A designer/art director develops art concepts and design for projects and ad and marketing campaigns. They must create compelling visuals for various projects, often to be further developed and hosted on digital platforms. They are the ones who create and direct the flow of the visuals and the face of the brand, including creating and maintaining the brand's standards and kit, all for the use of in public relations and marketing. All of this is built up based on market research, which the designer/art director also conducts and manages.
A person hoping to work in this position will likely need to have at least a bachelor's degree in fine arts, design, or a related subject. They will also need a few years of experience in a similar position and working with creative design and in a media or related company. A good creative portfolio and proficiency with design software is also necessary.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a Designer/Art Director. For example, did you know that they make an average of $40.27 an hour? That's $83,757 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 900 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many Designer/Art Directors have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed Leadership skills, Communication skills and Creativity.
If you're interested in becoming a Designer/Art Director, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 74.4% of Designer/Art Directors have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 6.1% of Designer/Art Directors have master's degrees. Even though most Designer/Art Directors have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a Designer/Art Director. When we researched the most common majors for a Designer/Art Director, we found that they most commonly earn Bachelor's Degree degrees or Associate Degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on Designer/Art Director resumes include Master's Degree degrees or High School Diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a Designer/Art Director. In fact, many Designer/Art Director jobs require experience in a role such as Graphic Designer. Meanwhile, many Designer/Art Directors also have previous career experience in roles such as Art Director or Designer.