Phil is a cultural designer and creative leader.
Phil Otto is a cultural anthropologist and designer. His work investigates the relationship between design, architecture, art and culture to make meaningful connections between people, their communities and the built environment. After completing his training in cultural anthropology at Stanford, he began working as a creative leader on projects for museums, retailers and developers. Through these interrelated experiences, Phil arrived at his unique approach to culturally informed projects that create emotional connection with people.
Phil has had the privilege to work with some of the premier brands in the world, including Anthropologie, Coca-Cola International, Levi’s, Nike, Undefeated, The North Face, Free People, Urban Outfitters, REI Co-op, and Ingka Centers for IKEA to name a few.
He has been a featured speaker for ICSC, AIGA, SEGD and TechCrunch. He also teaches brand concept for undergraduates and design issues for Master’s in Architecture candidates at the Design Art Architecture and Planning program at the University of Cincinnati.
Phil is currently Executive Design Director for KTGY as well as a member of the leadership team for the AIA Retail and Entertainment Knowledge Center. Mr. Otto’s approach to placemaking puts the human element first, combining cultural research with a designer’s eye, resulting in exemplary retail destinations.