art director presentation

5 Inspiring Art Director Portfolio Examples & Career Tips

Create an art director portfolio that fascinates clients and recruiters. Showcase your skills with no coding. Learn from the example of experts and build a website in no time.

• November 25, 2022

Art Director Portfolio Examples

• How to Create an Art Director Portfolio Online?

What Does an Art Director Do?

How to become an art director.

1. Laurène Boglio

Diverse skills, unified design . This portfolio features campaigns, games, animation, murals and personal drawings. She keeps the portfolio’s design consistent by using thumbnails in a grid view and a harmonious color palette.

Pro tip : If you work in various fields, take extra care to keep your portfolio cohesive. An art director portfolio is more than the pieces it contains: a well-designed website will showcase your design talent and eye for detail.

2. Leah Procko

Louder than words . Leah lets her designs speak for themselves. The minimalist but dynamic web design fits her aesthetics.

Pro tip: If writing copy is not your strength, quality photos and a strong emphasis on web design can help. Provide context with a single line and use a template that makes your photos stand out.

3. Paul Belford

Bragging rights. Paul made case studies the highlight of his agency’s portfolio. After all, an art director is more than an artist: your leadership and business skills are all relevant to your portfolio.

Pro tip : If you have some experience, feature it prominently. Collect testimonials, participate in competitions, get reviews. They will make your portfolio stronger.

4. Sagmeister and Walsh

In-your-face . The portfolio of Stefan Sagmeister & Jessica Walsh is packed with examples of their work. The animated full-screen images on their front page lead to massive photos and videos of their collaborative projects. The boldness of the design is cheeky and provocative.

Pro tip : Build your personal brand with your portfolio. Do you want it to be audaciously confident or elegantly restrained? Communicate your intention with web design. Coding can’t stop you with a tool built for art directors.

5. Lotta Niemien

All clued up . Lotta’s portfolio strikes a beautiful balance between text and image. The navigation is smooth and instinctive. The reader can easily access information not just on Lotta’s role in the projects, but her inspiration and artistic philosophy.

Pro tip: A text-heavy portfolio can be balanced by great UX design. Lead your reader’s eye as they navigate through your webpage. Break up the text into chunks for better readability and carefully edit your copy.

How to Create an Art Director Portfolio Online

One portfolio, a hundred questions. Follow our guide to cover all your bases.

What to Include in Your Art Director Portfolio

Whether you’re a junior or senior, the same advice applies. As you keep evolving, your portfolio grows with you.

1. Artworks

The artworks you include in your creative portfolio should be recent, relevant and representative of your aesthetics and skills.

• Recent Your portfolio is no place for nostalgia. While a past piece may have been formative, your portfolio is not to showcase your development, but the highest level of your current skills.
• Relevant Your portfolio has a purpose. Include artworks that serve that purpose. For example, if you want to work in graphic design, your typography skills will be more relevant than a cool animation you made for fun. Find specific tips on how to build a graphic design portfolio here.
• Representative Consider whether the occasion calls for a demonstration of the versatility of your art, or your expertise in a particular field or technique.

When you contemplate how many pieces to feature, consider how to create clickable subcategories so you don’t overwhelm your viewer. Think of your thumbnails as doors which lead to more content.

2. Appealing design

As the above examples show, your portfolio design gives you a great opportunity to display your skills as an art director.

These skills include:

• How you use a layout
• Your understanding of typography
• Organisational skills
• Eye for unified aesthetics

Finding a fitting art director portfolio template can save you a lot of time.

3. About me page

Your about me page should focus on your work. However, it’s not as detailed as your resume or cover letter .

Include the following:

• Your name Don’t be afraid to keep repeating your name: people should remember!
• A picture representing you If you’re camera-shy, make a quick doodle or take a picture that represents your aesthetics. This section is just about you, so only use your own work.
• Your job title …or your occupation. If you’re open to work, this is the place to mention it.
• Relevant keywords How would people search for your work? How do you want them to find you? Think about it as writing a summary in hashtags. If you feel lost, start by listing the techniques and styles you’re best known for, your niche, and perhaps the software you’re an expert of.

• Services If you offer services, briefly mention them, and link to a more detailed page. 
• Links Where can people find you? You can even link to your resume here that shows your career path with exact dates and company names.
• Contact information How can people reach you? Include a professional email address you check regularly.

Find more detailed tips on how to keep your bio brief but bombastic.

4. Case studies

Your case studies should focus on your process as an art director. Break your best projects down into steps and guide your reader from start to finish.

Don’t forget to provide context:

• Name of the client
• Client’s expectations and guidelines

Choose a problem-solution approach to show how you responded to the client’s issue with artistic solutions. Focus on unique requirements and challenges, such as a niche target audience or specific branding guidelines.

Include numbers and statistics whenever you can to support your stories. If you can create some great visuals for them, from charts to infographics, even better!

5. Testimonials

Testimonials should focus on the results you bring. A good testimonial should answer the following questions:

• What did your client think of your project?
• Why did they choose you?
• When was the project finished?
• How did it help their business?

These are the hero stories of your leadership skills. If you haven’t archived your achievements, reach out to past clients and coworkers and ask for veritable feedback.

Advice for Your First Art Director Portfolio

1. do it today.

Creating a portfolio can feel daunting. If you find yourself procrastinating, give yourself a challenge: see what you can build in just 20 minutes.

You can always polish up your portfolio later. A draft is better than an empty screen.

2. Get it reviewed

Gather your artsy friends, professional connections, past teachers or higher-ups you trust, and ask them for an honest review. Be prepared that their opinions will differ, even contradict. Listen mindfully, but don’t get too hung up on criticism.

A portfolio website is wonderfully flexible: you can experiment endlessly. Test what happens if you fine-tune some features.

3. Be mindful of your captions

If you’re a copywriting art director, writing your portfolio will be the easiest part. If you lean more towards the visual arts, writing copy can get challenging.

Collaborating with a professional may be a good idea. We’re also here to help. We’ll give you prompts and suggestions to guide you through your copy. Just don’t forget to check the spelling!

4. Consider password protection

If you’re ready to share your work and personal contact with the world, go for it. Otherwise, confidentiality is key–especially if you’re job-hunting and you don’t want your current company to know. There may be a hundred reasons why you’d rather share your portfolio with a select audience.

Password protection guarantees that only people you trust will have access to your portfolio, but you don’t lose any interactive features, image quality or shareability.

5. Make it part of your personal brand

Your portfolio can become the cornerstone of your personal brand. Your own website will always be better curated than social media. You have complete control over the content and design. Make sure that every aspect represents you as an art director, and have fun with it. Sure, most banners say “subscribe.” What would your banner look like?

As you can see from the portfolios of Laurène and the others, the job of an art director is a very versatile one.

Art Director Fields

Art directors work in the fields of:

• Design, especially graphic design
• PR, advertising, marketing
• Entertainment, including TV, movie, theater, animation, and gaming
• Publishing and illustration , from magazines to books

These diverse creative fields are tied together by their emphasis on aesthetics and visuals.

Art Director Definition

• As an art director, you’re both an artist and a leader. Your job is to turn ideas into strategy with a unified vision.
• You see the big picture and work across departments to solve problems with creative solutions.
• You apply your artistic skills to bring concepts to completion together with the creative team you manage.

Let’s take a closer look at the main responsibilities of an art director.

Top 9 Responsibilities of an Art Director

• Turn ideas into concepts, and concepts into final products.
• Prepare deliverables for the entire campaign. Sketches, storyboards, final drafts: an art director owns the entire process.
• Have a unified creative vision that helps you establish standards that adhere to the brand voice.
• Manage, lead and mentor your team. Establish their process and review their work.
• Be involved in marketing and create a strategy for your client’s niche target audience.
• Do collaborative work across departments, including collaboration with copywriters, artists, designers, marketers and salespeople.
• Keep in touch with clients and/or stakeholders, understand and adapt their needs and be able to communicate the project’s current state.
• Prepare presentations, briefs and reports to make communication with clients, stakeholders and collaborators easier.
• Establish realistic budgeting and timeline.

If this sounds like you, read on and learn how to become an art director, from the early steps of starting out to advanced career tips.

To become an art director, follow the rule of the three Es.

Three Steps to Become an Art Director

1. education.

Art directors are generally expected to have a bachelor’s degree in a creative field. You don’t specifically need to complete an art director program: any fields listed above can help you gain knowledge and develop skills, from advertising to graphic design. Earning a master’s degree can give you further advantage in the job market.

In some cases, considerable experience will make up for the lack of a college/university degree.

2. Experience

You’ll need at least 3-5 years of experience in the creative industry. Be prepared: even entry level positions may (paradoxically) require experience besides your qualifications and portfolio.  There are three ways to trick the system when you’re just starting out.

• Internships are a common way to get work experience. As these positions tend to be underpaid, you may want to consider doing an internship while you’re still studying, or be prepared to have a side-hustle. Toward the end of your internship, make sure that your company is prepared to hire you full-time, or start working for permanent positions.
• Contract work puts you in a safer position, as you’ll work for hire through an agency. Your chances for future full-time employment are also higher. Double-check your country’s rules and regulations regarding contract work, and always make sure that the paperwork is in order.
• Freelancing gives you the most control, but there are legal and financial risks involved. Collaborate with an experienced bookkeeper so that there’s no issue around your bills and taxes. To keep your finances steady, invest in marketing to reach clients.

Whether you’re an intern, a contractor or a freelancer, you’ll not only gain valuable experience, but get projects to proudly display in your portfolio.

Advance your career further and get a full-time managerial position as soon as you can.

3. Excellence

Education and experience are just the start. You’ll have to be driven by ambition and work harder than anyone else. Take ownership of your work, learn and teach, lift up others and seek out opportunities to advance your career and get promotions. You may want to apply for awards, do extra courses, or follow the career tips below.

Top 5 Art Director Career Tips

1. develop practical business skills.

Art director Michael Janda told Peachpit that most designers his company interviews lack ” business, client management, project management, process development, presentation, and art direction ” skills–and fail their interview.

You can learn these skills on the go if you seek more responsibilities in your workplace. Make a conscious effort to take initiative.Talk to your mentors, shadow meetings, take notes, and seek opportunities that involve managerial duties.

You can also find online courses, such as Google’s Project Management course or Linkedin Learning’s Develop Your Presentation Skills course.

2. Never abandon your craft

Divide your focus between practical business skills and artistic skills. Follow your passion and keep honing your creative skills . Learn new techniques, become proficient in your favourite software, follow trends, hit the books and master art history. You’ll be surprised how much help your local library or some digital wandering can provide.

The key is, of course, practice . You alone know your method and vision. Keep exploring what makes you extraordinary.

3. Network, network, network

Private and professional networking are both crucial for your development as an art director.

Join artistic communities online, from Discord to Reddit, to make genuine connections with fellow artists. Ask around and learn what they’re up to, get reviews for your work, learn from others and have loads of fun.

Visit local art galleries and clubs and be involved in the artistic scene of your community.

Professional networking mainly happens on Linkedin, Slack channels and at conferences. Always be prepared with an elevator pitch , i.e. the ability to explain who you are, what you do and what your most recent project is about in the time of an elevator ride. Some well-designed cards with your contact information, including a link to your portfolio website, will also come handy.

4. Perfect your job hunting skills

However accomplished and talented you may be, the ability to present your skills to a recruiter or a client is a skill in itself.

Career blogs are your best friends. Read about how to create an about you page that’ll get you hired, how to make the perfect creative resume or an outstanding portfolio. Speaking of which…

5. Share your work

Your work needs to be readily accessible with the full context of the projects and complete with your contact information. Ideally, you could pull it up on your phone. This is why we believe in art director portfolio websites that automatically adjust to any browser, can be easily updated, and can be shared with a simple link.

Key takeaways

• Make your portfolio website a representation of your brand and talent.
• Add carefully curated content, get it reviewed, and keep playing with it.
• Art directors work in diverse fields. Make sure your portfolio represents yours.
• If you’re just starting out, remember how education, experience and excellence will aid you to become an art director.
• There’s so much to learn, from business skills to new art techniques and job hunting skills. Never stop perfecting yourself. You’ll be astonished to see what you can achieve.

Let us help you: subscribe to our newsletter for more tips and tricks.✨

Written by:

Johanna Székelyhidi

Online marketing manager @ Folioeditor. I'm extremely passionate about arts and culture, with a PhD to show for it. Throughout my career, I've seen hundreds of creative portfolios. I'm happy to share what I've learned.

Different professions, unique challenges. Get tailored tips for your portfolio here.

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Art Director Portfolio

It seems that you like this template, art director portfolio presentation, free google slides theme, powerpoint template, and canva presentation template.

Truth to be told, this template has been approved by an art director. That could be you too! This geometric design, with certain touches of minimalism, has been created for portfolios of art directors. Add to these slides information about your experience, your education, places where you've worked, and include some photos of previous works of yours. By the way, the pictures that we've used as examples come with a grainy filter that fits the palette of this template.

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An Art Director's Job: Behind the Scenes

What is an Art Director?

Art directors.

It’s possible you run across this fascinating job title every day, either during your workday while collaborating with other companies or maybe through a quick glance at the credits of a TV program, movie, or magazine.

The title is somewhat descriptive, so you may have a hunch about what they do for a living, but …

What is an art director exactly?

Today’s blog has all the answers you need! 

Whether you’re just curious about the role or you want to learn more to create a position within your own company, we’re taking you through a day in the life of an art director to fill you in on what an art director does every day!

The Vital Role of Art Direction

To begin with, an art director is a role most often found in creative fields where visual elements take center stage and can make or break a product.

Art direction jobs will vary by company, but its core responsibilities revolve around generating innovative concepts and delivering a captivating visual message to readers, viewers, or users in their company’s target audience. 

The art director often works as a team with other creatives including copywriters , video editors, animators, graphic designers, web designers, and more on various projects within their respective industries.

A good art director excels at collaboration and is always open to the inspiration, ideas, and expertise of the people around them. They’ll do everything they can to establish quality standards and enhance the visuals of the products their company is putting out into the world!

Here is a little more about some industries where you’re likely to run into one of these special people!

Marketing and Advertising

In the dynamic and non-stop world of marketing and advertising, art directors are the visionaries who make sure that campaigns are leaving the impact desired and grabbing the attention of a brand’s target audience!

They lead creative team members made up of copywriters, designers, video editors, and more to craft visually appealing and eye-catching marketing materials that align with the target audience and are perfectly on brand with the company producing them. 

Some examples of projects that require art direction are:

• Digital Ads — Art directors oversee the creation of digital ad assets like web banners, videos, social media ads, display ads, and more to make sure that all online content is up to standard, resonating with the target audience, and aligned with the company's brand identity.
• Print Advertising — An art director’s watchful eye also extends to printed collateral like magazines, newspapers, brochures, catalogs, and more. They decide on the overall look and details like typography, color palette, and visual style to create sleek and elegant printed collateral to showcase a brand’s products.
• TV Commercials — If you see a commercial on TV, odds are that an art director was on set, working closely with directors, cinematographers, and set designers to make sure every frame was visually appealing and on point for the product being sold. 
• Package Design — Art directors work closely with the graphic design team to craft creative and head-turning labels and packaging designed to catch the eye of wandering customers and move products off the shelf.
• Billboards — Every billboard you see on your commute has an art director closely involved with its creation to make sure that the visuals make the desired impact and are capable of grabbing attention even at a distance.
• Photoshoots — Whether the photos are for a fashion magazine or a brand catalog, art directors are in charge of every detail from lighting to backgrounds to wardrobe to make sure all visual elements are making the right statement.
• Social media content — Consistency is key on the socials and an art director is there to help maintain a cohesive look and feel across a brand’s social media platforms.

Publication

If you want your target audience to read your print and publications , they’re going to have to capture attention and keep it with compelling design and strategically placed copy and visuals.

Art directors work closely with photographers, graphic designers, illustrations, copywriters, and other team members and make final decisions about layout, graphics, and the overall look and feel of a publication to keep it aesthetically pleasing and reader friendly.

Art directors are crucial for the overall look of publications like:

• Magazines — Art directors oversee the design of magazine layouts , including the all-important covers, article spreads, and other visual elements to tailor it to the messaging of whatever industry the magazine is in, including fashion, beauty, real estate, architecture, art, or science.
• Book Covers — The art director is also responsible for overseeing the design of book covers that perfectly capture the essence of a book and attract readers. They make decisions on color palettes, typography, imagery, and more.
• Newspapers — Newspapers are still around! And the art director is responsible for strategically placing headlines, images, and articles to keep the paper visually engaging and easy to navigate.
• Educational Material — Everything from school textbooks to educational posters and displays to education brochures has an art director on staff to keep the content fresh and stimulate learner’s interests!
• Professional Publications — Corporate reports, science reports, technology reports, and more all go through the art director to make decisions on the layout that makes intricate information more comprehensible to readers.

Interior Design

Art directors are also instrumental in creating stunning, beautiful, and functional spaces in places that you may have visited before.

They work with architects and designers to bring interior design concepts to life to create comfortable environments for customers, employees, guests, and other visitors.

Here are some spaces where an art director may have been in charge of creating:

• Restaurants — An inviting atmosphere is important for establishments that want to encourage people to spend their leisure time with them. An art director plays a role in designing the interior of restaurants, including colors, flooring, decorations, and more.
• Hotels — A beautifully decorated hotel is one that encourages guests to stay in. An art director works with a team of interior designers to make sure that everything from the lobby to the conference rooms is stylish and welcoming.
• Retail — The right look and layout can attract and engage customers. An art director has a say in the interior design of a store, often by season, to create a memorable and unique shopping experience for their customers.
• Offices and Facilities —  If you work in a nice fancy office building, you probably have an art director to thank for the layout, lighting, and color schemes. Everything from healthcare facilities to corporate buildings was carefully designed to be as visually pleasing as possible.
• Public Spaces — Art directors play an important role in designing public spaces like museums, schools, universities, galleries, community centers, and event venues to make sure they are visually appealing and draw in a crowd.
• Wellness — That relaxing vibe of your favorite spa? You have an art director and a team of interior designers to thank. They work together to create a tranquil atmosphere that starts from the second you walk into the lobby.

Entertainment

In the entertainment industry, a good art director is a valuable member of the team that contributes heavily to visual storytelling.

They work closely with directors, set designers, production designers, and costume designers to make sure all visuals are spot-on and align with the narrative. 

If you’ve ever experienced any of the following, you probably noticed a credit for an art director included in the fine print!

• Film, TV, and Theater — Art directors are essential for creating the look and feel of a production. They collaborate with directors, production designers, set decorators, and stage designers to oversee the set construction and make sure all visual elements align with the director’s vision. They also make decisions regarding props, colors, lighting, and overall visual aesthetics. Whether it’s a summer blockbuster, a music video on MTV, or a Broadway musical, the art director plays a key role in achieving the look of the final product.
• Fashion Shows — Art directors in the fashion industry spend countless hours creating the visual design for the theme and backdrops of runway shows and other fashion presentations. They work with set designers and others to create the perfect stage design, lighting, and choreography.
• Video Games —  An art director is heavily involved in the visual style of the video games we love to place. They work with a team of artists and designers to create the look of characters, environments, and user interface to better align with the game’s mood and enhance the player experience.
• Live Events — It’s an art director's job to make sure that all visual aspects of live events like concerts, conferences, exhibitions, and more have the best stage design, lighting, and multimedia presentations available. 
• Attractions — If you’ve marveled at the attraction design of theme parks like Disneyland or Universal Studios, that’s because an art director helped to create the look and feel of everything from the rides to the gift shops to the storefronts that line each street.

Why Your Marketing Campaign Needs an Art Director

There should be no question that an art director plays a pivotal role in the visual aspects of many things that we enjoy every day.

And if you’re a marketer who’s been wondering if you really do need an art director in charge of your content creation team, then we’re here to tell you that yes. Yes, you do.

Here are some things that an art director can bring to your team:

Consistent Branding

Your art director is in charge of setting the bar line for the creative team. They have the work experience necessary to know the quality of content they’re looking for and they won’t settle for anything less than a polished and professional look.

They’ll stick to your brand guidelines to keep all of your collateral and messaging consistent to help your brand create and maintain a unique brand identity. 

And if your brand doesn’t have a brand guidebook , they can oversee the creation of these important guidelines to ensure nothing but consistency.

Successful Campaigns

The art director is also key to a successful marketing or advertising campaign. 

They carefully study the brands they work with and shape the creative vision of their marketing and advertising campaigns so that they’re perfectly aligned with the brand’s long-term goals.

They also help keep marketing campaigns within the client’s budgets by making sure that the creative team is cost-effective and using resources wisely. An important person to have on the team!

A Strong Online Presence

Everything is digital these days so, more than ever, it’s crucial that your brand has a strong online presence with websites, social media, and landing pages.

An art director oversees the web designing process to ensure that your websites and landing pages are effective, persuasive, and give your customer an excellent user experience.

They also oversee email campaigns, ensuring that the email templates are appealing, easy to navigate, and contain the right messaging. They are experienced with social media marketing and can oversee a creative team that is in charge of the creation and distribution of engaging and valuable social media content to attract new followers and build a community around your brand.

Top-Notch Print and Collateral

We mentioned a little earlier that the art director has an important role in the creation of the physical print collateral a brand distributes, like brochures, flyers, OOH advertising (bus stops, billboards, displays, etc.), and other promotional materials .

They’ll keep your collateral looking sharp and make sure your printed assets are on brand, appealing, and have perfect layout, typography, color palette, graphic elements, illustrations, and photography before sending them off to the printers.

Effective Collaboration with Creative Teams

The art director is also a team player.

They work with creatives, like copywriters, designers, and photographers to keep content creation on brand and of the highest quality. 

They’re responsible for your creative team’s time management as well and are the ones who assign tasks, set deadlines, and make sure the team has a clear understanding of objectives and responsibilities.

In addition to keeping the creative team producing quality content, the art director acts as a leader and mentor, providing guidance, feedback, and support throughout the project, often acting as the go-between for creatives and chief creative officers . 

They foster a collaborative and inspiring work environment, encourage open communication, and promote the exchange of ideas and feedback among the team to keep the creative juices flowing and everyone working together in harmony.

Project Management

One of the most important aspects of your marketing and advertising art director is project management .

Art directors often manage multiple marketing projects at once, keeping track of deadlines and keeping everything and everyone on schedule. Art directors also help with budgets and timelines to keep the project and the team running smoothly and efficiently.

They oversee all parts of the content production process from copywriters to web developers and printers to make sure the final product matches the artistic, visual, and quality standards they set for their work.

<div class="c-blog_comp-cta cc-component-1"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-wrap"><img src="https://global-uploads.webflow.com/61cdf3c5e0b8155f19e0105b/6369722e59155470b6840033_Potential-clients.png" loading="lazy" alt="" class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-img"></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-right"><div class="c-blog_comp-content"><div class="c-text-wrapper cc-mb-32"><div class="c-title-4 cc-bold"><strong>Want to save money without sacrificing the quality?</strong></div></div><div class="c-text-wrapper"><div class="c-text-2">Say goodbye to traditional, expensive agencies and unreliable marketplaces. Say hello to Designity.<br></div></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-wrapper"><a href="/pricing" target="_blank" class="c-button cc-primary cc-inverted w-button"><strong>Get Your 2-Week Trial</strong></a></div></div></div>

Looking for That Special Someone?

If you’ve now decided that your brand could definitely use the skills and expertise of an art director, only you can’t afford one, then we’re right there with you.

Art directors are skilled professionals with tons of work experience and talent and, if your business is on the smaller side, hiring one and paying the average US salary of $145,000 plus benefits a year might not be feasible.

There is another solution though.

Designity is made up of the top 3% of US-based talent, and partnering with us gives you access to every type of creative expert you can think of from copywriters to designers to video editors, all of them working under the close guidance and expertise of your designated Creative Directors.

Much like art directors, your Creative Director is responsible for the overall creative direction of your marketing campaigns and will oversee the creation of market assets like web pages, print collateral, digital ads, and anything else your campaign needs.

They’ll work closely with you to ensure that all deliverables are of the highest quality and reflective of the brand image you want your target audience to see.

And with three straightforward plans to choose from, you’ll get all of these services for much less than it would take to hire on an in-house team or art director.

So, if you’re ready to see what our Creative Directors can do for your brand, then why not give us a try?

Have a look at our portfolio , see if we’re a match, and then book your demo call today.

Are you ready to elevate your creative marketing game?

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What Does an Art Director Do? (And How to Become One)

In creative industries, art directors are pivotal in overseeing projects' visual design across different platforms such as publications, websites, films, and advertising campaigns. Their primary responsibility is ensuring the client's message is conveyed clearly and creatively to the intended audience. Inkbot Design, a Belfast-based Graphic Design and Branding Agency , specialises in art direction services tailored to assist businesses in developing strategic approaches towards achieving their goals.

The tasks of an art director encompass managing the entire creative process from inception to completion while focusing on visual design aspects. They closely collaborate with clients to gain insights into their objectives and translate them into graphic concepts. This involves extensive research, idea development , and effective coordination with designers, writers, and other professionals within the creative industry. By exercising comprehensive oversight over all project elements, art directors guarantee that the final product meets client expectations while effectively communicating their intended message.

Additionally, art directors must possess robust leadership skills alongside excellent communication abilities. Effectively conveying their vision to the creative team through clear directives and feedback is essential for success. Furthermore, adept management of budgets and timelines is crucial for ensuring projects are completed punctually while staying within financial limitations. Ultimately, by bringing innovative ideas to life and delivering visually impactful experiences for audiences across various mediums – art directors play an indispensable role in making creativity tangible.

Table of Contents

Definition and Overview of an Art Director's Role

The role of an art director is diverse, involving various responsibilities. They oversee the visual design aspects of projects, meet with clients to discuss project specifications and budgets, and carefully select visual elements for maximum impact. Art directors delegate tasks to creative professionals, supervise their work, and offer feedback to ensure project success.

One crucial responsibility of an art director is managing the visual design of a project. This includes deciding on colour schemes , typography, layout, and other design elements to create a visually cohesive final product. Collaborating with photographers and illustrators is also part of an art director's role in sourcing or creating visual assets that align with project objectives.

Another significant aspect involves meeting with clients for initial consultations. These meetings allow art directors to understand the client's vision, goals, target audience, and brand identity . This understanding helps develop a creative strategy aligned with these objectives while accurately representing the client's brand.

At Inkbot Design, our highly skilled art directors excel in selecting impactful visual elements. They possess a keen eye for aesthetics and utilise principles such as colour theory and composition to create engaging experiences that leave a lasting impression. Additionally, they are proficient in editing photographs and other visuals to enhance quality and seamlessly integrate them into overall designs.

In advertising specifically, art directors focus on creatively delivering the client's message by considering factors like colour palettes , style choices, and branding guidelines—all while leveraging moving images effectively within presentations. Collaboration with copywriters ensures alignment between visuals and written content for efficient communication. Art directors are also vital in selecting models, locations, and props during photo shoots or video productions.

Art directors curate page layouts, cover artwork, and visual styles for print media . They consider various elements such as presentation, style, aesthetics, branding, and storytelling in magazines, books, and online publications. Collaborating with editors, writers, and photographers is crucial to creating a visually captivating publication that maintains cohesiveness.

A comprehensive understanding from art directors is required to ensure the visual design resonates with readers and effectively conveys the intended message of the publication while aligning with the target audience and objectives.

Art directors working on branded content must possess graphic design knowledge and innovative imagery skills that accurately reflect the brand's identity and goals. Close collaboration occurs between branded content art directors and clients to develop visual concepts that engage their target audience while positively representing their brand. The harmonious integration of written content alongside visuals is also a key responsibility for branded content art directors who work closely with other creative professionals.

Inkbot Design's team of experienced art directors excel in carrying out these responsibilities flawlessly. Their extensive expertise spans diverse creative industries, enabling them to adapt their approach to each project's unique requirements. With their skilful guidance in art direction, they deliver impactful designs that showcase stunning visual appeal whilst ensuring effective communication of the client's message.

What does an Art Director do?

When it comes to advertising, the mission of art directors is to creatively and effectively convey the client's message. They consider elements like colour, style, branding, and the use of moving images to make a captivating presentation. Art directors collaborate closely with copywriters to ensure that visuals and written content align seamlessly to communicate the intended message. Additionally, they play a role in selecting models, locations, and props for photo shoots or video productions .

In print media, art directors take charge of page layouts, cover artwork, and visual styles for magazines, books, and online publications. Elements such as presentation, aesthetics, and storytelling come into play, along with considerations for branding consistency . Working alongside editors, writers, and photographers allows art directors to bring cohesion and engagement to these publications while keeping their target audience in mind, aiming to communicate the desired message effectively.

Branded content art directors possess graphic design expertise and the creative ability to produce innovative imagery reflecting a brand's identity goals. They work hand-in-hand with clients on conceptualising visuals that authentically represent the brand while engaging their intended audience. The collaboration extends beyond visuals as they coordinate efforts involving writers and other talented professionals, ensuring harmonious integration between visual content and written text.

At Inkbot Design, we have exceptional art directors who excel in all these roles. They possess extensive knowledge across various creative industries, enabling them to customise their approach based on specific project requirements. This expertise results in visually stunning designs with substantial impact when communicating our clients' messages effectively.

The responsibilities of art directors are diverse, requiring them to effectively manage various tasks to ensure the success of a project. In advertising, art directors focus on creatively and effectively delivering the client's message by considering elements such as colour, style, branding, and the inclusion of moving images in the overall presentation. Collaborating closely with copywriters ensures that visual and written components align seamlessly to communicate the intended message. Additionally, art directors are pivotal in selecting models, locations, and props for photo shoots or video productions.

Art directors determine page layouts, cover artwork selection, and visual styles for magazines, books, and online publications in print media. They carefully consider presentation aesthetics, storytelling, and brand identity while working alongside editors, writers, and photographers to create visually cohesive and captivating publications. Their comprehensive understanding of target audiences' preferences, demands, and goals enables them to design visuals that resonate effectively and convey desired messages accurately.

Branded content brings about its unique demands as well. Art directors specialising in this area must possess strong graphic design skills and a keen ability to generate innovative imagery that harmoniously aligns with the brand's identity and objectives. They form close partnerships with clients to develop visual concepts that successfully represent their brands and engage their target audiences. Further collaboration occurs between branded content art directors, writers, and other creative professionals to forge a seamless marriage between visual and written content elements in pursuit of harmony and coherency.

Skills and Qualifications Required for an Art Director

Art directors must possess various skills and qualifications to excel in their roles. These include creative abilities, leadership skills, effective communication, time management , and computer literacy. Aspiring art directors often pursue degrees in visual arts or related fields to develop their expertise.

At Inkbot Design, our art directors possess these essential skills and remain up-to-date with the latest trends in text graphics. This allows them to create inspiring designs for branded content, films, and other projects.

Creative abilities form the foundation of an art director's skill set. They must have a keen eye for aesthetics, attention to detail, and the ability to think outside the box when developing unique visual concepts. Leadership is also crucial since art directors guide and motivate their teams towards bringing their vision to life.

Effective communication ensures that everyone involved understands project objectives and fosters efficient collaboration. Time management is another vital skill as art directors juggle multiple tasks with different deadlines while maintaining strong organisational abilities.

Computer literacy is indispensable, too; proficiency in design software enables art directors to create and manipulate visual assets effectively.

While a relevant degree provides valuable knowledge of design principles and techniques, practical experience combined with a strong portfolio is highly regarded by employers within the industry.

Inkbot Design's art directors meet these requirements and stay updated on industry trends through continuous learning. Attending conferences workshops, and experimenting with new technologies all contribute to their innovative approach, resulting in impactful designs that resonate with audiences.

Collaboration with Other Creative Professionals

Art directors play a vital role in the world of creative professionals, closely collaborating with designers, writers, photographers, and others to align visual elements with the overarching concept. This requires effective communication and teamwork to bring the creative vision to fruition. At Inkbot Design, our art directors excel in fostering collaboration with clients and design teams alike. They leverage their leadership skills, receptiveness to criticism, and humble approach to deliver exceptional results consistently.

The role of an art director heavily involves collaboration – working closely alongside designers to cultivate visual concepts and provide valuable feedback on their work. This collaborative effort shape designs to align harmoniously with the overall vision while effectively conveying desired messages. Art directors also collaborate extensively with photographers and videographers to source or produce visual assets that enhance the design's impact.

For successful collaboration within a creative team , effective communication is paramount. Art directors must possess clear articulation skills for conveying their vision and providing constructive critique throughout projects. Additionally, they should remain open-minded towards receiving input from other team members and be adaptable enough to make necessary adjustments based on colleagues' expertise. Such a collaborative approach cultivates an environment conducive to creativity and innovation – yielding superior outcomes.

At Inkbot Design , our art directors boast extensive experience when it comes to collaborating harmoniously with both clients and design teams alike. They comprehend how crucial effective communication and robust teamwork are for ensuring project success. Their adept leadership enables them to guide the creative process efficiently while unifying all team members toward achieving shared objectives.

The Distinction Between an Art Director and a Creative Director

The roles of art directors and creative directors in the creative industry may seem similar, but their responsibilities and focuses set them apart. Art directors concentrate on the visual aspects of a project, dedicating themselves to decisions about design elements like colour, layout, and typography. They work hand-in-hand with designers to ensure the visuals align with the overall concept.

On the other hand, creative directors take on a broader scope. Their oversight spans conceptualisation to execution, collaborating closely with clients to understand goals and develop strategies that reflect these objectives.

Managing a team of creatives such as designers and writers, creative directors guide throughout the process while ensuring all components harmonise for desired outcomes. Although there can be overlap between art and creative director roles in specific contexts or smaller organisations/projects, as complexity increases, so does the necessity for dedicated creative direction.

Educational Requirements and Salary Comparison

Although a college degree in fine arts or a design-related field can be advantageous, becoming an art director is not always mandatory. The necessity of formal education varies, but completing a degree program equips individuals with a solid understanding of design principles and techniques. This educational background serves as a strong foundation for aspiring art directors.

In addition to formal education, practical experience and an impressive portfolio are highly valued in the creative industry. While completing degree programs allows individuals to develop their creative abilities and acquire hands-on experience through coursework and projects, the importance of real-world experience should be considered within this industry.

The average salary for art directors fluctuates depending on factors such as professional experience, specific industry involvement, and geographical location. On average, art directors earn $89,794 per year. It is important to note that individual salaries may significantly differ based on these variables above. For instance, those working in advertising or film industries typically enjoy higher remuneration when compared with professionals in other fields.

It's crucial to remember that salary is not the sole consideration when pursuing an art director career path . Creative fulfilment, opportunities to work on exciting projects, and the ability to make impactful visual storytelling contributions also play significant roles in job satisfaction. Aspiring art directors should prioritise honing their skills while building robust portfolios and gaining practical experiences. These efforts increase their chances of success within this competitive field.

Art directors are crucial in creativity by effectively translating clients' messages into visually captivating designs. Inkbot Design offers extensive services, encompassing art direction and branding expertise. Their team of proficient art directors has the qualifications, skills, and experience to deliver breathtaking designs that deeply resonate with audiences.

Whether advertising campaigns or website designs , Inkbot Design's art directors have an impressive track record of providing innovative solutions tailored to each client's unique requirements. Their collaborative approach, impeccable communication, and exceptional leadership abilities bring life into clients' visions while surpassing expectations. By leveraging Inkbot Design's expertise in art direction and branding, businesses can elevate their brand presence and leave an indelible mark on their target audience.

Discover how Inkbot Design can empower your business with a visually compelling brand identity by visiting their website at Inkbot Design. To discuss your design needs in detail, contact them at he***@in**********.com . Unleash the full potential of your visual communication as you elevate your brand alongside Inkbot Design.

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Art Director Job Description: What Does an Art Director Do?

M aybe you’ve seen the term art director in the credits of a movie, or on a call sheet, but you’re not quite sure what it means to be one. But what is an Art Director? Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker looking to learn more, or a graphic designer who wants to know how to become an art director, this post is for you. We’ll outline the art director job description by defining the role. Let’s jump into the basics.

Art Director Job Description

What does an art director do.

For those in advertising and  branded content or those interested in making movies, being able to answer, "What is an Art Director" is critical to the project's success. But the biggest obstacle there is know why  kind of Art Director we're talking about. Essentially, the Art Director job description doesn't change a whole lot between advertising and filmmaking but there are key differences to keep in mind. For a complete guide to the major roles in film production, check out our ultimate guide to film crew positions .

ART DIRECTOR DEFINITION

What is an art director.

An  art director is someone who creates and manages the overall design and visual style for websites, ad campaigns, magazines, newspapers, photoshoots, and movie and TV productions. While their duties vary depending on the industry they’re in, they set the general artistic tone, using imagery and aesthetics to bring concepts to life. They direct other designers to develop artwork and various layouts per project, overseeing the project from inception to completion.

WHAT DOES AN ART DIRECTOR DO?

• Determines how to present concept visually 
• Selects which photos, art, or other elements to use
• Develops overall style and communicate to team
• Manages and supervises designers
• Reviews and approves designs
• Communicates with clients to develop an artistic approach/style
• Coordinates with all artistic departments
• Develops budgets and timelines for project completion

As mentioned above, an Art Director job description varies depending on the industry. And, apparently, Art Director responsibilities are just as hard to explain from actual working professionals. Let's hear from some of them in this video before we go any further.

What is an Art Director?  •  Open Door Creative

Now that we have a handle on the broad strokes of Art Director roles and responsibilities, let's look at little closer based on the particular industry.

Movie/TV Production

What does an art director do in film.

Art directors collaborate with crew to determine what sets are needed for each scene. They are usually the production designer’s second-hand. On smaller sets and photoshoots, they can be one-in-the-same. They also participate in hiring and supervising assistant art directors and other designers. 

Here's veteran Art Director Terry Ackland-Snow ( The Dark Crystal ,  Aliens ,  Batman  and more) on how the boundaries of the job vary from project to project, especially when it comes to budget.

Terry Ackland-Snow's Art Director Description  •  Cooke Optics TV

Moving on, let's discuss another major avenue for aspiring Art Directors: the wonderful world of advertising.

Advertising Art Director

What does an art director do in adverts.

It’s the art director’s responsibility to ensure that the client’s intended message is delivered clearly and creatively to consumers. To do this, the art director directs and coordinates with designers until the images or visual style is reflective of client’s vision.

Check out this video from Ka-Lok Ho as he walks us through the entire creative process behind a commercial he made.

Creative Art Director Description from Ka-Lok Ho

In advertising, especially videos and commercials, the Art Director responsibilities have to account for not just color, style, branding, etc. They also have to consider how moving images contribute to the overall presentation. When cinematography , editing , music, pacing, and more get added to the equation, the typical Art Director job description has to expand.

Publishing and Print

What does an art director do in print.

By now, it might be obvious what the Art Director responsibilities for print might be. They determine the page layout, cover artwork, and overall visual style of magazines, books, and even online publications. These concepts of presentation, style, aesthetics, branding, etc. have just as much power in print than they do in the other mediums we've discussed.

In fact, they might even be more important here because you often have only a single image to tell a story or sell a product. Here's a look behind the scenes at Vogue on how they approach art direction.

What does an Art Director Do at Vogue?  •  British Vogue

At this point, we should have a firm grasp on just how variable any Art Director job description can be. If any of these avenues sound interesting to you as a career, there are certain steps to take. In the next section, we'll run through some tips on what it takes to become an Art Director.

ART DIRECTOR REQUIREMENTS

Becoming an art director.

If you want to become an art director for branded content, having a knowledge in graphic design is required. Creating a strong portfolio can lead to incredible opportunities. But the role demands novel and innovative imagery everyday. Luckily, you can get more prolific with practice. 

But becoming an art director isn’t limited to the ability of creating magic behind a computer; it also demands people skills. 

Leadership and the ability to take criticism is vital. Whether this criticism is coming from the client or even your own design team. While executing and communicating  your  vision is part of the job, humility is too. 

Collaborating and determining the best imagery to match a client’s (or film’s) vision, is required to lead a team and do an effective job. The goal is to produce the best product possible.

Let's go back to Open Door Creative as they break down a year-long syllabus for anyone looking to start becoming an Art Director.

How to Become an Art Director in One Year

According to Salary.com, the average Art Director salary in the U.S. is $126,914 per year. Not bad! Granted, this number is based on many factors including education, previous experience, and your skills.

As with many jobs, a college degree isn't absolutely necessary but it sure does help. That would be at least a B.A. in Fine Arts. And one you have either a degree, experience, a portfolio, or any combination of those, it's time to start applying for jobs.

RELATED POSTS

• Ultimate Guide to Film Crew Positions →
• Best Text Graphics to Inspire Your Designs →
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Best Text Graphic Trends

If you’re creating branded content for yourself, or a client, even films, you’ll need to know how to use text. Knowing the current trends  in text graphics and seeing why they work, might inspire your own designs. Check it out below. 

Up Next: Text Graphic Trends →

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Art Director Skills

Learn about the skills that will be most essential for Art Directors in 2024.

Getting Started as a Art Director

• What is a Art Director
• How To Become
• Certifications
• Tools & Software
• LinkedIn Guide
• Interview Questions
• Work-Life Balance
• Professional Goals
• Resume Examples
• Cover Letter Examples

What Skills Does a Art Director Need?

Find the important skills for any job.

Types of Skills for Art Directors

Creative vision and aesthetic judgment, project management and organization, communication and interpersonal skills, technical proficiency and digital literacy, leadership and team development, top hard skills for art directors.

Crafting compelling visuals through expert design, multimedia proficiency, and strategic branding to bring creative visions to life.

• Graphic Design and Typography
• Adobe Creative Suite Proficiency
• 3D Modeling and Animation
• Branding and Visual Identity Creation
• Photography and Image Editing
• Storyboarding and Concept Art
• UI/UX Design Principles
• Print Production and Prepress Knowledge
• Motion Graphics and Video Editing
• Artistic Direction and Creative Campaign Development

Top Soft Skills for Art Directors

Fostering creativity and leadership, Art Directors excel through collaboration, adaptability, and emotional intelligence in dynamic creative environments.

Creative Vision and Conceptual Thinking

• Leadership and Team Management
• Communication and Presentation Skills
• Collaboration and Interpersonal Abilities
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Time Management and Prioritization
• Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
• Feedback Reception and Constructive Criticism
• Stress Management and Resilience

Most Important Art Director Skills in 2024

Visual design expertise, collaboration and team leadership, digital and multimedia proficiency, brand development and consistency, strategic project management, cultural awareness and inclusivity, adaptability to industry innovations.

Show the Right Skills in Every Application

Art director skills by experience level, important skills for entry-level art directors, important skills for mid-level art directors, important skills for senior art directors, most underrated skills for art directors, 1. cultural intelligence, 2. active listening, 3. resourcefulness, how to demonstrate your skills as a art director in 2024, how you can upskill as a art director.

• Master the Latest Design Software and Technologies: Keep abreast of cutting-edge design tools and software updates. Invest time in mastering new features and technologies that can enhance your creative output.
• Expand Your Knowledge in User Experience (UX) Design: Deepen your understanding of UX principles to create more engaging and user-centric designs, which is increasingly important in digital and interactive media.
• Develop Strategic Thinking: Art Directors must not only create but also contribute to the brand strategy. Take courses or attend seminars on marketing and brand development to better align your work with business objectives.
• Explore Motion Graphics and Animation: With the rise of video content, learning motion design can add a valuable dimension to your skill set and open up new creative avenues.
• Strengthen Leadership and Team Management Skills: Attend leadership workshops or seek coaching to improve your ability to inspire and manage creative teams effectively.
• Build a Diverse Portfolio: Work on a variety of projects to showcase your versatility and ability to adapt to different styles and industries.
• Network with Other Creative Professionals: Join art and design organizations, attend gallery openings, and participate in industry meetups to build relationships and stay informed about industry trends.
• Embrace Sustainable Design Practices: Educate yourself on eco-friendly design methods and materials to lead the way in sustainable creative practices.
• Practice Personal Creative Projects: Allocate time for your own art and design projects to explore new ideas and maintain your creative edge.
• Stay Informed on Cultural Trends and Global Art: Regularly consume diverse forms of media, visit exhibitions, and travel when possible to keep your work culturally relevant and globally conscious.

Skill FAQs for Art Directors

What are the emerging skills for art directors today, how can art directors effectivley develop their soft skills, how important is technical expertise for art directors.

Art Director Education

More Skills for Related Roles

Leading creative vision, inspiring teams to produce innovative and compelling designs

Shaping visual concepts that captivate and communicate, driving brand identity forward

Shaping visual concepts that captivate audiences and drive brand storytelling

Shaping visual concepts that captivate audiences, driving brand identity and innovation

Shaping user experiences through intuitive design, bridging the gap between user and product

Bringing ideas to life through visual storytelling, creating compelling art and designs

Start Your Art Director Career with Teal

CAREER PATHWAYS

Looking for the perfect job? Explore our Career Guides!

How to Become an Art Director

By Bridget Smith

Published: March 5, 2024

Introducing the captivating world of an Art Director—a role that seamlessly blends creativity, vision, and strategic thinking. In this article, we explore the thrilling career of an Art Director , delving into their job description , the challenges they face, and how aspiring individuals can embark on the path to becoming one. So, if you’ve ever wondered what it takes to lead artistic endeavors and shape captivating visual experiences, join us as we unravel the secrets of this exciting profession.

Career Summary

How much money do art directors make.

According to Glassdoor.com, as of 2023:

• Entry-Level Art Directors: Generally, an entry-level art director with less than 1 year of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of US$59,000 .
• Median Art Director Salary : A mid-career art director with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of US$89,000 .
• Executive Art Director Salary: An experienced art director with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of US$125,000 .

In 2020, the average annual wage for those working in the U.S. was close to US$69,000 meaning that an Art Director’ s wage is generally higher than the national average.

What does an Art Director do?

Art directors manage and coordinate the work of designers, artists, photographers, and other creatives to produce visually engaging content. The scope of an art director’s work can range from conceptualizing and directing photoshoots, designing layouts for magazines, and developing graphics for television and film, to shaping the visual identity of brands and campaigns.

Art directors often work closely with clients, marketing teams, and other stakeholders to understand the vision and goal of a project. They’re responsible for overseeing the entire creative process, from initial concept to final output, ensuring that the artistic vision is consistently maintained throughout.

Art Director Career Progression

While not exhaustive, here are some steps an art director may take in their career:

• Junior Art Director: This is an entry-level position where individuals assist senior art directors in the development of designs and visual concepts.
• Art Director: After gaining enough experience, individuals can become Art Directors, where they’ll lead a team of designers and will be directly involved in the creative strategy and direction of projects.
• Senior Art Director: In this role, individuals will have increased responsibility and will oversee multiple projects at once. They often guide and mentor junior team members and work closely with clients and executives.
• Creative Director : After significant experience as an Art Director, one can progress to a Creative Director role. They supervise the entire creative department, including art directors, copywriters, and designers, ensuring that all output aligns with the organization’s creative vision.
• Executive Creative Director: This is a top-level role where individuals are responsible for the overall creative strategy of an organization. They make final decisions regarding all creative aspects and often represent the creative team in executive meetings.
• Brand Director: A position primarily found in larger organizations, the Brand Director helps to define a company’s visual identity across all media. They are responsible for aligning the company’s visual representation with its strategic goals.
• Design Manager: In this role, an art director assumes more of a managerial position, overseeing a design team’s administrative aspects. This includes budgeting, scheduling, and coordinating resources in addition to providing creative leadership.
• Creative Group Head: This is a leadership role where the art director manages multiple creative teams within a department. They supervise various projects and ensure that the teams are working in unison to meet the creative objectives of the organization.
• Chief Creative Officer (CCO): The CCO is the highest-ranking creative authority in an organization and makes all the final decisions regarding the creative process and output. They work on a strategic level to ensure their creative vision aligns with the company’s mission and goals.

Remember that the trajectory can vary greatly depending on the industry, the specific company, and the individual’s unique skills and experiences. However, each role offers its own set of challenges and opportunities for growth, making a career as an art director a continually exciting and evolving path.

• Creative Freedom: Art directors have the liberty to shape and direct the visual output of a project.
• Collaborative Work Environment: They often work with a diverse team of creatives, providing opportunities to learn and grow.
• Influence: Art directors have the power to influence people’s perception of brands and projects through their work.
• Variety of Work: No two projects are the same, keeping the work fresh and exciting.
• Recognition: When the projects succeed, art directors often receive recognition for their work.
• High Pressure and Stress : Meeting deadlines and maintaining creative quality can be challenging.
• Long Hours : Art directors often have to work overtime to meet project deadlines.
• Difficult Clients : Dealing with clients who have unclear expectations or constant changes can be frustrating.
• Creative Block : Like all creatives, art directors can also experience periods of creative stagnation.
• Job Instability : Depending on the industry, work may be project-based and hence can be unstable.

Useful Skills to Have as an Art Director

• Artistic Sensibility: Knowledge of design elements, color theory, typography, etc.
• Communication Skills: Ability to communicate your vision effectively to your team and clients.
• Leadership Skills: Ability to guide, inspire, and manage a creative team.
• Project Management: Ability to manage projects, deadlines, and resources efficiently.
• Digital Proficiency: Familiarity with digital design tools like Adobe Creative Suite.

Popular Art Director Specialties

• Advertising Art Director: Specializes in creating visually appealing advertising campaigns.
• Film Art Director: Works on movie sets, creating the film’s visual atmosphere.
• Fashion Art Director: Directs photoshoots, designs layouts for fashion magazines, or develops the overall visual style for fashion brands.
• Graphic Design Art Director: Focuses on visual communication and problem-solving using typography, photography, and illustration.
• Digital Art Director: Specializes in creating engaging visuals for digital platforms like websites, apps, and social media .

How to become an Art Director

This exciting career path calls for creative innovation, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of aesthetics. But what does it take to become an art director? Let’s delve deeper into the educational route toward this exciting career.

Do I need a degree to become an art director?

Yes, typically, a degree is required to become an art director. While innate talent and creativity are critical, formal education in an art or design-related field provides a strong foundational knowledge base and is often a key requirement in job descriptions for this role.

Why is it important to get a degree in art direction?

Acquiring a degree in art directing or a related field brings numerous advantages. It offers structured learning, providing a comprehensive understanding of the principles of design, color theory, typography, and composition. Formal education also exposes students to various art styles and periods, fostering a broad perspective on artistic expression.

How long does it take to get a degree in art directing?

The duration to obtain a degree in art directing can vary depending on the program and educational institution. Typically, a bachelor’s degree in art direction or a related field takes about four years to complete .

Should you decide to further enhance your knowledge and skills with a master’s degree, anticipate an additional two to three years of study. However, it’s essential to research specific programs and their curriculum requirements to determine the exact duration.

How much does it cost to study art directing at a university?

The cost of studying art directing can vary significantly based on factors like the institution, location, and whether you choose an online or on-campus program. According to the National Center for Education Statistics , the average cost for a bachelor’s degree ranged from $20,000 to $45,000 per year. Keep in mind that scholarships, grants, and work-study opportunities can help offset these costs.

Can I become an art director through online education?

Absolutely! With the rise of technology, many reputable institutions offer online programs in art directing and related fields. These programs provide flexibility for those who might be juggling other commitments. They offer the same rigorous coursework as traditional programs, and they can also be more affordable.

What are some web resources to learn skills to become an art director?

Numerous web resources can help you develop the skills necessary for an art director role. Websites like Academy of art University offers courses in graphic design, visual arts, and art directing. Similarly, websites like Behance and Dribbble can provide inspiration and insight into current design trends and styles.

Practical Experience

Acquiring practical experience is a vital step in the journey of becoming an art director. Not only does it allow you to apply the theoretical knowledge you’ve gained during your education, but it also helps you build a strong portfolio that showcases your skills, creativity, and versatility.

Internship Opportunities for an Art Director

Internships provide invaluable real-world experience and are an excellent way to start your career as an art director. Many companies across diverse industries offer internships to ambitious, creative individuals who are eager to learn. These internships often involve working under the guidance of experienced art directors or other creative professionals, providing you with a unique opportunity to observe and learn from those already established in the field.

Some potential internship opportunities include:

• Creative agencies: Many advertising, marketing, and design agencies offer internships for aspiring Art Directors, providing hands-on experience in creating campaigns, visual concepts, and collaborating with clients.
• Media and entertainment companies: Internships in media and entertainment companies, such as film production houses, television networks, or digital media companies, can offer exposure to art direction for various visual mediums.
• Non-profit organizations: Non-profit organizations often seek interns to assist with their creative projects, including graphic design, branding, and visual storytelling.
• Event management companies: Interning with event management companies allows aspiring Art Directors to participate in designing and executing visual experiences for events, exhibitions, and conferences.

It’s important to research and reach out to specific companies, agencies, or organizations in your area to explore internship opportunities tailored to your career goals as an Art Director.

Skills Learned as an Art Director

As an art director, you’ll develop a broad range of skills.

These include but are not limited to:

• Creative Skills: Conceptualizing and executing visually striking designs and campaigns is at the heart of the art director role. You’ll hone your skills in various design tools and software, and learn how to translate ideas into impactful visual narratives.
• Analytical Skills: As an art director, you’ll often have to make sense of creative briefs, marketing strategies, or audience research data. Analytical skills are important in interpreting these inputs correctly, drawing meaningful insights, and incorporating them into your design process.
• Technological Proficiency: Staying up-to-date with the latest design software and digital tools is essential in this ever-evolving field. Whether it’s mastering new features in Adobe Creative Suite or understanding the potential of emerging tech like augmented reality in design, a successful art director is always on the cutting edge.
• Time Management Skills: Art directors juggle multiple projects simultaneously, each with its own deadline. You’ll need to prioritize tasks effectively, delegate where necessary, and ensure that high-quality work is delivered on time.
• Problem-Solving Skills: Every project comes with its challenges. You’ll develop the ability to think critically and solve problems creatively and efficiently.

Work-Life Balance of an Art Director

The work-life balance of an art director can vary greatly depending on the industry, the specific role, and the ongoing projects. Art directors often work full-time, and extra hours can be required when deadlines are approaching.

However, the role can also be highly rewarding. You’ll have the opportunity to work on diverse projects, collaborate with talented professionals, and see your creative visions come to life. For those passionate about design and creative leadership, the benefits often outweigh the demands.

What’s the Career Outlook for Art Director?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides valuable insights into the job outlook for art directors. Based on their data, the employment of art directors is projected to grow 4% by 2031,about as fast as the average for all occupations. However, job growth varies by industry.

For instance, opportunities for art directors in the advertising, public relations, and related services industry are expected to increase significantly. The growing demand for digital media advertising is driving this growth, with more brands looking to establish a strong online presence.

Art directors in the publishing industry, on the other hand, may face stiffer competition due to the decline in print media. However, with the rise of digital platforms, there’s a growing need for art directors skilled in creating content for electronic publications, websites, and platforms like e-books.

What are the Job Opportunities for Art Directors

The role of an art director is versatile and expansive, presenting a multitude of job opportunities in various sectors. Their skills and experience can be applied to many creative and visually driven industries.

Here are ten job opportunities for art directors:

• Advertising Agencies: Advertising agencies are one of the most common workplaces for art directors. Here, they shape the visual strategy for advertising campaigns, working closely with copywriters and marketing strategists to develop impactful advertisements that resonate with targeted audiences.
• Film and Television Industry: In the entertainment industry, art directors can work on TV shows, movies, and commercials. They oversee the design of sets, costumes, and props, collaborating with directors to ensure the visual elements align with the narrative of the script.
• Magazine and Newspaper Publishing: Art directors in this field oversee the visual presentation of print and digital publications. They coordinate with photographers, illustrators, and designers to create engaging layouts and covers that draw readers in.
• Book Publishing: In the book industry, art directors design and oversee the production of book covers and interiors. They work closely with authors and editors to ensure that the visual presentation complements the content of the book.
• Marketing and PR Firms: Art directors play a key role in creating visually compelling marketing materials. They help develop the visual identity of brands, products, and campaigns, creating designs that effectively convey marketing messages.
• Fashion Industry: In the world of fashion, art directors design fashion shows, photo shoots, and advertising campaigns. They work with designers, stylists, and photographers to create visuals that encapsulate a brand’s style and identity.
• Music Industry: Art directors in the music industry design album covers, music videos, promotional materials, and stage sets. Their work helps establish an artist’s or band’s image and visual narrative.
• Web and Digital Design: With the rise of digital media, art directors can find opportunities in designing websites, mobile apps, and social media campaigns. They oversee the visual aspect of these platforms, ensuring a consistent and engaging user experience.
• Gaming Industry: Video game art directors lead teams to create the visual elements of video games, from characters and environments to user interface design. They work with game designers to create immersive and visually stunning gaming experiences.
• Museums and Cultural Institutions: Art directors in this field oversee the design of exhibits and promotional materials. They collaborate with curators and museum directors to visually interpret and present artworks or historical artifacts to the public.

Each of these opportunities requires a slightly different skill set and focus, but all allow art directors to apply their understanding of visual communication and their leadership abilities.

Should I become an Art Director?

The role of an art director can be exciting and creatively satisfying, but it also requires a unique blend of skills, dedication, and passion.

When considering this career path, it’s essential to reflect on your interests and natural abilities. Art directors are visual thinkers with a strong aesthetic sense, but they also need strong communication and leadership skills to guide teams toward a shared vision. If you have a passion for art and design, enjoy collaborating with others, and can handle the pressures of managing projects, a career as an art director could be a great fit for you .

Becoming an art director is a decision that should be based on a thorough understanding of the role, a sincere interest in the field, and a readiness to commit to the demands of the profession. It’s a challenging and exciting career, but one that offers immense creative satisfaction and the opportunity to shape visual narratives in impactful ways.

Careers Related to Art Director

• Brand Manager
• Creative Director
• Graphic Designer
• Marketing Manager
• Visual Designer

Frequently Asked Questions

Art director vs creative director: what’s the difference.

It’s possible to transition into a Business Operations Manager role from different fields, especially those related to business administration, finance, or project management. Your transferable skills, such as leadership, problem-solving, and strategic planning, can be valuable in a business operations role.

How much money do Art Directors make?

With the advent of digital technologies and the shift towards remote work in many industries, working remotely as a Business Operations Manager is possible. However, this can depend on the company’s policies and the nature of the work.

Do Art Directors have good job prospects?

Is an art director a good career.

About the Author

Read more articles by Bridget Smith

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What is a UX Designer and How to Become One

What is a machine learning engineer and how to become one, what is a ui designer and how to become one, what is an seo specialist and how to become one, what is a recruiter and how to become one, what is a project manager and how to become one, what is a front-end developer and how to become one, what is a product manager and how to become one.

What does an art director do?

Would you make a good art director? Take our career test and find your match with over 800 careers.

What is an Art Director?

An art director is responsible for overseeing and managing the visual aspects of a project, such as advertisements, films, video games, publications, or website designs. They play a crucial role in ensuring that the artistic vision and aesthetic direction of a project are effectively communicated and executed.

Art directors collaborate closely with clients, creative teams, and artists to develop concepts, establish the overall artistic style, and guide the visual direction of the project. They are involved in the planning and execution stages, including brainstorming ideas, creating mood boards, selecting color palettes, determining typography, and making decisions about visual elements such as photography, illustrations, or graphic design. Art directors provide clear and concise creative direction to the team, ensuring that the final product aligns with the project's objectives and effectively resonates with the target audience. They may also review and provide feedback on the work of other artists or designers involved in the project, offering guidance and making necessary adjustments to achieve the desired artistic vision.

What does an Art Director do?

Art directors bring clarity and coherence to creative projects. They have the ability to conceptualize and communicate a clear artistic vision, ensuring that all creative elements align with the project's objectives. By providing guidance, feedback, and direction to the creative team, art directors ensure that the final outcome effectively communicates the intended message and resonates with the target audience.

Duties and Responsibilities The duties and responsibilities of art directors can vary depending on the specific industry, project, or organization they work for. However, here are some detailed responsibilities commonly associated with the role of an art director:

• Creative Concept Development: Art directors are responsible for developing creative concepts and ideas that align with the project's objectives and target audience. They collaborate with clients, stakeholders, and creative teams to understand the project's vision and translate it into a visual concept. This involves conducting research, brainstorming ideas, and creating mood boards or visual references to communicate the artistic direction.
• Visual Direction and Design: Art directors provide clear visual direction for the project, overseeing the overall artistic style and ensuring that it remains consistent throughout. They make decisions about color palettes, typography, graphic elements, photography, illustrations, and other visual components. They work closely with designers, illustrators, photographers, and other artists to guide the creation of visual assets and ensure they align with the project's vision.
• Team Management and Collaboration: Art directors lead and manage creative teams, providing guidance, feedback, and support throughout the project. They assign tasks, set deadlines, and ensure that the team members have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Art directors foster a collaborative and inspiring work environment, encouraging open communication, and promoting the exchange of ideas and feedback among team members.
• Client Interaction and Communication: Art directors often act as a bridge between the creative team and clients or stakeholders. They participate in client meetings, presentations, and discussions, effectively communicating the project's artistic vision, progress, and design choices. They listen to client feedback, address concerns, and make necessary adjustments while balancing creative integrity and client requirements.
• Project Management and Organization: Art directors are responsible for managing multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring they stay on track and meet deadlines. They coordinate resources, budgets, and timelines to ensure the smooth execution of the creative process. Art directors also oversee the production process, working closely with production teams, printers, or developers to ensure the final product matches the artistic vision and quality standards.
• Quality Control and Review: Art directors conduct thorough reviews and quality checks of visual assets, designs, and layouts to ensure they meet the project's requirements and standards. They provide constructive feedback to the creative team, guiding them towards achieving the desired artistic outcome. Art directors are responsible for maintaining consistency, brand guidelines, and visual excellence across all project deliverables.
• Industry and Trend Awareness: Art directors stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, design techniques, and artistic influences. They research and explore new design styles, visual trends, and creative approaches to continuously enhance their work and offer innovative solutions to clients.

Types of Art Directors There are various types of art directors, each specializing in different areas of the creative industry. Here are a few examples:

• Advertising Art Director: Advertising art directors work in the field of marketing and advertising. They collaborate with copywriters and marketing teams to develop creative concepts and visual strategies for advertising campaigns. They are responsible for creating visually impactful and persuasive advertisements across various mediums, such as print, digital, television, or outdoor.
• Film/TV Art Director: Film and TV art directors are involved in the production of movies, television shows, or commercials. They work closely with directors, production designers, and set decorators to create the visual style and overall aesthetic of the production. They oversee the design and construction of sets, props, and costumes, ensuring they align with the script, director's vision, and time period, if applicable.
• Graphic Design Art Director: Graphic design art directors are responsible for overseeing and guiding the visual aspects of graphic design projects. They work with graphic designers, illustrators, and other creative professionals to develop visual concepts, layouts, and branding materials. They ensure that the designs effectively communicate the client's message, maintain brand consistency, and meet the project's objectives.
• Interactive Media Art Director: Interactive media art directors focus on the visual design and user experience of interactive digital media, such as websites, mobile apps, or video games. They collaborate with UX designers, developers, and content creators to create engaging and intuitive user interfaces. They are responsible for the overall look and feel of the digital product, ensuring a seamless and visually appealing user experience.
• Publishing Art Director: Publishing art directors work in the publishing industry, overseeing the visual aspects of books, magazines, or newspapers. They collaborate with editors, illustrators, and photographers to create visually compelling layouts, cover designs, and overall visual aesthetics. They ensure that the visual elements complement the content and appeal to the target readership.

Are you suited to be an art director?

Art directors have distinct personalities . They tend to be artistic individuals, which means they’re creative, intuitive, sensitive, articulate, and expressive. They are unstructured, original, nonconforming, and innovative. Some of them are also enterprising, meaning they’re adventurous, ambitious, assertive, extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, confident, and optimistic.

Does this sound like you? Take our free career test to find out if art director is one of your top career matches.

What is the workplace of an Art Director like?

The workplace of an art director can vary depending on the industry and organization they work for. Generally, art directors can be found in creative environments such as advertising agencies, design firms, publishing houses, film and television studios, or in-house creative departments of corporations. They typically work in office settings, collaborating closely with creative teams and clients.

Art directors often have their own workspace, which may include a desk, computer, and other necessary tools such as design software and reference materials. They may have a designated area for brainstorming sessions or meetings with clients and team members. The workplace environment is often dynamic and fast-paced, with tight deadlines and a constant flow of creative ideas.

Art directors frequently engage in collaborative work, interacting with graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, copywriters, and other professionals involved in the creative process. They communicate their vision, provide guidance, and review the work of their team members. They may also liaise with clients, presenting concepts and seeking feedback to ensure that the creative direction aligns with their expectations.

Additionally, art directors may need to conduct research, stay updated on industry trends, and explore new artistic techniques or software tools. This may involve attending industry events, workshops, or conferences, as well as dedicating time to personal development and skill enhancement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of industries do art directors work in.

Art directors work in a wide range of industries that require their creative expertise and visual direction. Here are several industries where art directors commonly find employment:

• Advertising and Marketing: Art directors play a crucial role in advertising agencies and marketing departments. They work on campaigns, creating visually compelling advertisements for print, digital platforms, television, or outdoor media. They collaborate with copywriters, account managers, and clients to develop creative concepts and bring them to life.
• Film, Television, and Entertainment: Art directors in the film and television industry work closely with directors, production designers, and set decorators. They oversee the visual aspects of productions, ensuring that sets, props, costumes, and overall aesthetics align with the script and director's vision. They may work on movies, TV shows, commercials, or music videos.
• Publishing and Print Media: Art directors are employed by publishing houses, magazines, newspapers, and book publishers. They lead the visual design and layout of publications, working with editorial teams, illustrators, and photographers to create visually appealing and cohesive print materials.
• Design and Branding Agencies: Art directors are integral to design agencies and branding firms. They work on projects that involve brand development, logo design, packaging design, and other visual communication needs for clients. They ensure that the visual identity aligns with the brand strategy and effectively represents the client's values and objectives.
• Digital Media and Interactive Design: With the growth of digital media, art directors are sought after in industries focused on web design, user experience (UX) design, mobile app development, and interactive media. They guide the visual direction and user interface design to create engaging and intuitive digital experiences.
• Fashion and Retail: Art directors contribute to the visual branding and marketing efforts of fashion and retail companies. They work on fashion campaigns, lookbooks, catalogs, and in-store displays to create visually compelling brand experiences that resonate with the target audience.
• Gaming and Animation: In the gaming and animation industries, art directors lead the visual development of video games, animated films, or television series. They oversee the artistic style, character design, environment design, and overall visual storytelling to create immersive and visually stunning experiences.

These are just a few examples of the industries where art directors can be found. The creative and visual nature of their work allows them to contribute their expertise in diverse fields, emphasizing the importance of art directors in shaping the visual identity and communication of various organizations and industries.

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Top 6 Online Art Schools You Can Attend From Home

How To Become an Art Director

Many people working in the creative industry have ambitions of becoming an art director. This is a demanding, high-pressure job that requires unique personality traits.

An art director is responsible for a team of people who work together to create a finished product. There are multiple industries where art directors work. You have to be well organized, good with people and delegating tasks, know how to review, edit, request changes, and assemble the final submission project. In some cases, you may be responsible for other duties.

In this article, we’re going to look at how to become an art director. We’ll discuss the role and responsibilities, the education and work experience requirements, and how to find the right job.

What is an Art Director?

Art directors are in charge of a team of artists. It’s your job as an art director to take the creative director’s ideas and turn them into a pleasing aesthetic layout.

Once you’ve planned everything, you also have to relay these ideas to your group and divide the staff’s tasks. You also have to provide the descriptions for the various components of the layout.

Directors are responsible for the entire project, including production, editing, and execution. You have to delegate, organize, lead, and be creative if you want to succeed as an art director.

In smaller companies, there may not be a creative director that plans the project. Instead, there may only be an art director, who will have to do all the creative director’s tasks, plus the role of an art director.

What Does a Typical Workday for an Art Director Look Like?

Art directors have a busy schedule every workday. You can expect to spend a lot of time reviewing materials submitted by your staff. You have to edit, approve, and compile all of this material into your final design or presentation.

Art directors also have to keep up with and stay on budget for multiple projects. You’ll have to work out schedules and timelines for your team each week. You also mediate between various departments to meet the client’s instructions. You may work with production, copywriter, and artist supervisors.

You can expect to have daily or weekly meetings with your team. And you may also have to meet with your creative director to come up with design layouts. If there isn’t a creative director, it may be your responsibility to make all the plans.

An art director will be responsible for defining the content:

• Font type and size

Will I Like Being an Art Director?

When you do what you love, it doesn’t feel like work. Working as an art director can be a rewarding and exciting experience for some people. But it’s a high-demand job that requires leadership and organization. Let’s look at some characteristics and skills of a good art director.

Characteristics and Skills of a Good Art Director

If you want to be an art director, it helps to have these crucial skills, which you’ll use every day while fulfilling an art director’s responsibilities.

Having a creative mind is one of the best characteristics of an art director. You have to be able to design appealing layouts and come up with ideas that flow.

You also have to keep up with current trends and predict what might be coming into the season. As an art director, you can use your creative mind to be innovative and think outside the box.

Many art directors have an artistic background and have some drawing abilities. But if you’re not an artist, it doesn’t rule you out as an art director. Some get by using computer software and a talented team.

Organization

As an art director, you are responsible for the final design of each project. This job requires you to be able to organize multiple products and team members.

You have to be able to plan, execute, and delegate the different parts of your project. All content goes through you for edits and approval.

If you have a fly-by-the-seat personality that doesn’t understand how to stay organized and on task while juggling multiple projects, you may struggle with an art director’s role.

An art director role requires you to know how to delegate tasks to your team members. You have to know how to keep your staff inspired and working together.

While you are a leader, you also have to be a team player. When your staff works together in sync, things go smoother. You meet deadlines, and your content has a better flow. An efficient team knows how to blend their styles to match the client’s needs.

Time Management

You will need excellent time management skills if you want to be a successful art director. This is a time-consuming role that requires you to keep up with multiple responsibilities daily.

Many directors put in more than forty hours per week. You have to know how to prioritize your time to get all of your tasks done each day.

You also have to know how to respond under pressure and stress. There’s rarely any downtime when you work in the role of an art director.

Why You Might Not Like Being an Art Director

The position of art director won’t appeal to everyone. If you don’t do well in a high-power job where you have to make quick decisions, manage others, and take on many different tasks, you may become overwhelmed and unhappy.

And if you can’t handle working under pressure and deadlines, you may struggle with an art director’s role. The same goes if you lack people skills. You have to be able to communicate your ideas and needs to your team.

If you’re shy or uncomfortable talking to groups of people, you may find the numerous meetings unwelcome stress. People who struggle with being authoritative may find discomfort at having to control a team of people.

Typical Schooling for a Successful Art Director

Most companies that employ art directors require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree – either a BA or a Bachelor’s of Fine Art, which can take four years to obtain. If being an art director is your career goal, you’ll want to consider a field of study in:

• Graphic design
• Advertising
• Fashion designer
• Game design
• Marketing and communications
• Public relations

While obtaining your four year Bachelor’s degree, there are some classes you can take that would give you an advantage in an art director career. Ideal courses that you can take include:

• Photography
• Digital media
• Computer graphics
• Color theory
• Interactive graphics
• Printmaking

Some candidates continue their education to obtain a master’s degree in Fine Arts. Most companies won’t reject an applicant if they do not have an advanced degree. But it may give you an advantage over less educated candidates.

However, if your competition has more work experience, some companies may prefer job skills over higher education.

Becoming an art director requires work experience, in addition to your Bachelor’s degree. Most people will not be able to start in this role right out of college. This is a competitive position that many candidates desire. It can take five years of experience before you’re qualified for an art director role.

If you plan to move into the role of art director, you should start in a position in the same industry and work your way up the ranks. Typical entry-level jobs that many art directors start in include:

• Copy editors
• Graphic designers
• Illustrators

While gaining work experience, you should also start putting together your portfolio. Regularly update your resume to keep track of your developing skills.

Art directors work in multiple industries, including advertising and public relations, publishing, and movie production. Pick your industry and find a starting position.

Working your way up the chain of command helps you build better leadership skills because you know your staff’s pressures. You’ll have the first-hand experience that allows you to make adjustments in the way things are done so your team is more productive and unified.

Best Art Director Colleges

You can get a four-year bachelor’s degree at any college in the country. The top three best art director colleges to attend are schools that encourage you to think outside the box and learn to be innovative in your thinking process.

UCLA Design Media Arts

The UCLA Design Media Arts college is a great school to attend if you’re serious about becoming an art director. The programs offered center around helping you think outside the box and tap into your creative side.

There are undergraduate and graduate programs at this university, so you can complete your entire higher education at the same alma mater. There are multiple fields of study and electives to teach you the skills you’ll need in your career.

Tuition at this school is $35,134 a year for California residents. For non-California residents, tuition will cost $30,204.

The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Art and Design

The School of Art and Design , hosted by the University of Illinois, offers a Bachelor of Design, a BA of Design, and Master of Design programs so you can obtain all the education you need.

While attending The School of Design, you can study graphic or industrial design. Students get hands-on experience from trained instructors. And they will graduate with a degree and a broad creative portfolio to present to potential employers.

Tuition for The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Art and Design goes by semester. It varies depending on if you’re an Illinois resident or an out-of-state student. For Illinois residents, tuition is $27748 a year, while it will cost $55,132 for out-of-state students.

University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning

The University of Cincinnati College of DAAP (Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning) is an excellent school for aspiring art directors. Regardless of which field of study you decide to pursue, you’re sure to get a top-notch education and full college experience.

You can obtain your Bachelor’s in Planning, Art, Design, or Architecture. Or continue your education further to get your Master’s in the same study.

Tuition is calculated by per-credit-hour and by your area of study. A semester for Illinois residents can cost around $23,200 a year, while out-of-state residents may owe $53,988.

Best Art Director Online Colleges

Some people choose to skip the in-person schooling process and want to attend college online. We’ve found the three best online colleges for obtaining a degree to prepare you for being an art director.

Savannah College of Art and Design

The Savannah College of Art and Design has four physical campuses – two in Georgia (Savannah and Atlanta), one in Lacoste, France, and the final in Hong Kong. However, it also has an outstanding art online program for Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

You can enroll in eLearning for degrees in interior design, animation, advertising, illustration, design management, advertising, and arts leadership. They have advanced Master’s programs to further your education.

Because the Savannah College of Art and Design is such a renowned and highly awarded school, it has a tuition of $38,075 a year.

Southern New Hampshire University

Another great online art college to attend for art directors is the Southern New Hampshire University . This school offers more than 200 programs, including art and design.

You can build up skills you’ll need for your career while getting in touch with your artistic side. Instructors are industry experts that help you build a portfolio in game design, graphic design, or web design.

Yearly online tuition for attending the Southern New Hampshire University is $9,600. This sum is based on 30 credits at $320 per credit hour.

Full Sail University

The final best online college you can attend to get a degree as an art director is Full Sail University . There are various degrees to choose from, including computer animation, digital arts, design, web design, advertising, web content, and other study fields.

The ideal thing about choosing Full Sail University is that you can obtain your Bachelor’s in 29 months, which is much faster than attending a four-year college in person.

Tuition for Full Sail University is fixed throughout your enrollment, so you don’t have to worry about paying more as you get closer to graduating. The cost varies by cost per credit hour and length of completion. Most art degrees will cost $696 a credit hour, and it requires 120 credits to get your degree.

Can I Skip College and Teach Myself How to Be an Art Director?

Most companies that are looking to hire an art director will require at least a Bachelor’s degree. But there are times when other factors can help you move to the front of the candidate line without a degree. Focusing on these three alternative paths to become an art director.

Work Experience

When comparing potential candidates, employers pay close attention to work history and experience. If you want to be an art director, you can outshine the competition by padding your resume with positions related to your industry of choice.

When you keep your options open for new employment options, you are gaining different experiences that will help you fulfill the many responsibilities of an art director.

Be willing to start at the bottom and work your way up the ladder. Many times, if you work for a company that promotes from within, you stand a higher chance of getting higher-level jobs without a formal education.

As you grow your work experience, keep your resume filled out with any new skills, clients, or jobs you’ve handled. Keep track of the responsibilities you took during these jobs. And use your previous projects to build up an eclectic portfolio to present to future employers.

Some people decide to become a freelance art director instead of working for one company. Many companies want to hire freelance art directors, which means you can have multiple clients.

To become a freelance art director, you will need to have an excellent portfolio that demonstrates your creative abilities, an impressive resume, and the necessary qualifications.

Many people transition into a freelance art director position after working in other roles for established companies. Having references or work experience from big names can help influence new clients into choosing your name out of the hat.

Internships

Another way to start your path to becoming an art director is to start as an intern. Some companies offer internships, which can help you learn your way around the business hierarchy.

Studies show that companies look favorably on art directors with internship experience in art, graphic design, advertising, film production, or other similar paths.

The downside of internships is that they are usually temporary positions lasting ten to twelve weeks. Some internships will not be a paid position, while others might offer a source of income. In rare cases, the internship can turn into a permanent entry-level position.

Which Software Programs Do Art Directors Use?

Art directors have to use multiple software programs in their day to day tasks. Getting experience with these eight pieces of software will make you better equipped for an art director’s role.

The most critical piece of software you can have in your arsenal is Photoshop . Many other software programs integrate with Photoshop, so it’s a well-used tool you’ll frequently use.

Photoshop will be a program that all your creative team members will use to create, edit, and form your presentations and projects. As an art director, you’ll need to review and make changes to your team’s work.

For graphic designers, you may prefer to learn Photoshop CC instead of CS6. Photographers would want to work with Photoshop Lightroom.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud is a group of apps for mobile and desktop devices. You can access programs for video editing, web, graphic design, UX, and photography.

Programs available from Creative Cloud are:

• InDesign – print and digital layouts
• Illustrator – art and illustrations
• Photoshop – photo editing software
• Premiere Pro – film and video editing software
• Adobe Fonts – Thousands of fonts

Becoming proficient in Creative Cloud and it’s many features and apps will help you in your role as art director. Having access to different apps in the same Cloud allows for easier collaboration and organization among your team.

Poser Pro 12 is an excellent tool for creating and experimenting with 3D animation. This program provides the tools needed to make your projects animated.

Many people like to use this tool for animation without dealing with all of the various tasks needed to make an image three-dimensional. This software can streamline the process.

Poser can make graphics for education, games, medical, illustrations, art, comics, print, and web animations. For art directors who work with video games, animation, or other 3D material, you may find Poser a useful tool to learn.

AutoDesk SketchBook

SketchBook is an excellent piece of software for creating illustrations and paintings. This tool is helpful for architects, artists, and designers.

You can download Sketchbook to any device to access various drawing utensils, including markers, ink, pencils, and 190 custom brushes for texture and shapes.

You can use a stylus or your finger to draw. And a useful feature is that you can scan your hand drawings and transfer them into a digital image you can edit. It’s a great way to share doodles with your team and work with edits.

Unity Pro 4

Unity Pro 4 is the best tool to use for creating and testing games designed for PC, console, mobile, or Virtual Reality if you work in the video game industry.

Unity is an excellent tool for all areas of video game design, including designers, artists, scripters, and programmers. You can get your game from start to finish in a short amount of time, allowing for quicker production and release.

As an art director, you can use Unity to keep up with your team’s progress and test your game development. You can also see how well the game works during testing to figure out areas of improvement.

What Are the Best Blogs and Influencer Accounts to Follow?

A great way to keep up with your industry’s current trends is to find a few high-quality blogs to follow. If you’re a fan of social media, you may also want to follow some popular influencers.

One of the best blogs to follow for web designers is Webdesigner Depot . This blog provides daily posts related to web design, including developing trends, tutorials, essential tools of the craft, and reviews. You can also join the 273.5k Facebook and 675.2k Twitter fans.

The 99U blog is another useful site for art directors. This blog provides tips to help you improve your leadership, productivity, and organization skills. You can also follow 99U’s social media profiles, with 87.7k Facebook fans, 50.6k Instagram followers, and 208.3k Twitter fans.

5 Ways to Break into the Art Director Industry

Here are five ways to break into the art director industry. Following these tips can help increase your chances of being selected for an art director role.

Create a portfolio website about you with your work.

If you want to be taken seriously as an art director, you want to have an impressive portfolio to present to prospective clients or employers. The easiest way to show your portfolio or a sample of your work is to design a website.

Three of the best website builders for creating a portfolio are WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix. When choosing between the different builders, it helps to pick a site that meets your needs.

Social media can be for more than watching adorable animal videos and sharing memes. You can use the various social media channels to network with colleagues, find new jobs and clients, learn useful tips, and market your skills.

Anyone aspiring to be an art director should create professional profiles on popular social media sites, including Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter. LinkedIn is the most important site to join for professionals. You can share your work experience, link with past, current and potential employers.

Become an Apprentice

If you are starting on your journey to becoming an art director, you may be starting at the bottom. Use this time to become an apprentice or intern for candidates who work in your industry.

When you work with someone who does the job you’re dreaming of, you get a bird’s eye view of the role’s ups and downs. You get to learn as you go, figuring out ways to become more efficient.

Continue Learning

Find paid tutorials or free YouTube videos that further your goal. Art directors should always be open to continuing to learn new things. Trends can happen overnight, and you have to be willing to change things up. You may have to learn new techniques or products.

Watching videos on YouTube is an excellent way to learn new skills and trends. You can learn about how to use products or keep up to date with new updates. You can also take classes, paid tutorials, or research sites like Reddit and Quora.

Keep Grinding

Don’t let early failures set you back. Being an art director typically requires a Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of industry-related work experience. So it’s not a position you’re going to be able to enter as soon as you join the workforce.

It may take longer than five years before you have the qualifications and history to add to your resume to impress larger companies. But you may be able to find a small startup that will take a chance on a lesser experienced art director. Keep going, and don’t give up.

Here are a few frequently asked questions people have about becoming an art director. Learning the answers to these questions can give you a better idea of whether this would be a career you’d like to pursue.

How much money Do Art Directors typically make?

An art director’s salary can vary based on the company’s size, the company’s location, and your qualifications. You can expect to make between $67,930 to $126,5000, with $92,780 being the median salary.

California offers the highest salaries, particularly in large cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. New York, New York, and Atlanta, Georgia are the other two highest paying locations for art directors.

What do you study to be an Art Director?

The great thing about an art director’s role is that it’s not limited to one field of study. Several different education paths work for an art director position.

Some of the most popular fields of study are advertising, film, graphic design, web design, communications, and marketing. You may also want to take classes to help develop your leadership skills.

Is Art Director a good career choice?

If you have the right characteristics and interests, becoming an art director is an excellent career choice. For you to enjoy the role of an art director, you have to handle pressure and deadlines, manage a team and multiple projects, and be a creative thinker.

Are there a lot of job openings for an Art Director?

You can come up against a lot of competition when it comes to open art director positions. There are usually many candidates trying to get the same position, especially in areas where there are limited jobs.

Competition may be less stiff in big cities where there are multiple open spots. Or in small areas where there are fewer potential candidates. However, recent reports suggest that there will be a 2% decline in art director positions over the next ten years.

What’s the best website to find Art Director job listings?

There are many sites where you can find job listings for the role of Art Director. Some of the most popular job sites are Indeed, GlassDoor, and Zip Recruiter. AIGA is the largest job board for designers, with some big-name clients. Authentic Jobs is another job listing site for creatives.

What are some big companies that hire Art Directors?

Art directors are often in multiple industries, and many big-name companies frequently look to hire art directors. Current listings for this position include offers from brands such as Apple, Amazon, HP, AT&T, Fox Sports, and ESPN.

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How to Write an Art Director Job Description: Important Skills and Role Responsibilities

Formulate an art director job description based on these essential skills and responsibilities.

Art directors are responsible for integrating design with strategy. A common misconception is that an art director is the same thing as a creative director. Though the two work closely together, an art director is usually focused more on craft and executing art and design components while a creative director’s role is to ensure the artistic vision fits the overall goal of a brand or project. Differentiating the two roles helps to craft a more accurate art director job description based on your company and what you are looking for in a candidate.

Now that we’ve made that distinction, let’s dive a bit deeper into what specifically an art director does in their role. After that we’ll take a look at art director job descriptions and end with a template and salary information for you to craft your own custom art director job description.

Table of Contents

What Does an Art Director Do?

Art director skills and responsibilities, art director salary information, art director job description template, art director job description examples.

Access our entire library of templates for your open roles.

Art directors typically belong to either the creative or marketing team and collaborate with the communications team, software developers, project managers and anyone else involved in the execution of a design project.

What Is an Art Director?

Design projects may include graphic design, logo design, email campaigns, website design, user interfaces, mobile apps, videography, advertisements, social media content, typography, print production, image selection and written content.

Read Next How to Make Your Graphic Design Portfolio Stand Out

Art directors may have a degree in art, such as graphic design, photography, visual communication, digital media or even marketing. However, at this point in their career, a robust portfolio and experience designing in a specific industry is much more important and useful to an employer than a degree.

Top Art Director Skills

• Communication and collaboration across teams.
• Grasp of visual and user experience principles.
• Strong presenter.
• Proficiency with digital design programs.
• Knowledge of basic coding languages.
• A robust portfolio illustrating applicable design experience.

As they progress in their careers, an art director may advance to a senior art director, associate creative director or executive creative director role.

Digital Design Proficiency

In order to be successful as an art director, applicants typically need to have expert proficiency working with digital design programs. Employers are looking for art director candidates who have several years experience with programs in the Adobe Creative Cloud like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Premiere, as well as other popular digital design programs such as Abstract, Cinema 4D, Figma and Sketch. 

Here are examples of digital design skills and concepts an art director may need to have mastery of:

• Video editing
• 3D modeling
• Web and mobile layout
• Color and image selection

Basic Coding Knowledge

It may also be beneficial for an art director applicant to have a basic knowledge of certain coding languages such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Familiarity with these programming languages can give candidates a leg up when applying for jobs that involve being able to communicate visual ideas with the developers and programmers who will bring them to life.

Salary information is now an essential part of every job description. Candidates expect to know what they will be making at a company before they apply because if it’s not in their range, there’s no point in them filling out an application and you reviewing it. 

To set your expectations straight, we've investigated the average salary range for art directors in seven of the country’s top employment markets . Click on the links below to learn more about salary information in each city.

• Austin, TX : $106,000
• Boston, MA : $87,306
• Chicago, IL : $89,539
• Colorado : $75,875
• Los Angeles, CA : $106,185
• New York, NY : $96,976
• Seattle, WA : $121,600

Cross market average salary for an art director: $93,019

To tie everything together, we’ve created an art director job description template that combines crucial information into one cohesive template. Feel free to edit it to better suit your company and reflect its unique culture and personality.

Company Bio

Use this section to provide a high level overview of your company, culture, perks and benefits, career development opportunities and anything else that will get candidates excited about your company .

Responsibilities

• Directs creative development and execution of design projects that apply and evolve our company’s visual design identity and brand.
• Design visual and written content via graphic design, photography, literature, visual communication and digital media. 
• Collaborate with communications, software developers, project managers and report directly to the VP of creative.
• Manage, delegate and guide tasks among design team to ensure deadlines are met and expectations are exceeded.
• Articulate design decisions that align with brand vision and strategic objectives and are supported by a thesis and backed by evidence and insight.
• Create digital sketches, storyboards, timelines and budgets for individual projects.
• Remain up to date on design and industry trends, and evolve with best practices, relaying information to the Creative team.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual communication, digital media or marketing OR the equivalent in experience.
• X years experience as a graphic or visual designer.
• X years experience with [insert design programs].
• Digital portfolio with [include specific requirements for portfolio].
• Exceptional communication skills (oral, written and presentation).
• Keen attention to detail.
• Knowledge of [insert coding language] a plus.
• Experience in [insert industry] a plus.

Read More How to Write Inclusive Job Descriptions

Now we’re going to check out five real examples of art director job descriptions. This should provide you with a range of common requirements and responsibilities found in art director job descriptions. You’ll notice that we’ve redacted some information to protect the privacy of the companies that originally posted them.

1. Art Director With Emphasis on Interactive Design

The Art Director is a creative, conceptual thinker who collaborates with the rest of the creative team to ensure that the design, writing and technology we develop are greater than the sum of their parts and achieve the client’s communication objectives. This person is an active participant and strong presenter in project critiques. The role often acts as a facilitator for group reviews. With a strong attention to detail and passion for design, an Art Director is a systems-level thinker and problem solver excited by the opportunity to push the boundaries of constraints.

The Opportunity

• Leads the creative development and execution of individual projects — both interactive and print design — in close collaboration with Writers and Production Designers under the guidance of the Creative Director
• Works collaboratively with interactive developers and motion media team in the creation of interactive projects like email campaigns, websites, user interfaces, mobile apps, and videos
• Works closely with the project team to ensure that the creative work will achieve the client’s strategic and communication objectives
• Establishes brand-appropriate creative approaches
• Communicates proactively with the project team to keep deliverables on track
• Participates in client meetings, creative discussions, strategy discussions, and development of presentations
• Clearly articulates design decisions that are backed up with strategic supporting evidence, insight, and rationale
• Communicates with various vendors to coordinate the execution of print and digital deliverables
• Supports new business pursuits — supporting and participating in creative concepting, asset development, and presentation decks
• Plays a critical role in advancing [redacted] success as a creative and strategic partner to the clients we serve

The Skill Set

• College or university degree in visual communication/graphic design
• Minimum of 5–6 years of experience as a graphic designer and/or art director (agency experience preferred; marketing background a plus)
• Online portfolio with a heavy emphasis on interactive work—responsive web design samples, interface design and campaign-focused projects
• Experience making user experience decisions is a plus
• [redacted] examples in portfolio a plus, but not required
• Strong presentation skills to both internal and external clients
• Strong oral and written communication skills required
• HTML/CSS/javascript coding experience is a plus, but not required
• Expert-level proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office Suite
• Proficiency with UI tools like Sketch and Invision for both low- and high-fidelity design comps and prototypes
• Proficiency with Mac and PC platforms

2. Art Director Focused on User Experience

As our Art Director at [redacted], you’ll form the cornerstone of content. You’ll join a dynamic team of innovative UI and UX designers and developers working to bring our user experience to the next level. The Art Director will liaise directly with our Marketing & Communications teams to create the most compelling and creative video, ad, and social content. Most importantly, you’ll be responsible for defining how the world views [redacted], evangelizing and educating users about the innovative industry [redacted].

• Evolve, explore and apply our visual identity; become fully immersed in the [redacted] brand and mission
• Partner closely with Marketing to build a compelling, strategic, and effective content roadmap
• Work on multiple digital projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment.
• Generate clear ideas, concepts and designs of creative assets from beginning to end
• Execute and produce a mix of graphic, motion, and photographic content
• Collaborate with a cross-functional team that includes marketing, engineers, and product managers in order to create compelling content for the user
• Support multiple business lines with creation of digital assets
• Work with the Creative and Marketing Director to formulate, communicate and transform a complex system into a simplistic message

Minimum Qualifications

• 7-12 years experience in visual design
• Portfolio that shows an eye for detail, understanding of typography, and aesthetic filled with integrated, cross platform campaigns
• Strong organizational, communication and conceptual thinking skills, as well as attention to detail
• Team player and self-starter with a passion for design and finding smart solutions to complex problems
• Is an experienced multitasker and is not intimidated by the thought of juggling multiple projects and tasks at once
• Craft stories and build brands through campaign level thinking and execution
• Can translate strategy into design across print, web, mobile and video

Preferred Qualifications

• 1-2 years acting as Art Director or senior visual designer at a digital agency or in-house
• Ability to synthesize complex, interdependent, and sometimes competing needs
• Expert level skills in Adobe creative suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects), the Google suite of apps, and a working knowledge of Sketch/Figma as well as emerging interactive design trends
• Experience in design targeting users within the [redacted] industries specifically
• Is a creative thinker who embraces challenges and new methods of thinking beyond the tasks at hand with a holistic and methodical approach

3. Art Director With Hands-on Experience and Graphic Design Skills

We are looking for a creative Art director who will partner with a world-class design team to devise sketches, storyboards and art layouts based on creative visions and ideas.

Here Is What You’ll Do

• Generate clear ideas and concepts in tandem with the copywriter
• Produce sketches, storyboards, roughs to visualize ideas
• Understand marketing initiatives, strategic positioning and target audience
• Cooperate with the rest of the creative team across different types of media
• Take work from concept to final execution within deadlines
• Manage and delegate responsibilities to other designers and provide directions
• Present completed ideas to clients/team members
• Stay on top of all trends and maintain best practices

Here Is What We Are Looking for

• Proven working experience as Art Director
• Hands on experience with logo design, typography, color, web layout design, print production, image selection and package design
• Proficient use of InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator or other visual design and wire-framing tools
• Demonstrable graphic design skills with a strong portfolio
• Incorporate feedback and take/give direction well
• Team player with strong communication and presentation skills
• Relevant education or training

4. Senior Art Director to Join Marketing Team

We are looking for an experienced Senior Art Director to join [redacted]'s marketing team reporting to the VP of Creative. The ideal candidate will have creative agency or equivalent in-house experience. We’re looking for a Senior Art Director who takes just as much pride in writing headlines and scripts as comping and designing layouts. They will be a strategic thinker with a passion for turning consumer insights into unexpected product and brand campaigns. In return, they will have the rare opportunity to help shape and grow a global brand and make it a part of culture.

What You’ll Do

As a Senior Art Director at [redacted], you will:

• Bring your visual expertise to concept and develop strong creative campaigns for TV, YouTube, OOH, social and digital, as well as thinking up big ideas that transcend traditional marketing and get people inspired and excited to be part of [redacted]
• Drive and own development of ideas based in consumer insights, and deliver meaningful business results
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define the communications strategy (insights + key messaging)
• Be a hands-on design expert and crafter, shaping the work for quality and effectiveness, and owning the look and feel of every piece of creative
• Actively seek opportunities to build the brand and business beyond the current brief
• Must have an online portfolio of work that showcases big ideas and smart creative ads that drive results
• 6+ years experience working in an agency or in-house agency as an art director
• Proficient in Adobe (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) but has a love of copy and storytelling
• A keen understanding of the needs, motivations and aspirations of your audiences, so that you can speak to them in the most effective, compelling, engaging way possible
• Thrives in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment
• Energy, a sense of humor, and an open & curious mind (yes, these things really do matter)

5. senior digital Art Director

We’re looking for a Senior Digital Art Director obsessed with ideas, technology and design. Someone who can work seamlessly as part of a team, has a meticulous eye, plus strong communication skills. You’ll be working on a variety of projects ranging from digital menu design, POP, and innovation initiatives. Responsibilities include developing original concepts and executing designs based on established style guides/principles.

• Interpret briefs in-order to create designs that are strategically driven and compelling — not just “pretty”
• Think conceptually and strategically to discover the best way to problem-solve for design and technical challenges
• Collaborate with and inspire co-workers to produce innovative, strategically relevant, and high-quality work for clients
• Help drive the creative process from original concepts to final implementation
• Self-starter/self-motivated able to handle the day-to-day interactions with existing projects with minimal supervision needed
• Ability to create design solutions for multiple deadline–driven assignments and manage time efficiently
• Present creative concepts to clients both in-person and over the phone
• Be a constant learner, with a passion for making things better by actively keeping ahead of the curve and exploring of digital tools, trends/best practices, and styles as well as advertising and design styles
• Experiment with new tools and techniques to improve our work

Desired Skills & Experience

• Strong grasp of design around typography, color, photography, layout design, hierarchy, and user experience (motion graphics is a plus)
• Strong attention to detail in design and project management
• Superb information design abilities, fastidious and efficient production and optimization habits, and impeccable problem solving skills
• Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, and presentation) with a positive, helpful, and team-focused attitude
• An expert proficiency in Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, After Effects is a bonus), and Abstract
• Strong portfolio with examples of recent digital projects demonstrating creative thinking and flawless execution

Access ready-to-use resources to successfully plan, conduct and evaluate candidate interviews remotely.

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Art Director job description

An Art Director is a professional who is in charge of developing and maintaining a creative vision that speaks to the reader, viewer, or user. To accomplish this, they manage teams of designers who work on creative projects such as film and television advertising, graphic design, and marketing.

Eleni, ex-People Ops Manager at Workable, excelled in recruitment, lifecycle management, and employer branding.

Refreshed on

April 1, 2022

Reviewed by

Eftychia Karavelaki

Senior Recruitment Manager

This Art Director job description template covers the key qualifications, duties and responsibilities of this role and it’s easy to customize for your company when hiring for your art department.

Art Director responsibilities include:

• Generating clear ideas and concepts in tandem with the copywriter
• Producing sketches, storyboards, art layouts based on creative visions and ideas
• Understanding marketing initiatives, strategic positioning and target audience

Want to generate a unique job description?

Looking for a job.

We are looking for a creative Art Director who enjoys working in a fast paced environment and loves the challenge of discovering what makes consumers “click”. You will cooperate with a design-savvy team to devise an overall concept.

The goal is to translate marketing and branding strategies into innovative and impressive campaigns that stimulate targeted audiences.

Responsibilities

• Generate clear ideas and concepts in tandem with the copywriter
• Produce sketches, storyboards, roughs to visualize ideas
• Understand marketing initiatives, strategic positioning and target audience
• Cooperate with the rest of the creative team across different types of media
• Take work from concept to final execution within deadlines
• Manage and delegate responsibilities to other designers and provide directions
• Present completed ideas to clients/team members
• Stay on top of all trends and maintain best practices

Requirements and skills

• Proven working experience as Art Director
• Hands on experience with logo design, typography, color, web layout design, print production, image selection and package design
• Proficient use of InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator or other visual design and wire-framing tools
• Demonstrable graphic design skills with a strong portfolio
• Incorporate feedback and take/give direction well
• Team player with strong communication and presentation skills
• Relevant education or training

Post this Art Director job to over 200 job boards at once.

Frequently asked questions, related job descriptions.

• Creative Director job description
• Graphic Designer job description
• Copywriter job description

Related Interview Questions

• Art Director interview questions and answers
• Creative Director interview questions and answers
• Graphic Designer interview questions and answers

Related Topics

• How to hire a marketing person: 5 quick hiring tips
• How to post jobs on Dribbble: a guide for employers
• Best job boards: The ultimate job sites list for 2021

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• Job profiles

Art director (Animation)

Also known as: CG supervisor, VFX supervisor, Production designer

What does an art director do?

Art directors are responsible for the visual style of the animation. They decide how the characters, props and environments are going to look and provide a basis for the rest of the art department to work from.

Art directors start by examining the script and working with the director to understand the vision for the film or TV programme. They then create their designs and determine the tone, mood and colour palettes.

The work of an art director is more specific and directive than the work of a concept artist . Art directors determine the design ‘language’ of the film, which requires them to have an understanding of what the final, on-screen image will look like and how to get there. They work with the concept artists to develop sketches and artwork that communicate the artistic vision to the rest of the crew.

Generally, art directors produce 2D designs (drawings or paintings) regardless of what the final format of the animation will be, although it’s becoming more common for early design work to be done directly and digitally in 3D. This work is presented to the director and producer and possibly to investors in the project.

Art directors are involved throughout the project up to its release, acting as a supervisor to the other artists, such as modellers , character designers and background designers . This is a job that involves a lot of communicating with people and needs strong management skills. They are responsible for ensuring all artwork is of a high quality and in keeping with the director’s vision. They are also responsible for making sure everyone in the art department stays on budget and on schedule. Art directors are sometimes employed as freelancers working on a project by project basis.

Watch and read

• Career advice on becoming an art director – animation by Gillian R
• Being an art director: all you need to know | Creative Bloq
• What is an art director and what do they do?

What’s an art director good at?

• Creativity: have the artistic skill and imagination to produce original and high-quality designs
• Leadership: have strong management skills to lead a department, be able to communicate visual ideas and be able to work as part of a team
• Understanding animation pipelines: be able to understand what is going to be achievable further down the line on an animation production by the animation and post-production teams
• Planning: work to a schedule and budget, be able to prioritise, remain calm under pressure
• Communication: understand what the director wants, be able to explain ideas, give constructive feedback, have good presentation skills

Who does an art director work with?

Art directors work closely with the director and production management department as well as the artists in their teams, including background designers and modellers .

How do I become an art director?

In larger studios, art director is a senior position, so you usually need some experience before you can progress to this role. Art directors often have art or design-related degrees. You will also need a good understanding of how an animation project works. A good route into this role would be through starting in a junior position in the art department. Or you might find a general trainee position in an art department. You’ll also need to develop strong management skills.

At school or college: You can take A-levels or Highers in fine art, art and design, graphic design, or film studies. Or you might want to take any of the following Level 3 vocational qualifications:

• BTEC National Diploma/Extended Diploma in Art and Design
• UAL Applied General Diploma/Extended Diploma in Art and Design
• NCFE Applied General Certificate in Art and Design
• BTEC National Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production

If you want to go straight into a job or apprenticeship, the following Level 3 vocational qualifications will equip you:

• BTEC National Diploma in Graphics
• UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma in Art and Design
• OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma in Art and Design (Graphic Design)
• BTEC National Diploma in Film and Television Visual Effects
• UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production and Technology
• OCR Technical Diploma in Digital Media (Moving Image and Audio Production)

Get an apprenticeship: An apprenticeship is a job with training, so it’s a great opportunity to earn as you learn. See if you can find an apprenticeship as a junior 2D artist or 3D artist. Even if you can’t find a role in animation, if you keep up your passion for the industry, you might be able to transfer your skills into animation at a later point. Check out What’s an apprenticeship?  to learn more about apprenticeships and  find an apprenticeship to learn how to find one in your region, or approach companies directly. 

Build a portfolio: Create work that you can show off to employers. As an art director you will be hired based on your personal style and skill, so you need to have a strong portfolio. This could be made up of your own independent artwork or work you’ve done for collaborative projects. This is essential. Go to   build your animation portfolio   to learn how. Watch  ScreenSkills’   advice on animation showreels for help and inspiration.

Get a degree: A degree in art, design or a related field will equip you well for this job. Have a look at ScreenSkills’ list of recommended courses and select one in  animation . We recognise courses with our ScreenSkills Select award where they offer training in the relevant software, dedicated time to building a portfolio and have strong links with the animation industry. 

Look outside the industry: Art directors are needed in many industries outside of animation, including advertising, theatre, print magazines and product design, as well as live action film. Getting experience working in the art department of company in one of these fields would be a good way to gain relevant experience which you can translate into animation.

Take a short course: Hone your skills in animation by taking a specialist course. Go to the list of training courses recommended by ScreenSkills and see if there is one in animation or art directing.

Network: Get to know people in the animation industry by attending   events . Meet producers and art directors and ask them questions about their work, while demonstrating interest and knowledge in the industry. Offer to provide them with your professional contact details and try to stay in touch with them. Go to   how to network well   to learn how to do this.

Search for jobs: Research animation companies that you’d like to work for. Animation UK has a  directory of animation companies . Go to their websites and check if they are advertising for junior roles in the art department. You can also send in a speculative CV and ask employers to keep it on file so they can consider you if any suitable jobs come up. Search job websites for art director roles and apply for positions.

You might also be interested in…

Being a storyboard artist in animation.

Further resources

• Interview with Animation Art Director Ryan Carlson
• CG Spectrum – Free Resources
• Bloop Animation – Video Tutorials
• Understand Disney's 12 principles of animation
• Cartoon Brew
• Skwigly Online Animation Magazine
• CGI Dreamworks Animation Studio Pipeline | CGMeetup
• Any-Mation (video essays) – YouTube
• ScreenSkills resources directory

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Film and tv drama.

Covers genres ranging from period dramas to epic fantasies screened at the cinema, on TV or on streaming sites

Visual effects (VFX)

Involves making sequences on a computer that can't be created on set, like enormous crowds and fire-breathing dragons

Combines art with programming as well as production, design and testing - the UK’s fastest growing entertainment industry

Unscripted TV

Can be defined as 'TV without actors' - non-fiction telly on any subject from natural history and music to dating or learning a skill

Post-production

Is the final stage in film and programme-making where footage is cut, music, sound and commentary are mixed and visual effects are added

Broadcast engineering

Covers the engineer roles that bring a live TV progamme to your screen, from research and development to hardware installation, software and satellite systems

Creative industries

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• Press Release

August 14, 2024

Bma to open latoya ruby frazier’s acclaimed installation more than conquerors in november 2024.

This is the first time the artwork celebrating Baltimore’s Community Health Workers will be shown in the community that inspired it

BALTIMORE, MD (August 14, 2024)—The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) announced today the November opening of LaToya Ruby Frazier’s acclaimed installation More Than Conquerors: A Monument for Community Health Workers of Baltimore, Maryland 2021-2022. Featuring a series of portraits and related narratives mounted on 18 socially distanced, stainless-steel IV poles, the large-scale installation captures and celebrates the essential work of community health workers in Baltimore during the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Powerful and evocative, the installation monumentalizes the Community Health Workers’ efforts and offers an alternative approach to monument-making that challenges us to consider the nature of how and who we honor. The work was originally commissioned for the 58th Carnegie International, where it won the Carnegie Prize.

The BMA acquired More Than Conquerors: A Monument for Community Health Workers of Baltimore, Maryland 2021-2022 in spring 2023, with the generous support of the Glenstone Museum, and its forthcoming presentation marks the first time that it will go on view at the museum and in Baltimore. Open from November 3, 2024 through March 23, 2025, the installation is part of Turn Again to the Earth , a series of initiatives unfolding at the BMA focused on modeling commitments to sustainability and fostering dialogue about environmental issues. Turn Again to the Earth includes 10 exhibitions, the development of the BMA’s sustainability plan, and a Baltimore city-wide eco-challenge.

“We are thrilled to launch the exhibition portion of Turn Again to the Earth with the presentation of LaToya Ruby Frazier’s compelling and deeply resonant installation More Than Conquerors . The presentation is a singular opportunity to honor some of Baltimore’s most important and under-sung heroes in our museum and to consider the complex relationships between environment, health, and social inequities,” said Asma Naeem, the BMA’s Wagner Wallis Director. “We look forward to engaging our audiences with LaToya’s incredible artistry, to celebrating the everyday stories in our community, and to spurring conversations about timely issues that impact our lives.”

More Than Conquerors is an outgrowth of Frazier’s long-standing relationship with Dr. Lisa Cooper, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health and Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity. The two first connected during a 2015 conversation hosted by The Contemporary and the Baltimore School for the Arts that explored the power of art, science, and medicine to address environmental racism. Frazier was awarded a commission for the 58th Carnegie International during the pandemic and when she experienced an incident of medical injustice while trying to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination, she became inspired to develop a project that both revealed the depth of healthcare inequity and celebrated those individuals on the frontlines working for change.

Since the 1970s, Community Health Workers (CHWs) have served as an essential resource to underserved communities, helping individuals overcome challenges to healthcare access and providing advocacy in discussions with those working in healthcare systems and state health departments. CHWs played a critical part in the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, sharing information, encouraging acceptance of the treatment, and providing access and support. Despite their importance within communities in Baltimore and cities across the country, CHWs were among the unsung heroes of the pandemic and their daily efforts were necessary to ensure medical justice and healthcare equity. With the support of practitioners and educators at Johns Hopkins University as well as other healthcare advocates, Frazier connected with Tiffany Scott, co-founder and Chair of the Maryland Community Health Worker Association, and a group of CHWs actively involved in vaccination efforts between 2020 and 2021. More Than Conquerors reveals their portraits, stories, and voices, creating a poignant monument to their tireless efforts and recognizing their invaluable contributions to the lives of countless people and the health of many communities.

Collaborators

Community Health Workers: La Kerry B. Dawson, Tracy Barnes-Malone, Karen Dunston, Kenya Ferguson, Griselda Funn, Erica Hamlett, Donnie Missouri, Veda Moore, Kendra N. Lindsey, Evelyn Nicholson, Helen Owhonda, Gregory Rogers, Wilfredo Torriente, and Latish Walker.

Dr. Lisa Cooper; Dr. Chidinma Ibe, Nico Dominguez Carrero, and Alison Trainor of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity; Dr. Anika L. Hines of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity and Virginia Commonwealth University; Mrs. Tiffany Scott, co-founder and Chair of the Maryland Community Health Worker Association; and Reverend Debra Hickman, President and CEO of Sisters Together and Reaching, Inc. (STAR) and co-chair of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity’s Community Advisory Board.

LaToya Ruby Frazier

LaToya Ruby Frazier’s (b. 1982, Braddock, PA) practice engages with social justice movements, cultural change, and the American experience through a wide range of media, including photography, video, performance, installation, and books. She often uses collaborative storytelling that captures the voices and stories of individuals represented in her artworks. Her prior projects have addressed topics of industrialism, rust belt revitalization, environmental justice, access to healthcare, access to clean water, workers’ rights, the nature of family, and communal history. Her work has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions at institutions across the U.S. and Europe and her work is held in many public art collections. In May 2024, the Museum of Modern Art in New York opened the first museum survey dedicated to her work, titled LaToya Ruby Frazier: Monuments of Solidarity . In 2024, TIME named her among the 100 most influential people of the year. Other recent accolades include the 2020–21 National Geographic Storytelling Fellowship and a commission for the Carnegie Museum 58th Carnegie International.

Turn Again to the Earth

Turn Again to the Earth refers to a series of major initiatives at the BMA that model commitments to environmental sustainability and foster discourse on climate change and the role of the museum. Unfolding over the remainder of 2024 and throughout 2025, the interrelated efforts include an evaluation of internal BMA practices for environmental impacts and the creation of a sustainability plan for the museum; a series of exhibitions and public programs that capture the relationships between art and the environment across time and geography; and a citywide eco-challenge that invites Baltimore and regional partners to engage in environment-related conversations and enact their own plans for a more sustainable future. Following months of climate-driven protests at museums across the U.S. and abroad, the BMA’s environmental initiatives offer opportunities for more productive dialogues and actions within the museum context. As the museum celebrates its 110th anniversary, it is fitting that it considers its future in part through the lens of this critical subject. The title for the series of initiatives is inspired by the writing of environmental activist Rachel Carson, who spent most of her life in Maryland.

About the Baltimore Museum of Art

Founded in 1914, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) inspires people of all ages and backgrounds through exhibitions, programs, and collections that tell an expansive story of art—challenging long-held narratives and embracing new voices. Our outstanding collection of more than 97,000 objects spans many eras and cultures and includes the world’s largest public holding of works by Henri Matisse; one of the nation’s finest collections of prints, drawings, and photographs; and a rapidly growing number of works by contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds. The museum is also distinguished by a neoclassical building designed by American architect John Russell Pope and two beautifully landscaped gardens featuring an array of modern and contemporary sculpture. The BMA is located three miles north of the Inner Harbor, adjacent to the main campus of Johns Hopkins University, and has a community branch at Lexington Market. General admission is free so that everyone can enjoy the power of art.

Press Contacts

Anne Brown Baltimore Museum of Art Senior Director of Communications [email protected] 410-274-9907

Sarah Pedroni Baltimore Museum of Art Communications Manager [email protected] 410-428-4668

Alina Sumajin PAVE Communications [email protected] 646-369-2050