Art Director Career Guide: Duties, Earnings and Employment Outlook
Submitted by: Gypsy Santiago
Job Overview: Art directors supervise the artistic aspect of print materials, advertisements or TV commercials, starting with the development of concepts and throughout the production. They decide the overall quality of a finished product and choose the graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, models and other service providers to hire for the project. He/she also supervises a creative team throughout the production and decides if revisions are needed to be made, or if a project is ready for publication or airing.
Education, Training and Knowledge Requirements: To become a creative director, he/she must possess a bachelor’s degree in design, art or any similar field of study, at least 2 years experience as part of a creative team and at least 1 year experience managing a creative team. Larger companies may prefer candidates with a master’s degree in art, design or other fine arts degrees.
Skills & Abilities: An art director must be extremely creative, organized, detail-oriented, proactive, and be able to work under pressure. He/she must possess effective written and verbal communication skills, strong problem-solving and analytical skills, leadership and organizational skills, and advanced knowledge in design computer applications. He/she must also lead a team to meet a client’s vision of a product or service and ensure that these visions are translated into the final product.
Duties:
The art director is responsible for formulating basic layout designs and specifying various materials to be used taking into consideration the style, size, sound, graphics and other factors. He/she is also responsible for reviewing and approving proofs of ad copy, printed copy and other materials produced by team members; managing own projects and accounts based on client’s budget and deadlines; meeting with department heads (including copywriting, art, production teams) to discuss client specifications; preparing detailed storyboards for TV ads and other TV productions; presenting layouts to clients before production; hiring and training staff members; working with suppliers and service providers such as freelance photographers or models; reviewing illustrative materials; attending printing sessions and photo shoots to ensure quality; and creating custom graphic elements or illustrations.
Earnings & Job Outlook: Creative director positions can be found in advertising firms, fashion houses, publishing companies, PR and graphic design firms, TV or movie production companies or other marketing companies. Employment growth in this field is expected to grow at an average rate through 2014. Salary in the United States in 2009 reportedly starts at $108,498, but a 16% increase on base salary is expected through 2016.
Gypsy Santiago is a professional resume writer and career search strategy/career branding coach with years of experience in assisting job seekers prepare for the job market. She helps create career-targeted resumes, provides useful tips about career transition, offers future career ideas and guide jobseekers about effective job search techniques.
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