KERRI SPERO, a visual information specialist for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, in the U.S. Navy’s Graphics and Digital Imaging branch, in Newport, is the recipient of the Navy Civilian Graphic Designer of the Year Award. She also received an award in the Graphic Design-Animation category. Spero worked for four years at the U.S. Naval War College before serving the last four years at NUWC. She joined the U.S. Air Force as a visual information specialist in 2002, and attended her initial graphic arts training at the Defense Information School in Fort Meade, Md. She also studied visual arts at Roger Williams University and in the Rhode Island School of Design’s Continuing Education program.
What does it mean to receive the Navy Civilian Graphic Designer of the Year Award and an award in the Graphic Design-Animation category? The panels of judges are peers of our profession, so it’s an honor to be recognized by this program. Our team took home a few other media awards, so it’s great to be part of an innovative, and now, award-winning team.
What role do you play as a visual information specialist in the Navy? I provide a variety of graphics and imaging services for all levels of the command to include original visual treatments for printed publications, electronic display or exhibits, and the visual aspects of video productions. Additionally, I provide policy advice, guidance and recommendations on matters affecting the Graphics and Digital Imaging branch, which supports approximately 5,000 personnel in the division. Many of the projects we work on are highly technical concepts, so I love using visual means to make them recognizable and understandable.
Are there any interesting projects that you are currently working on, and what do those involve? Last month, I worked on a series of quarterly calendar designs in collaboration with NUWC’s Federal Women’s Program. I created four custom illustrative scenes, one for each quarter of the year, depicting women in Naval science, technology, engineering and mathematics, for a campaign called the “Rise of Professional Women at NUWC.” The style of the illustrations [was] inspired by the Work Projects Administration posters of the 1930s. That project has been one of my favorites so far.
How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted you personally and professionally? We are no longer working in the office, so we can’t just stop by someone’s desk to share an idea quickly. Sometimes it’s just a fleeting moment, not important enough to write a whole email asking someone which font looks better, for example. … I miss bouncing ideas and in-person collaborations between our team.
The pandemic, personally, has influenced how I relate to others and has forced me [to] reevaluate what I consider most valuable in life, and that’s my health, my family and friends. It’s also an opportunity to grow and develop by allowing a time of struggle to pave the way for new ways of life and to remember to slow down a little bit.