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Today, having the ability to be able to transform words and strategies into images It is increasingly necessary for brands and companies that want to reach their users with a clear message. The world we live in is increasingly linked to image, and visual communication and art directors are the key communicators of the time.
What is Art Direction?
Art Direction is a specialty related to marketing and advertising., which is responsible for developing ideas and transmitting them through images, taking into account the target audience they are aimed at, as well as the interests of that target. This work includes a great involvement of creativity and visual creation, since it transfers images to the graphic plane.
Art Directors work together with advertising writers. They are the team that works for create all types of advertising campaigns. The Art Director is in charge of coordinating all visual aspects of the campaign. The person in charge of art direction is the one who directs the graphic, web or video design teams, since all of them have components that are part visual communication. In short, the Art Director is the one who directs the entire visual strategy of the brand and makes sure that all parts are following the line established in the brand strategy.
In order to be an Art Director you can study both Art Direction and other image-related careers, such as Graphic Design. You can also choose a more generic career such as Advertising and then specialize in Art Direction by doing a master's degree. This last option will give you, in addition to the specific knowledge of an art director, a more comprehensive notion of the Advertising Career in general.
Functions of an art director
In many companies, there is a Art Direction department, within which is the work of the creative duo. In this area, we work through the prism of creativity and design. Like any department, Art Direction has some main tasks and duties.
First of all, the Art Direction department carries out design tasks, that is, designing and graphically elaborating the ideas that have been raised. In this process, it is usually the Art Director who generates the idea from which to work, as well as being in charge of approving the final project. Furthermore, this department is in charge of preparing the visual guide, which serves as a basis and starting point for the development of the project.
As in any other department within a company, in the Art Direction department, there will be a person in charge of managing the different projects and people. In many cases, this function is carried out by the Art Director.
Where does an Art Director work?
- Art Direction in production companies: whether to make television commercials, as well as music videos, even short films, movies and series. The world of instream is increasingly larger and more varied and here you will have a world of possibilities to focus your career.
- Work as an Art Director in an advertising and/or marketing agency: Here you will have the role of art director as it is more traditionally known. Working together with a copywriter thinking about creative strategies and campaigns.
- Graphic and editorial art direction: If you are more of a static person, you can look for work in the management of editorials, magazines and companies dedicated exclusively to graphics.
- Show art direction: You will be in charge of staging large concerts, plays, presentations, etc. You will have to supervise the visual and aesthetic elements such as signage, screens, makeup, clothing and other elements that are part of the show so that everything follows the same strategy and visual line.
Qualities that a good Art Director should have
In addition to studying a degree or doing a Master in Art Direction in which you will learn the most technical notions and the digital tools that you will have to know how to use for this profession, there are certain skills or soft skills that any good art director must develop to achieve success. Among them we can highlight:
- General culture: you must keep your interest and the flame of knowledge and learning always burning to succeed in this profession. The more aesthetic, visual, literary and musical references you have, the greater your ability to develop creative strategies. Let's say that this is the most important and essential quality to be able to work in this career. Interest is not taught in any career, only you are capable of staying informed and updated.
- Work with humility: there is a preconception that art directors consider themselves the “talented” ones in the work process, so you have the responsibility to improve that expectation first by making the team see that you are one of the group.
- Have an impressive creative portfolio: this is your cover letter. At Miami Ad School we accompany you in the process of creating the best creative portfolio so that when you graduate, you can present a book of work that is as professional as possible.
Where to study Art Direction?
Over the past decade, the profiles demanded by companies have undergone a great change, since, although the more technical profiles are still necessary, The need to have more creative profiles within companies has become visible, who create and devise formats and content to reach clients or potential clients in a more personalized way, that appeals to feelings and emotions.
For this reason, Art Direction is currently one of the preferred options for those students who have to decide what they want to study and where they want to direct their job prospects. In these cases, the best option is to resort to a advertising school, who can advise the student and can provide him with a first contact with a Art Direction department. To do this, it is important to have experienced teachers who have developed their professional work in that field.
What professional opportunities do you have to learn Art Direction in Madrid?
The Professional opportunities for Art Direction, are very varied and, depending on the interests and concerns of the student, they can be oriented or specialized towards different aspects. The most common is the advertising art direction work, which will be based on expressing ideas in an attractive way for clients.
Another job option, as explained previously, is work for a brand within the Art Direction department. In this case, the objective will be more aimed at working on the brand image, for this purpose campaigns and projects will be developed focused on what you want to achieve. Furthermore, in some companies, joint work will be carried out with the Event Organization department, in which the Art Direction will mainly intervene in creative tasks.
In recent years, there has emerged a new professional opportunity related to Art Direction which, currently, has a great future projection. This is the Design Thinking, which works on problem solving, based on emotional factors and the development of creativity for this.
Reasons to study Art Direction
There are many reasons to study Art Direction in Madrid. It can be a great idea, especially for certain student profiles. Firstly, it is a dynamic activity that will allow you to work as a team and carry out ideas of very diverse types.
Furthermore, it may be the ideal job for those creative people who want their professional career to be linked to the work and development of their own creativity.
Study at Miami Ad School to become the best Art Director
At Miami Ad School we train art directors who today lead the most important companies worldwide. How do we do it?
- We provide personalized education: our model is updated year after year with the most requested needs of the industry, so within our program we add boosters that are necessary in subjects such as innovation or 3D design. We want to give our students the opportunity to extend their knowledge as much as possible.
- Learn from the best: our teachers are all professionals who are actively working in the best brands and companies in the world. This is how we ensure that our students are trained in the most up-to-date trends worldwide.
- Awards to make your work noticed: every year at Miami Ad School we participate in national and international competitions so that our work is recognized. Today we are the school with the most awarded students worldwide. Here is a brief summary of the latest awards received.
- Learning by doing: Our motto is to make school the real world. That is why our instructors use a teaching method where students work on real projects, just as is done in companies and agencies. We also give our students the possibility of doing 6 months of internships in the best agencies.
If you have questions, you can contact our academic advisor and director of the Portfolio Program. You can also contact any of Miami Ad School's hundreds of former students to ask them about their experience at the school. In any case, we will be happy to help you!
