Art Director
Art Directors are part of the creative department within a Creative Agency. They typically work in a team alongside a Copywriter. Art Directors are responsible for the creation and development of advertising ideas, particularly their visual appearance. These ideas can exist in many formats - television ads, posters, digital content, radio, cinema etc. The Art Director combines design knowledge with understanding of the production process to create work to bring it to life.
See what it's like...
Ashwin Gopal
Creative Director at TBWA
Career progression
What might I be able to earn?
We’ve taken a selection of roles and provided indicative earning potential. Due to the merit-based nature of the industry, the different levels of responsibility that titles can carry – based on size of agency and nature of accounts – alongside geographical location and the different ways in which agencies interpret individual titles, these are indicative only.
To be successful you'll need...
Common Study Choices for Art Directors
Unlike some other roles in advertising, becoming an Art Director does tend to require some specific skill development before starting in an agency (but there are always exceptions to the rule).
Art Directors may have a tertiary degree in fields such as design, fine arts, or creative communications. Increasingly, this might also include study of digital design or technology.
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Getting a job as an Art Director
Copywriters and Art Directors often get their first jobs in advertising by developing a 'book'. This is a portfolio of advertising ideas you have created. These don't have to be real ads that have appeared in the world. They are speculative - how you would advertise products and brands that you've chosen.
A 'book' allows a creative director to see how you think, get a sense of the quality of your creative thinking. It's how they probably got their first job as a creative.
