Brand Creative & Senior Designer with a record of success in creating transformative branding systems, leading creatives and collaborating with cross-functional partners.






I’m a strategic, thoughtful and results-driven Art Director/ Senior Designer specializing in brand design, art direction and graphic design for small-to-high profile projects. I have 10 years of experience working for Mattel on the iconic Barbie brand where I demonstrated my keen ability to infuse the heritage brand with fresh, on-trend creative solutions tailored for global markets.


Additionally, I’ve worked within the fashion, youth sports and publishing industries. I excel at creative leadership whether I’m art directing photo teams, illustrators and graphic designers, or engaging with in-house teams, remote workers, and outside contractors.


From initial concept to final design, at the heart of my process is my commitment to fully listen, ideate, and collaborate with my project partners in order to deliver high-performing design solutions.


My diverse talents, top notch experience, boundless vision, and unwavering passion for purposeful design, make me your perfect creative partner.











I know a
thing or two
about a
thing or two....





Servant

Leadership:


In my world, it is essential to focus on the needs of others. It empowers people to reach their full potential. This can lead to a number of benefits for individuals, teams, and organizations, including: Increased Moral, Enhanced Collaboration, Increased innovation, Improved decision-making.



Art

Direction:


Communicating clear direction and providing tangible creative guidelines on branding, page layout, color stories, photography and visual design are powerful tools to help create a visual narrative that tells a story or conveys a message.



Integrated

Campaigns:


Communicating clear direction and providing creative guidelines on branding, page layout, color stories, photography and visual design are powerful tools to help create a visual narrative that tells a story or conveys a message.






Honors
and
Awards....





Mattel,

Challenger Award


One of the proudest moments of my design career was getting the prestigious Challenger Award in innovation from Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, for my work on the Color Reveal line which saw tremendous market success.


This award is designed to recognize those who challenge the status quo and demonstrate achievements with significant impact in collaboration, innovation and execution.


And I’ll thought I’d love to claim most of the credit for introducing a whole new concept to market in record speed. It really did take a village!



Mattel,

Play to Grow Award


The Mattel Play to Grow Award for my work on the Barbie Entertainment line "Spy Squad" was an true honor to receive.


Because of its complex marketing strategy, this project created several obstacles. Which were resolved by going above and beyond commitment to excellence and relentless creativity.


The finished product of the entertainment property was very well received within the organization as well as in our global markets.



GD USA,

Package Design Award


It's always humbling to have your work published and recognized by industry leading publications. I was fortunate to work on a huge number of packaging projects for the Barbie brand, which provided a platform for design forward thinking and execution


My multiple award-winning projects reflect my unwavering dedication to quality, my love of art direction and design, and my ability to collaborate successfully with cross-functional teams.



GD Student,

“Best of Show” Award


I was chosen and honored by a panel of industry executives in the Los Angeles area from a convention floor crowded with graphic design student in Long Beach California, for showing the strongest body of work inside the event.


As a graphic design student, this was an exciting and unexpected experience, and I wear it as a feather in my cap because it was the moment that catapulted me into my design career through my first position at Score Sports.



I'm also
a real
human....






I recently relocated from Whittier, California to Tyler, which is nested in the piney woods of East Texas. Tyler is a small city surrounded by beautiful green rolling hills, lakes, and yes plenty of horses and cows.


I'm a passionate and adventurous soul that enjoys discovering the world around me through my camera lens and friendships. I treasure spending time with my family, going on road trips, and finding inspiration from my surroundings. I'm particularly obsessed with ghost signs and rusty old storefront signage.


Menswear, nutrition, fitness, friends, interior design, good books, and strong coffee are all equally exiting to me. In past lives I've been a taekwondo competitor, a skateboarder, an average football player, a musician who was in it for the drinks, a wedding photographer, and a Quinceñera videographer. But we won’t go there.


I’m a personal barber to my two sons, a ballroom dancer to my two girls, a disastrous Catholic (but I try) and a loving husband. I’m always looking for ways to improve and of course, I love BBQ!


But mainly I believe in being yourself, staying curious and making the most of each day.



© Alex Cadena 2023


562.441.9861 • Tyler, TX | Los Angeles, CA