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Art Director Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

An Art Director, or Artistic Director designs the visuals for advertising campaigns, publications, films and other projects. Their duties include creating visual concepts, illustrating these concepts and managing their development.

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Art Director duties and responsibilities

Art Directors perform a range of tasks while supervising art projects from conception to completion. Their responsibilities vary depending on their sector, but often include:

  • Collaborating with clients and relevant employees, such as the Creative Director, Writer or Marketer, on design concepts
  • Creating sketches or storyboards of design concepts
  • Presenting sketches and concept ideas to clients, the Creative Director, accounts teams and other relevant parties
  • Hiring creatives, such as Graphic Directors or Photographers, to develop design concepts
  • Selecting and booking locations and studios, as required
  • Overseeing creatives to ensure they work productively and meet the brief and budget
  • Maintaining graphic consistency across all deliverables
  • Reviewing graphic materials to assess its validity and appropriateness for the brand
  • Making changes directed by clients and overseeing edits
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Art Director Job Description Examples:

Example 1

Ride Shotgun is a bit different. Not only are we one of the fastest growing strategic brand, activation and production agencies in the UK but we think big, go big creatively and deliver big in production to deliver fully joined-up brand journeys for clients of all shapes and sizes.

Due to growth we're looking for an Art Director to join our creative team, ideally Mid-Weight or Senior level. Culture is extremely important to us as an agency, it's as much about the talent as it is about how we operate as a team!

We're looking for an experienced Art Director to join our Leeds team - where you will be based - and you'll have worked with an array of clients ranging from fashion and beauty, food and drink - and particularly home and lifestyle. You’ll have experience being client facing and presenting creative solutions, visualising concepts, and executing the desired vision at the shoot, collaborating with our incredible in-house production team. Working from concept through to final delivery, executing everything to the highest level.

The Art Director will be responsible for sustaining and elevating the visual output across the studio. You must be a creative problem solver who can encourage others’ creativity as well as express your own. This is a fast-paced environment where your creativity and strategic thinking must work simultaneously.

What skills are required?

  • 3+ years as an Art Director
  • Confident communication is essential to present work to clients and other team members
  • Experience working with Home & Leisure brands is a must.
  • Strong eye for detail and the ability to creatively concept ideas and see all the way through to delivery.
  • Solid agency experience is essential

    What do we offer?

    The opportunity to make a real impact and be instrumental in shaping the future of a new, ambitious, and exciting agency. Based in Leeds you’ll work with some of the world’s best brands and the region’s best talent to produce award winning creative work.

    In addition, we offer a competitive salary and additional benefits including:

  • 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
  • Your birthday off
  • Additional holidays through salary sacrifice
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Pension contribution
  • Westfield health cash plan
  • Profit share scheme
  • Discounts portal with access to thousands of retailers
  • Tailored professional development plans

    Job Type: Full-time

    Benefits:
  • Additional leave
  • Bereavement leave
  • Casual dress
  • Company pension
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • On-site parking
  • Private medical insurance
  • Sick pay
    Schedule:
  • Monday to Friday



    Ability to commute/relocate:
  • Leeds: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

    Application question(s):
  • What is your current notice period?
  • What are your salary expectations?

    Work authorisation:
  • United Kingdom Location: In person

    • Example 2

    We have a fantastic hybrid-working opportunity for a Senior Art Director, at our client''s Creative & Human Behaviour Agency.

    Our client is a creative full-service agency, with a clear focus on delivering evidence-based, sustained behavioural change.

    As a Senior Art Director, you will have a conceptually strong portfolio displaying examples of beautifully crafted campaigns. Someone who recognises the power of insight led ideas and how they can change people’s lives.
    You will enjoy working in a buzzing and passionate agency, across multi-channel projects. You are someone who revels in problem solving, can bring an arsenal of fresh ideas and loves to impress clients with intelligent solutions to their challenges.

    You are both a doer and a thinker, and your work reflects [website] are someone who has experience working with healthcare brands within a health or consumer advertising agency. You are keen to rise to the creative challenges that the healthcare sector brings.

    Key responsibilities
  • Develop the visual approach and style across a range of different projects and contribute to the improvement of design, interfaces, creative and all aesthetics
  • Amend and develop materials across multi-channel platforms, ensuring all work and
    approaches are on brief
  • Co-ordinate activities, reviewing and developing concepts, design, artwork, and layouts2

  • Think up “the big idea” and craft concept-driven ideas for campaigns and pitches, continuing to take care to ensure that every detail is pixel perfect
  • Work effectively with creatives of different types, including writers, UI/UX, designers,
    photographers, filmmakers, and developers
  • Confidently present your work for client approvalWhat we are looking for

  • Hands on experience with digital, brand development, campaign development, typography,and experiential design
  • Proficient use in a range of design tools including Adobe Creative Suite (After Effects and XD are added benefits)
  • A strong portfolio that demonstrates originality, innovation, and multi-disciplinary thinking
  • Excellent attention to detail
  • Someone who thrives when working in collaboration with others and demonstrates empathy, strong communication skills, respect, and the ability to act as a role model, inspiring others within the agency
    What you will do – Day to day Develop concepts and solutions for multi-channel materials and campaigns, utilising an innovative mindset

  • Be a brand champion
  • Drive the creativity within projects and strive for executional excellence
  • Works with clients to develop concepts, ensuring we provide innovative solutions to their challenges
  • Manage and mentor the creative team
  • Contribute to the design and development with regards to all visual outputs
  • Set the quality and standard for creative and design work produced by the team, in line with brand guidelines
  • Develop pitches when relevant, creating strong rationales that our client can invest in
  • Oversee multiple creative projects at a time and work on projects from ideation to full executionIn return you will be provided with a fantastic base salary alongside the following benefits -

    Benefits include:

    25 days holiday entitlement (including Christmas closure) ( Holiday increases a day a year - up to 5 extra days)

    Birthday day off!

    In and out-patient cover

    Advanced cancer cover

    Mental health cover and 24hr support

    50% off gym membership

    Annual fitness check

    Vitality reward benefits

    Eye care vouchers with free pair of glasses or sunglasses

    Duvet day allowance

    Discretionary annual bonus

    Job Type: Full-time

    Salary: Up to £60,000.00 per year

    Schedule:
  • Monday to Friday

    Experience:
  • creative agency: 3 years ID: HAM-69659

    • Example 3

    Purpose:

    As one of the largest football clubs in the world, we continue to innovate in terms of how we engage and connect with our global fanbase. Within the Brand & Club Marketing team, we are looking for an Art Director to help us drive new and exciting campaigns for the club and our partners.

    The Role:

    You will lead the concept and design of innovative visual solutions for cross-channel initiatives in this role. You will offer a new dynamic to an already leading, first-class creative team with excellent conceptual thinking and leading design skills. Daily, you will:
  • Create powerful concepts and designs for club campaigns and projects
  • Lead and collaborate with design teams to develop effective visual designs
  • Lead creative projects, whether creating or presenting storyboards
  • Create, develop and produce original and innovative creative ideas that deliver results and align with our business goals
  • Be a channel specialist with a clear understanding of delivering content across different channels
  • Communicate and advocate creative thinking and technical execution to the team throughout the project

    The Person:
  • More than five years of creative experience in art direction and design with a focus on sports and consumer brands
  • An understanding of creating brand-led work, challenged and connected to relevant audiences
  • An expert across Adobe CC (Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, etc)
  • Proven portfolio of developing concepts into compelling visual design
  • Ability to deliver comprehensive knowledge of design and processes to wider design teams
  • Ability to communicate clearly and visually with clear storyboards
  • Knowledge and sensitivity to trends that influence design in general, design, sport and athletes
  • Passion and energy, willing to challenge and push new creative thinking in a fast-moving environment
  • Experience in collaborating with Art Directors, Designers, Video Editors and Creative Directors
  • Full knowledge of and experience in brand, campaign, social, and digital development
  • Ability to deliver on multiple projects and delegate work efficiently
  • Demonstrated creative success in leading collaborative multi-functional teams

    This advert will close on 23rd June 2022

    MUFC is an Equal Opportunities Employer and recognises the importance of safeguarding children and adults at risk in our workplace.*

    It is unlawful to employ a person in a UK-based job who does not have permission to live and work in the UK. You should make yourself aware of how immigration laws apply to you before applying for any of our roles.

    MUFC positively welcomes and seeks to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment. We encourage applications from all candidates regardless of age, race, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality.*

    If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application and perform at your best, please do not hesitate to contact to make a request; we are here to Type: Full-time

    • Example 4

    Monkey Business Images is a leading producer of quality royalty free imagery and footage. Based in the UK with projects across the globe, our in-house team shoot all aspect of life. With a focus on the genuine and authentic, our portfolio of creative and engaging visuals provides media producers around the world with original and trend driven content.

    We require an experienced Art Director to join our team at Monkey Business Images. Generating concepts and ideas through to shoot production. Working with our in house photographer/videographer and Production team to produce creative and engaging content. Must have worked in the royalty free stock industry for a number of years and be familiar with fast paced production schedules.

    Main duties and responsibilities:

  • Generate ideas by researching trends and market analysis.
  • Creation of briefs and visuals prior to each shoot.
  • Shoot planning working with the team on location and model selection, model casting, location reccis, talent and shoot schedule, and generation of prop lists.
  • Shoot briefing the team
  • Execution of photo shoots to the expected high standard of Monkey Business and ensuring shoot briefs are met.
  • Budget management, in particular budget planning of overseas shoot trips.
  • On set crew management.
  • Delivering high volume quality content from each shoot.

    Knowledge and Skills required:

  • Ability to bring original fresh & stylish ideas from start to finish.
  • Comfortable with all parts of the process from initial research and ideas through to shoot production.
  • Highly motivated self-starter.
  • Ability to make a positive impact on the team.
  • Strong leadership skills.
  • Articulate in explaining ideas to others
  • Pro-active and able to show initiative/ideas with a strong focus on execution
  • Hands on.
  • Team Player.
  • Ability to work on multiple shoot projects – both stills and footage.
  • Excellent computer skills in a relevant creative environment with a good working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, in particular Photoshop, Bridge and Capture One
  • Ability to work with stills & footage on the same shoot
  • Knowledge of royalty free stock imagery desirable
  • Knowledge of post-production processes desirable.
  • Pro-active and able to take initiative
  • Ability to support with and develop the team.
  • Full UK driving license and own vehicle.

    Travel

  • Flexible occasional weekends and out of hours may be required as well as local and international travel for up to 3 weeks periods

    The Ideal CandidateAn experienced Art Director in the royalty free stock image environment with the ability to show high quality portfolio of work.

    Excellent Company Benefits.

    An appropriate salary band for the position depending on experience

    Private Healthcare

    Life Assurance

    Travel Insurance

    25 days holiday + bank holidays + Christmas and New Year’s Eve holiday + Birthday off

    Free car parking

    Job Type: Full-time

    Salary: Up to £45,000.00 per year

    Additional pay:
  • Performance bonus
    Benefits:
  • Casual dress
  • Company events
  • Company pension
  • On-site parking
  • Private medical insurance
    Schedule:
  • Monday to Friday

    Ability to commute/relocate:
  • Wallingford, OX10 9FE: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

    Education:
  • A-Level or equivalent (preferred)

    Experience:
  • Art Director: 2 years (required)

    Licence/Certification:
  • Driving Licence (required)

    Willingness to (preferred)

    • Example 5

    Digital Art Director with a growing agency in Bristol.

    The Digital Art Director will join an exciting agency delivering marketing and CRM solutions some of the biggest brands in the world.

    As the Digital Art Director you’ll be driving the client strategy, offering creative UX solutions. You’ll work autonomously to demonstrate how a user moves through communications (email, web, push, app) using various wireframes and low-fi designs. You’ll also be responsible for creating engaging and responsive design solutions, propose opportunities to enhance client’s products and lead creative output within teams. The successful candidate will need extensive previous experience from an agency, vast knowledge of Adobe software, and ability to work independently but also with the larger agency team. The role can be flexible so you can work in the office 2-3 days a week and the rest remotely. There are also great benefits on offer!

    What else will you do?

  • Create concepts that always meet and often exceed project performance goals
  • Translate concepts across a comms journey to an expert level;
  • Produce ideas quickly and effectively using sketches or low-fi designs ahead of, and during, ideation sessions.
  • Implement brand behaviour of clients’ products, evolving style guides, and critiquing the use of brand elements by creatives in your project team.
  • Demonstrate expert design skills in layout, typography and image creation/manipulation.
  • Create innovative, engaging, and workable responsive design solutions for all devices that demonstrate an understanding of the content hierarchy.

    What do you need?

  • At least 5+ years’ experience from an agency
  • Expert Adobe CC - Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, XD and After Effects skills
  • Experience working on global clients
  • Sound understanding of CRM channels (web, email, push and app)
  • Ability to research and use innovative design and CRM trends.
  • Ability to work independently and with a larger team.

    In return, you’ll get:

  • Hybrid environment
  • 25 days’ annual leave plus a day off on your birthday plus bank holidays
  • Summer and Christmas hours – finish 2.5 hours early one Friday per month in June, July, August and December
  • Contributory company pension
  • Bupa dental care
  • Vitality health insurance
  • And many more

    Next steps:

    If you are interested in this role, please send us your CV to hello(at)[website] with a brief cover note.

    Reference: LG-6FM200

    Moxie and Mettle is a UK-based recruitment company; our clients are based in the UK too. Although many clients offer remote working as an option, there is still a need to regularly visit company offices and clients in the UK. Therefore, applications from overseas are unlikely to be successful, unless applicants already have plans to be in the UK several times a month/year to facilitate meetings with both the teams and clients.

    Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

    Salary: £40,000.00 per year

    Benefits:
  • Company events
  • Company pension
  • Free parking
    Schedule:
  • Monday to Friday

    Ability to reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

    • What does an Art Director do?

    Art Directors design all the visuals for their business and their clients. They create storyboards or sketches that illustrate their concepts, after receiving approval, they coordinate and oversee the it’s development. Art Directors typically specialise in art direction for a specific industry. They often work on advertising, publishing, film, television and theatre projects. These sectors rely on Art Directors to create striking, memorable visuals reflecting the brand and its projects. Art Directors also ensure quality delivery of all visual projects on time and on budget.

    Art Director skills and qualifications

    Art Directors rely on creative talents and leadership skills during the development of visual projects. A successful Art Director candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications that typically include:

    • Problem-solving skills to develop original and effective visual concepts
    • Artistic skills to develop sketches and storyboards reflecting visual concepts
    • Technical understanding of artistic concepts including photography, typography and color theory
    • Verbal and written communication skills, including active listening, to understand briefs and share them with creative team
    • Organisation skills and the ability to multi-task
    • Computer literacy, including confidence using office and design programs

    Art Director experience requirements

    People usually gain experience working in creative roles before becoming Art Directors. Working as a Graphic Designer, Photographer or Illustrator helps aspiring Art Directors refine their artistic and problem-solving skills. Before entering paid work, many aspiring Art Directors gain experience through work placements and internships with advertising agencies and other creative businesses.

    Art Director education and training requirements

    Businesses employing Art Directors expect applicants to hold a standard degree, foundation degree or higher national diploma in art or design. Degrees or diplomas in graphic design, advertising design, fine art or illustration all give aspiring Art Directors good technical foundations. Students need one of two A levels, or the equivalent, to enter a foundation degree or higher national diploma program. Students must complete two or three A levels, or the equivalent, for acceptance into a standard degree program.

    Art Director salary expectations

    According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for an Art Director in the UK, is £43, 446 per year. An Art Director’s salary depends on their experience, location, employer and industry.

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    Art Director job description FAQs

    What is the difference between an Art Director and a Creative Director?

    Art Directors and Creative Directors both oversee creative projects. However, the scope of their responsibilities differs. Art Directors focus on the development of visual elements. The work of Creative Directors has a broader focus. It considers how visual elements work with a business’ strategy and campaign execution.

    Who does an Art Director report to?

    Art Directors usually report to Creative Directors. Art direction is one of the creative areas Creative Directors oversee. Creative Directors give Art Directors briefs about the kind of visuals required. Art Directors develop detailed concepts meeting these briefs. They concern themselves with details including typefaces, color choices, kerning and spacing.

    What qualities do successful Art Directors have?

    Successful Art Directors are creative people who have original, innovative ideas. They must have good aesthetic instincts. They must also be detail-orientated people who can work meticulously. Since Art Directors work with many creative people, they should thrive in team environments. They should also be positive people who can motivate and get the best from their artistic teams.

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