How to become an Art Director

In the creative world there are so many similar ringing functions (creative art director, design director, creative lead, project manager, visual designer, production designer … etc.) that one can get dizzy. Of all the roles in the creative world, that of art director is a particularly important one, but it’s also a role that is shrouded in mystery. Unless you’re an art director, you probably have no idea what exactly we’re doing. (Do we direct films about art? Do we guide artists in creating new things? What does art direction actually mean ?)

Let’s clear up this mystery once and for all. I’m the art director at designs and I’m here to lift the curtain and show you what an art director does, how it’s different from other roles, and how to become an art director yourself (if that’s what you want ).

What does an art director do?

In short, an art director acts as a bridge between the designer and, depending on the situation, the executive team and the client. We take corporate goals from non-designers and work with designers to come up with creative ways to implement them with the help of art. It’s a mix of providing project funding, scheduling, design know-how, human resource management and liaising between designers and entrepreneurs to manage expectations and provide clarity. It’s a diverse, fast-paced and exciting role.

For example, let’s say our marketing director needs a design for a new initiative the company will launch in the next quarter. As the art director, I sit down with the marketing people and get an idea of ​​how they think the whole thing. Then I create a schedule of how and when what has to happen so that we can make it to the deadline in time, bring in the right designers and production artists and manage the project from start to finish. In between, I provide direction and support for the designers, manage the marketing director’s expectations (for example, if they want a revision that goes beyond the planned timeframe or scope, I’ll let them know) and make sure that everything is on time and ready before the deadline is.

How does an art director differ from other roles in the creative world?

As I said, there are many similar-sounding roles in the creative world and one question I get asked over and over again is, “How is an art director different from other roles in a creative company?” Let’s see so let’s briefly.

Most often people confuse “art director” and “creative director”. And that also makes total sense, because the differences between the two are relatively subtle.

First of all, a company doesn’t always have a creative director and an art director. Then the responsibilities usually rest with one of the two (so if a company has only one creative director, he will take care of the tasks that are normally associated with an art director, and if a company only has one art director, he also takes care of the duties of a creative director). When a company has both, a creative director is one step above the art director; a creative director manages the art director and his projects in addition to the creative direction of other company areas.

Another question is, “Is an art director different from a graphic designer?” And, to put it bluntly, the answer is yes – something completely different.

An art director might come from a graphic design background, but once he moves in the direction of art direction the amount of designs he actually does tend to decrease; instead, he spends more time strategizing, project management, and directing designers. Graphic designers are less concerned with the managerial responsibilities and instead spend most of their time on the “front lines” thinking about actual designs to bring the concept of the art director to life.

What does it take to become an art director?

Design Know-how

You don’t necessarily have to be a designer to be a successful art director (many art directors were copywriters before). But you need a lot of design know-how to be able to manage design teams, processes and projects. Let’s say you can’t design a website, for example, but you know how to design a website and what is possible and what isn’t, which allows you to create reasonable expectations in the customer and not make promises that you and your designers cannot deliver.

It is also important to have an overall understanding of the various areas of design; not every project is going to be the same, so you need to be just as familiar with running a website project as running a complete company rebrand or advertising campaign.

Time management

At its core, Art Direction is a really complicated dance with time management. You need to be able to look at a project and figure out how long it will take, at what point progress reports are due, how many revisions are needed, how the place people are is affecting it Project will have (if you work with designers in different time zones, for example), how each component of the project affects the rest of the schedule … There is a lot to take care of. If you are an exceptional time management talent – and more importantly, can keep people on track – you will succeed as an art director.

It’s impossible to have a plan for every scenario that might arise during a project (wouldn’t that be great ?!), so it’s important for an art director to have a contingency plan in case something goes wrong (which will inevitably happen at some point).

Budget planning

Another task of the art director is budget planning for a project. Therefore, you have to be the kind of person who can plan time and resources properly, understands where to save costs and where to invest. And you have to make sure that your team sticks to budget as the project progresses.

Human resource management

As an art director, you will have a team of designers, production artists, and creative talents working under you. And if you want to be a successful art director, you have to know how to manage these people – and manage them well.

Great art directors know how to motivate a team to do their best work; they understand where each team member fits best on a project, how to play out their strengths, and how to help them become a better designer. You can provide constructive feedback without being overly strict, you can stick to deadlines without overwhelming your team, and create a positive experience for everyone involved.

They also know how to get the designers to identify with their projects. The way they phrase the project not only communicates how important the project is to the company, but also how important the designer is to the project, which creates a certain level of engagement with the design team and moves the project forward.

Basically, they’re great managers, and if you want to be a great art director, successful management skills are essential.

Finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the design world

This is not a skill per se, but it is helpful. If you want to be a successful art director, it’s important to have your finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the design world. Things can change quickly and there is always a new design program, trend or strategy and if you are not up to date on these things, the projects you lead will feel stale and outdated.

How to develop these skills

Now you know the skills you need to become an art director. But how exactly do you develop this?

The skills you need to develop to be successful as an art director come from learning by doing. Start by looking at potential projects where you can hand off work to other designers and work with them to bring the project to life. This can be a personal project, or (if you want to take the risk) a client’s project. The key is to be less concerned with the design and instead manage other designers during the design process.

If you don’t have the opportunity to outsource work to other designers, try setting up a design review group. Gather a group of designers who all work independently on projects and come together to evaluate each other’s work and provide feedback. You will learn how to give and receive feedback – an important skill as an art director – and you will be able to experiment a bit before actually passing work on to other designers.

Finally, if you’re already a designer, bring strategy into your conversations with clients. Ask them questions to understand exactly what they are trying to achieve and make suggestions accordingly. They may have come to you to design a brochure for a meeting, but your design expertise may enable you to tell them that a postcard or landing page would better suit their needs.

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The typical career path of an art director

Okay, so we’ve talked now about what an art director does, how it differs from other roles, and what skills you need to become an art director. Now let’s talk about how this looks in action.

There is no single career path for an art director. Some start out as graphic designers and slowly work their way up and take on more responsibilities until they reach the level of art director.

Others start out as copywriters who work closely with the design team and slowly come to the realization that they like management more than copywriting. And still others start with a small company, where they have a lot of responsibility, and stumble into the role of art director on the side.

My career path to art director has taken me in many different directions. After doing a lot of things as a freelancer at the beginning of my career, I started my first full-time job at a web design and motion graphics studio. Over the years I’ve expanded my skills and worked in graphic design, print, branding, videography, and photography for various advertising, gaming, and tech companies. Over time, I started managing and tutoring additional designers and copywriters, and found that I was really enjoying myself.

The point is, it doesn’t matter which path you go to become an art director. If you have the skills, design knowledge and experience, you can pursue a career as an art director.

And what about the possibilities? As an art director, you have it. As an art director, you can work in a company, as a freelancer or consultant, or you can work for an agency where you have the opportunity to work with different clients. And when it comes to industries, there are no limits; From design studios to corporations to advertising agencies and B2B / B2C companies all need an art director.

Steer yourself into a career as an art director

Hopefully this article has given you a little insight into what an art director does and what you need to go that route. And while the art director job is the perfect career for me (seriously, I love it), let me say that it isn’t for everyone.

Many graphic designers think that they need to go to art director in order to advance in their careers. And that’s true. It can be a big step in your career. But you shouldn’t climb a certain ladder just because someone told you this is the next step! Before you decide to embark on a career as an art director, you need to make sure that it is right for you. As I said before, you do less design work than art director. So, if you love the design process and enjoy getting your hands dirty in Photoshop 24/7, this is probably not the career for you.

But on the other hand, if you love the strategic side of creative work and enjoy managing all of the moving parts involved in creative projects, the art director’s job is for you and you have a long, fulfilling journey ahead of you.