Art Directors are part of the creative department within a creative agency. They typically work alongside a Copywriter.
Art Directors are responsible for creating and developing advertising ideas, particularly how they look and feel. These ideas can appear across television, posters, digital content, radio, cinema and more.
An Art Director combines design knowledge with an understanding of the production process to bring ideas to life.
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Art Director
Pathway to becoming an Art Director
Unlike some other roles in advertising, becoming an Art Director tends to require some specific creative skill development before starting in an agency, although there are exceptions.
Art Directors may have tertiary qualifications in fields such as design, fine arts or creative communications. Relevant study can also include digital design or technology.
Copywriters and Art Directors often get their first jobs in advertising by developing a portfolio, sometimes called a ‘book’. This is a collection of advertising ideas you have created. They do not have to be real ads that have appeared in the world. They can be speculative ideas showing how you would advertise products and brands you have chosen.
A portfolio allows a Creative Director to see how you think and assess the quality of your ideas. It is often an important part of applying for your first creative role.
What might I be able to earn?
The following provides an indication of the sort of earnings you could achieve during your career.
We’ve selected a range of roles and provided indicative earning potential. Titles and levels of responsibility can vary depending on the size of the agency, the nature of its accounts, its location and how it defines each role, so these figures are indicative only.
