What does a design director do?

A graphic artist is either an illustrator or an animator who creates art work that will be used in graphic projects such as advertisements, posters, or even book covers. Although a graphic artist has his/her own style of artwork, he/she may be often commissioned to create art specifically for a particular project. A graphic artist may work with a graphic designer in order to convey the overall message of a project. The portfolio of a graphic artist includes cartoons, illustrations, and graphic novels.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a design director are more likely to require skills like "sketch," "human centered design," "product design," and "user experience." On the other hand, a job as a graphic artist requires skills like "adobe photoshop," "adobe illustrator," "brochures," and "adobe creative suite." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

A production artist is responsible for managing digital content, meeting clients' standard specifications and requests for successful project completion. Production artists must have computer proficiency, especially on utilizing various software tools and applications to create illustrations and layouts. They also work closely with the creative team, cooperating in brainstorming sessions to ensure the consistency for each assigned task. A production artist should be keen on details, adjusting outputs as needed to maintain the highest quality for the actual presentation.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that design director responsibilities requires skills like "human centered design," "product design," "user experience," and "architecture." But a production artist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "adobe photoshop," "adobe creative suite," "adobe illustrator," and "adobe indesign."

A freelancer is a self-employed individual that provides services for multiple clients at one time and usually earns money on a per-job basis. Often known as independent contractors, freelancers usually set their schedules while running their own business and have a flexible lifestyle. They have the liberty to choose their clients that may be less confined to specific markets or sectors. Freelancers usually find work within the creative industries such as graphic design, copywriting, or photography.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a design director is likely to be skilled in "sketch," "human centered design," "product design," and "user experience," while a typical freelancer is skilled in "customer service," "web content," "video production," and "adobe photoshop."

A senior graphic designer oversees all of the designing operations in a company, from conceptualization to production. One of their primary responsibilities is to ensure that all designs produced are according to a client's preference and brand. They also encourage fresh ideas from the team, communicate with clients or representatives, and manage the schedules to meet all deadlines. Furthermore, as a senior graphic designer, they are responsible for leading and mentoring a team of graphic designers, all in the joint effort to reach project goals.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between design directors and senior graphic designers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a design director might have more use for skills like "human centered design," "product design," "architecture," and "ui." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of senior graphic designers require skills like "adobe creative suite," "creative concepts," "brochures," and "adobe photoshop. "