Keith is the man who built the Subservient Chicken. There. We said it. He hates it when we say that. He’s pretty humble. But it’s true. And it only took him like a week. Keith Butters is a co-founder of The Barbarian Group and serves as executive creative director. He is a founder of the company, and the architect of almost every astonishing front end Flash design project we’ve done, and has been heading up much of our software development as well.

Keith serves as chief “woah that was hella complicated” Flash guy, specializing in inventing new stuff, interacting with databases in ridiculously complex manners, and making interfaces that you didn’t really think could be so clean. In conjunction with Toby Boudreaux, The Barbarian’s technical director, Keith has been specializing on “the perfect marriage of back end to front,” seamlessly bending complex technology with simple, compelling creative to create a unified, functional site that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Prior to joining The Barbarian Group, Keith served as an art director at Identity One, where he oversaw the GM/Hummer Autoshow and corporate sites. Prior to joining Identity One, Keith worked at Arnold Worldwide as a Flash designer, and, before that, Circle.com, where he worked with such clients as Volkswagen, Bell Atlantic/Verizon, Massachusetts General Hospital, Ocean Spray, Fleet and The American Legacy Foundation (thetruth.com).

Keith was the lead designer and programmer on the VW Microbus site, winning a Clio and appearing in the Communication Arts 2001 interactive annual. He also worked on the VW/Atom Films site, and the VW Autoshow 2001.

Keith attended the University of Iowa, where he received a BA in Media Production and Film and Psychology.