Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for Art Director
An Art Director is a professional who is responsible for overseeing the visual style and design of various types of media, such as advertising, marketing campaigns, films, television shows, video games, and websites. They work with a team of artists, designers, and copywriters to develop and execute creative strategies that align with the project's goals and objectives. In this blog post we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Art Directors.
Get market insights and compare skills for other jobs here.
Main Responsibilities of Art Director
The following list describes the typical responsibilities of an Art Director:
Adjust
Adjust social content as needed to meet engagement, impression, and business goals.
Apply
Apply strong communication design skills to review their work and drive quality in execution.
Apply strong understanding of social / digital ecosystems and end user experience.
Assist
Assist Creative Director on multiple projects simultaneously.
Assist the CDs / ACDs with the creative and production process for all projects.
Assure
Assure design meets business objectives whilst creating a compelling journey across touchpoints.
Attend
Attend key concept and marketing meetings to understand creative deliverables.
Build
Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, partner agencies, and vendors.
Build and manages a consumer / customer centric organization.
Champion
Champion for great creative with a "roll up your sleeves”, get it done approach.
Close
Close integration with the marketing team across projects that will require a visual identity.
Coach
Coach and develop the design team.
Collaborate with
Collaborate with Director to deliver the quality and complexity standards for the project.
Collaborate with project managers and account managers to ensure smooth, efficient workflow.
Collaborate with team to ensure smooth process, quality, and creative culture.
Communicate
Communicate and problem-solve with vendor animation studio.
Communicate concepts in a compelling way to team colleagues and clients.
Communicate ideas clearly and confidently to peers and team leaders alike.
Communicate with the Studio Manager / Project Managers to ensure deadlines of projects are met.
Concept
Concept and design and / or art direct campaigns.
Concept and rationalize creative ideas including the design / art direction of campaigns.
Conceptualize
Conceptualize and execute original and unique creative across editorial, commercial and marketing.
Conduct
Conduct user and product research & define user interaction models.
Contribute to
Contribute directly to client pitches, project development and execution.
Contribute to new business pitches.
Convert
Convert in-store images into 3D renders.
Coordinate
Coordinate and oversee the art team throughout production.
Coordinate, completes, and oversees job-related activities and assignments.
Coordinate outsourcing of design, composition and production of digital and printed materials.
Craft
Craft graphic elements, mood boards, and visual treatments.
Create
Create and maintain style guides for the project.
Create and manage conceptually and visually compelling work.
Create client-facing presentations educating on our creative methodology and overall performance.
Create compelling digital designs for recruitment campaigns.
Create concepts and brainstorm new ideas alongside your team.
Create design and execution of advertising needs with or without agencies.
Create designs that clearly communicate the client's brand and products to the business community.
Create ideas, concepts and designs for innovative ad experiences for global brands.
Create and innovate with President, Director of Marketing, & Creative Team.
Create key designs / layouts.
Create, maintain and debug tools and scripts.
Create new franchise videos (styling & brand stories).
Create presentations for the EVP Global Design.
Create prototypes / mockups of new web experiences to articulate ideas.
Create records and systems to manage repair information.
Create storyboards, initial design concepts through final deliverables.
Create the visual style guide of a game (put together mood boards, references, and descriptions).
Define
Define and communicate the key components of the project style and design.
Define visual and artistic standards and ensure that the material produced is consistent.
Deliver
Deliver all work with the clear goal to delight customers and drive measurable results.
Deliver with integrity both sustainable and short term results.
Design
Design attractive visuals inspired by new intellectual properties or existing properties.
Develop
Develop 3D renders for in-store point of sale displays.
Develop a culture of sharing and push for continuous improvement within its trade community.
Develop and maintain close relationships with photographers.
Develop art and photography asset packages in sync with seasonal milestones and product initiatives.
Develop branded AR filters.
Develop concepts for campaigns that build brands and work in social.
Develop ideas and lends designs that are on-strategy and reflect brand personality.
Develop in-store consumer experiences.
Develop, produce, and lead well-thought-out presentations that tell the story of the design solution.
Develop style of the presentation for existing concepts / directions.
Develop treatments and moodboards for shoots for senior leadership sign off.
Direct
Direct, Manage and mentor Artists.
Direct photo and video productions.
Discuss
Discuss the work both internally and with clients.
Ensure
Ensure adherence to company's visual brand standards.
Ensure a high degree of accuracy and consistency in all design and creative output.
Ensure all creative is on brand, on voice and impeccably produced.
Ensure all products and supply chains are sustainable.
Ensure all projects are well-planned, creatively extraordinary, and delivered timely.
Ensure conceptual and creative consistency across all touch-points.
Ensure quality and brand consistency across projects and mediums.
Ensure that digital pitches are on-track to meet both internal and client deadlines.
Establish
Establish the style and tone of communication across multiple platforms.
Establish working relationships with design agencies.
Evaluate
Evaluate product requirements, raise potential risks and propose solutions.
Evaluate, select and oversee the use of all art tooling.
Evolve
Evolve advertising communications on an ongoing basis to improve acquisition marketing performance.
Foster
Foster a climate of trust and constructive confrontation.
Foster a culture and an environment that is conducive to creative development.
Foster creative partnerships with like minded brands.
Foster progressive thinking and the pushing of boundaries.
Generate
Generate clear and creative ideas and concepts in tandem with the Marketing team.
Generate clear ideas and concepts in tandem with the creative, strategic and technical teams.
Generate clear ideas, concepts and designs of creative assets from beginning to end.
Generate ideas towards branding, brand positioning and strategy.
Ideate
Ideate and design from creative briefs with attention to marketing communication goals.
Identify
Identify and propose solutions for any design team skills gaps.
Identify and manage key conversion points in the user journey.
Inspire
Inspire and motivate the team.
Interact with
Interact respectfully and professionally with colleagues, staff members and clients.
Investigate
Investigate new techniques & software and implementing them within the team.
Lay down
Lay down and define the pipeline for creation of the project.
Lead
Lead across divisions / categories.
Lead and develop a team of UX and graphic designers and copywriters to deliver on key requirements.
Lead and execute campaigns, content, digital experiences, and world-class events.
Lead the visual creative development for brands and their projects.
Liaise with
Liaise directly with clients as required by the Producer for a given project.
Liaise with clients concerning installations, deliveries, product issues and payments.
Maintain
Maintain a presence in the industry by participating in conferences, forums, and award shows.
Maintain clear lines of communication with each project's art, design, and engineering
Make
Make appropriate image selections and suggestions based on the content of the product.
Make recommendations for ongoing organizational improvements (i.e. talent, process, and tools).
Manage
Manage and delegate responsibilities to other artist and provide directions.
Manage art department (of two part time Illustrators) — resource and capacity management.
Manage Director and Creator / EP expectations.
Manage executing client work or delegating to design support.
Manage on set crews in studio and on location.
Manage outsource or 3rd party vendors.
Manage retouching and retouchers / graders.
Manage the studio's art team.
Manage timeline & budget for on-time delivery.
Mentor
Mentor and provide oversight to other creative team members.
Modify
Modify existing marketing materials with new / updated information for Canadian markets.
Monitor
Monitor and ensure overall quality of all design output.
Monitor regional workflow with internal project management technology.
Offer
Offer art production, print coordination and scheduling support to the team.
Originate
Originate big campaign ideas for clients in an array of industry sectors.
Oversee
Oversee all aspects of the creative process.
Oversee, lead and mentor team of talented graphic designers, photographers and copywriters.
Paint
Paint with your fingers, build apps, build awareness, passionate about photography.
Participate in
Participate in and contribute to new business pitches.
Participate in client meetings and lead pitch creative concepts to clients.
Participate in Creative Kick-Offs to understand overarching positioning of the brand & product line.
Participate with other members of the creative team to develop excellent creative campaign ideas.
Plan
Plan, design, and implement A / B testing programs & hypothesis prioritization.
Plan, design, and implement user flows, information architecture, conversion funnels.
Plan, shoot and edit all BAU social content.
Present
Present completed ideas to clients / team members & participate in status calls as needed.
Present creative directions to clients in a confident and engaging manner.
Present creative work to clients, facilitate design progression and understanding.
Present solutions to briefs that support the marketing strategy, both commercially and creatively.
Prioritize
Prioritize tasks, set expectations, and meet deadlines.
Prioritize work and resources across engagements based on short and long-term needs.
Process
Process and organizational — Co-manages the productivity of the team.
Produce
Produce sketches, storyboards, roughs to visualize ideas.
Produce templates with master style guides to create efficiencies.
Produce the final assets necessary for sending over to studio / production.
Promote
Promote collaboration between the client and the creative department.
Propose
Propose design ideas in a confident, engaging and convincing way across a variety of channels.
Protect
Protect our visual strategy by identifying and course-correcting off-brand material.
Provide
Provide art direction and design for special projects across a variety of platforms and media.
Provide art direction and feedback on concepts, storyboards, final ad creatives.
Provide art direction for web content (photography, video, animation).
Provide clear direction and feedback for internal and external Artists such as 3D and UI.
Provide coaching for artists and programmers when necessary.
Provide conceptual paintovers and look direction.
Provide examples of art directed photoshoots from concept to delivery.
Provide guidance to the digital designers on digital projects.
Provide mark ups and notes for edits post-production.
Provide ongoing thought leadership to clients and attends regular brand studio meetings.
Provide rationale for design choices.
Provide samples of impeccable aesthetic sensibility, innovative design and typography.
Provide the right tools to the development teams for their projects.
Push
Push the envelope when it comes to production and the use of adjectives.
Receive
Receive and implement feedback with a positive attitude.
Refine
Refine images, fonts and layouts using graphic design software.
Review
Review and proof all production materials on assigned projects.
Select
Select, partner with and lead agencies in scaling creative work.
Supervise
Supervise work flow from concept to final production to meet deadlines in a cost efficient manner.
Supervise vendors / freelancers / interns assigned to projects.
Support
Support Art Directors on medium to major projects as assigned.
Support / attend all the mandatory staff meetings and adheres to agency processes and procedures.
Support the Art Director on all social shoots whether in house or external.
Support the design and image selection for high-impact presentation decks and other materials.
Take
Take accountability with courage and transparency.
Take on appropriate projects and own them, start to finish.
Take ownership of all online and offline design initiatives.
Take ownership of all photo and video initiatives from concept to execution.
Take part, if necessary, in the staging or production of certain shots or sequences.
Take personal responsibility for getting things done, isn't afraid of technology and data.
Track
Track record of writing production grade code, either Open Source or commercially.
Understand
Understand and promote contemporary design, leveraging style, function, and motion.
Understand client's requirements and artistic style of various projects.
Understand digital, UX / UI and video asset creation and approval cycles.
Understand that concepts, while needing to be "original”, also need to be consistent with the brand.
Understand the needs of the client and how to ask the right questions.
Use
Use and leverage metrics to drive design and measure success.
Validate
Validate schedules, ensure their proper execution and profitability.
Work with
Work alongside a copywriter to concept brand ideas that come to life in social and digital.
Work closely with Creative Directors, and Designers to create innovative and creative campaigns.
Work closely with development teams to deliver and deploy final products.
Work closely with partner organizations and agencies to streamline creative execution.
Work with client leads, media buyers and our creative production team to plan, execute and report.
Work with Internal and External Artists to help follow through with content needs.
Work with internal and external production partners to execute work for various mediums.
Work with production management to ensure effective project execution.
Work with team members in the development of creative concepts.
Work with the Brand Marketing Director to conceptualize campaigns that deliver on business goals.
Most In-demand Hard Skills
The following list describes the most required technical skills of an Art Director:
Design
Typography
Animation
Advertising
Digital
Sketch
Art Direction
ART
Print
Social Media
Marketing
Visual Design
Photography
After Effects
Layout
Most In-demand Soft Skills
The following list describes the most required soft skills of an Art Director:
Written and oral communication skills
Attention to detail
Organizational capacity
Problem-solving attitude
Collaborative
Presentation
Leadership
Creative
Interpersonal skills
Team player
Detail-oriented
Listening
Multi-task
Organized
Proactive
