Art Director Reviews - Page 12

Network as much as you can with peers; learn as much as you can from those in the business, be a sponge.

Learn immediately from a well-seasoned Art Directors so you can quickly learn the tricks.

If you can learn to approach your job from a sales AND creative standpoint you can better communicate through numbers and task flow. At times, when trying to communicate creative only - those not familiar with your job will not be able to understand your process. Familiarize yourself enough so that you can adequately and comfortable communicate how your role will impact theirs and the company as a whole.

Be involved in the sales aspect because if you have a tendency to communicate from a creative standpoint you can lose your audience. Numbers speak volumes and if you tackle it from a sales / creative standpoint - think hybrid - than you may have a better idea how to handle any conflicts.

The creative industry provides a rewarding career path. It can be fun, enriching, and exciting, but it is not often a 9-5 job. Deadlines must be met every day, and you will have to do whatever it takes to meet them. This is not a profession for people with a lax work ethic. Skills needed in the current job market include both print and web design and coding (at the very least, a solid understanding of HTML5 and CSS 3). Some firms still specialize, but having the ability to create for both print and web is expected in today's job market. The best advice I can give to new art directors is to be supportive and flexible. Not everyone has the same style or aesthetic sense you do, so look at the work objectively, especially when evaluating the work of junior designers. Offer guidance, but allow them the freedom to explore their ideas without imposing upon them your personal style. Through this freedom, your designers will be emboldened to take chances and create some truly exciting work.

Know how to organize time and workflow. Know how to mentor and exercise quality control. Know how to handle people.