2007 - 2012
Modea
- Served in a variety of roles from managing a team of production designers to an Interactive Art Director. While here, I worked with clients such as Verizon, Chiquita, Levelor, Graco, Advance Auto, and more.
- Designed a promotional micro site for Chiquita, focused around their Healthy Snacks products - packaged, sliced apples and other fruits. This website needed to look and feel fresh, and attractive - winning over potential new customers as they're introduced to this new product line.
- Architected and designed an interactive campaign, bringing awareness to Chiquita's offering of avocados. The concept was mainly a game, where each participant could move the avocado 'Football Player' down the field to score coupons and other potential prizes through sharing and other game mechanics.
- Concepted and designed the winning pitch idea and presentation to bring Chiquita through the door. We knew we needed to focus on moms and their kids' lunches, so I centered the pitch around a character brought to life in the form of a Brown (lunch) Bag named Baggy Marón.
- Iterated and improved a how-to experience for Verizon wireless users. This interactive tool, primarily built in Flash, offered simulations on how to navigate and operate features within any potential phone.
Technologies: Microsoft PowerPoint, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, Skype, InVision, Axure, Apple Keynote, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Adjunct Faculty
2011 - 2011
Virginia Tech
- Taught a Senior-level course at Virginia Tech on Web Design. Led the class through a typical UX workflow of an interactive project, educating them on the proper steps of IA, UX, usability, and design.
Technologies: Apple Keynote, Axure, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Education
2008 - 2010
Master of Art Degree in Interactive Design
Savannah College of Art and Design - Savannah, GA
1999 - 2003
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design
Virginia Tech - Blacksburg, Virginia
Experience
Tools
Collaboration That Works
How to Work with Toptal
Toptal matches you directly with global industry experts from our network in hours—not weeks or months.
1
Share your needs
Discuss your requirements and refine your scope in a call with a Toptal domain expert.
2
Choose your talent
Get a short list of expertly matched talent within 24 hours to review, interview, and choose from.
3
Start your risk-free talent trial
Work with your chosen talent on a trial basis for up to two weeks. Pay only if you decide to hire them.
Top talent is in high demand.
Start hiring