Chris Pastir is the kind of art director and creative thinker you want working on your brand communications. He’s as adept at composing web pages and digital elements as he is with layouts in traditional media like print and direct marketing.
Q: Where were you before you came to WCG?
I was an Art Director in Atlanta working at a small agency for six years, mostly working on real estate accounts.
Q: How do you get in the zone?
Music through a good pair of headphones. Everything from jazz and hip-hop to rock and reggae gives me creative focus.
Q: What pushed you to grow and move forward in your marketing career?
My love for graphic design. I learned Photoshop at Naples High School (shout out to Mr. Morrison!). That led to discovering graphic design. Once I found out I could make it a career, I was hooked.
Q: What is a problem that you encounter as an AD, and how do you usually solve it?
My first step is research, to understand what attracts the target audience, what has worked visually for similar brands and what hasn’t worked for the client. With all that info, any problem is a lot easier to solve.
Q: Where’s the most visually stunning place you’ve ever been?
The National Museum of Art in Washington DC.
Q: If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be?
Oil painting.
Q: Is there a celebrity or personality you shamelessly follow in the media?
I wouldn’t say shamelessly but industry-wise, it’s the podcast “Design Matters with Debbie Millman,” the art of Shepard Fairey and anything Aaron Draplin is up to.
Q: Can you share any “hacks” that help you generate ideas or concepts?
Sketching allows me to explore different ideas quickly. Graph paper is essential when I create custom fonts, icons and illustrations. It helps with symmetry, precision and the transfer of the graphic to the computer.
Q: What’s your superpower as an AD?
Staying current with the art, music, fashion and advertising worlds. As an Art Director, your style can’t get stuck in the past.
