Art Directors

Career summary

#review 4/4/19 lh

Art directors supervise the work of:

• Artists
• Graphic designers
• Photographers
• Copywriters
• Production staff

Together these workers produce artwork for their employer or customers. They begin new projects by meeting with clients to discuss the project. They learn what the purpose of the artwork. They also ask clients about their budget, preferred styles, and timeline.

Art directors discuss the client's project with their staff. They lay out a broad design concept and assign work to artists and graphic designers. They review rough ideas with artists, and have them do additional work on select ideas.

Once the ideas are developed, art directors meet with clients to get feedback. Art directors usually go through several rounds of meetings with clients as ideas are refined.

Art directors present the final piece to the client for approval. They make sure projects are completed on time and to the client's satisfaction.

Producing finished projects for clients may require workers other than artists including photographers, camera operators, film editors, and printers.

Art directors occasionally do some of the artwork themselves. However, their time is usually taken up by supervisory and administrative duties.

For example, they resolve conflicts between workers and negotiate with clients. They also prepare budgets, evaluate employees, and estimate how much projects will cost.

Related careers

This career is part of the Arts, Audio/Visual Technology, and Communications cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Advertising Managers
• Animators and Multimedia Artists
• Curators
• Editors
• Fashion Designers
• Fine Artists
• Graphic Designers
• Industrial Designers
• Interior Designers
• Landscape Architects
• Producers and Directors
• Public Relations Specialists
• Writers

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to art directors.

• Meet with clients to discuss projects.
• Confer with clients about budget, background information, and styles.
• Plan project details, such as style and type of font, photographs, graphics, and arrangement.
• Confer with staff to discuss client requirements and coordinate creative activities.
• Review and approve art and copy materials developed by staff. Review proofs of printed copy.
• Assign and direct staff members to develop design concepts.
• Present final layouts to client for approval.
• Negotiate and contract with photo agencies, freelance photographers, or printers.
• May draw custom illustrations or graphics for project.
• Recommend or take personnel actions, such as hiring, training, and firing employees.
• Estimate the costs for time, labor, and outside suppliers. Prepare budgets.

Common work activities

Art directors perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Think creatively
• Use computers
• Get information needed to do the job
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Schedule work and activities
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Convince others to buy goods or change their minds or actions
• Process information
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Develop goals and strategies
• Analyze data or information
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Evaluate information against standards
• Document and record information
• Perform for or work with the public
• Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Perform administrative tasks
• Develop and build teams
• Monitor and control resources
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, art directors:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a high level of social interaction. They constantly work with customers and creative staff.
• Are greatly responsible for the work done by designers, artists, photographers, and others.
• Work with teams or groups of people. It is extremely important for art directors to know how to select and work with teams.
• Are sometimes placed in conflict situations. Clients and creative staff may disagree over the direction of a project.
• Encounter unpleasant or angry people often.
• Communicate daily with customers and coworkers by phone, e-mail, and in person.
• Write letters and memos weekly.

Physical work conditions

• Work indoors in offices.
• Work somewhat close to others, such as when sharing an office.

Work performance

• Must be very exact and complete in their work. Errors in type size, color, or picture size can be expensive to fix and may ruin the look of the project.
• Often repeat the same tasks.
• Can set most of their own task and goals. They rarely consult a supervisor before making a decision.
• Make decisions often that affect other people and their company. This includes personnel and design decisions.
• Must meet strict deadlines everyday.

Hours/travel

• Work a regular schedule.
• Generally work more than 40 hours per week. May work on the weekends to meet deadlines.
• May travel to clients' offices.

Physical demands

Art directors frequently:

• Sit for long periods of time.
• Repeat the same movements.
• Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

It is important for art directors to be able to:

• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for art directors to be able to:

• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.

Skills and abilities

Art directors need to:

Communicate

• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Understand written information.
• Understand spoken information.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Read and understand work-related materials.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.

Reason and problem solve

• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.
• Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Manage the time of self and others.
• Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.
• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Decide how to spend money to get the work done and keep track of how the money was used.

Work with people

• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.
• Look for ways to help people.
• Solve problems by bringing others together to discuss differences.
• Teach others how to do something.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.

Work with things

• Analyze needs and requirements when designing products.

Perceive and visualize

• Imagine how something will look if it is moved around or its parts are rearranged.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Arts Administration
• Graphic Design
• Multimedia and Intermedia

Other programs of study to consider

• Advertising
• Animation, Video Graphics, and Special Effects
• Apparel and Textiles
• Art and Fine Arts, General
• Commercial and Advertising Art
• Computer Graphics
• Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
• Illustration
• Mass Communication Studies
• Painting and Drawing
• Photographic, Film, and Video Technology

Training

To work as an art director, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• have at least a bachelor's degree; and
• have one to five years of related work experience.

Education after high school

There is no one way to prepare to become an art director. In general, you need a bachelor's or master's degree. Recommended majors are art or graphic design. Photographic arts or computer applications technology are other majors to consider.

Your career goals can determine the best major for you. For example, a degree in journalism is good preparation if you are interested in working for a magazine. A degree in advertising is good preparation if working for an advertising agency is your goal.

Work experience

Art directing is not an entry-level job. You need years of experience in related jobs before you can become a director. Newspapers, advertising agencies, and magazines are all places where you can gain experience and develop skills. Working as an assistant to an art director is another way to get experience. Many art directors have work experience in several areas, such as advertising, marketing, editing, and design.

Working on school newspapers or websites is a good way to prepare for entry-level jobs.

On-the-job training

Training once you are on the job is rare. Employers usually hire experienced art directors with proven skills.

Military training

The military trains people to be audiovisual and broadcast directors. Training lasts from 15 to 99 weeks, depending on specialty. You can gain skills in this occupation that would apply to being an art director.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Art History
• Commercial Art
• Computer Applications
• Desktop Publishing
• Drawing and Painting
• Graphic Design
• Photography
• Web Page Design

Many art directors are self-employed. If you want to run your own business some day, you should consider taking these courses as well:

• Accounting
• Entrepreneurship
• Introduction to Business

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

This is not an entry-level occupation. Employers prefer applicants who have many years of experience. Education is usually less important to employers than an applicant's skills and creativity. However, many employers look for applicants who have a bachelor's or master's degree. Some employers prefer applicants who have experience creating art for print and the Internet.

Employers often review an applicant's portfolio as part of the interview process. A portfolio is a collection of the applicant's work. It may include sketches of plans and photographs of completed work.

Employers also look for art directors who have good communication and organizational skills.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Art Directors 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

#In Washington, the average entry-level wage for art directors is $5,375 per month ($31.01 per hour).

#Updated ES wage info 07.16 sd

Wages vary by employer and area of the country. The art director's level of experience, training, and responsibility also affect wages.

Art directors who work full time usually receive benefits. Typical benefits include sick leave, paid vacation, and health insurance. Art directors who are self-employed must provide their own insurance.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

#Between 2014 and 2024, it is estimated that there will be 52 openings annually due to new positions and 39 openings annually from workers leaving this career.

#Updated outlook 05.16 sd

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

About 59% of art directors are self-employed.

Major employers:

• Advertising agencies
• Newspaper and magazine publishers
• Graphic design companies

National outlook

Growth is expected to show little to no change. As traditional print publishing become less popular, art directors will be needed to oversee the design and layout of other types of media such as electronic magazines and web pages.  

Competition for jobs will be strong as there are many talented designers and artists and few job openings.

Other resources

Advertising Educational Foundation 
708 Third Avenue, 23rd Floor
New York, NY 10017
212.986.8060

American Society of Media Photographers 
PO Box 31207
Bethesda, MD 20824
877.771.2767

Art Directors Club 

NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies 

Printing Industries of America 
301 Brush Creek Road
Warrrendale, PA 15086-7529
800.910.4283
412.741.6860

Showbizjobs.com 

References

Career cluster

• Arts, Audio/Visual Technology, and Communications

Career path

• Artistic

O*Net  occupation

• Art Directors (27-1011.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 4 - Considerable preparation needed. A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.

DOT occupations

• Art Director (141.031-010) 
• Creative Director (141.067-010) 
• Production Manager, Advertising (141.137-010) 

Holland occupational clusters

• Artistic/Enterprising/Conventional
• Artistic/Enterprising/Realistic

COPSystem

• Arts Professional