An art director is a creative professional who manages the design, work, and concept of creative art pieces. Art directors typically work for a variety of media outlets. Art directors are responsible for creating advertisements, videos, websites, packaging, magazine and book covers.
About the Art Director
Art directors must have a strong creative capacity. The ability to brainstorm ideas is essential to the director. Directors must be able to create pieces of work that are aesthetically appealing to the target audience. The nature of an art director's job requires a steady flow of fresh ideas. Many directors have a bachelor's degree in fine arts or graphic design.
According to Careerplanner, an art director must have business and creative expertise. It's essential that the director understand use a variety of design tools and is skilled in various design techniques. The art director should be able to work with and manipulate drawings, blueprints and models. Business knowledge is also essential. The art director has a management role and must be able to demonstrate leadership. The ability to organize people and resources is vital.
Art directors have several core duties. The director is responsible for creating basic layouts and designs, working with staff to develop design solutions, reviewing and approving designs, and managing projects.
Average Pay
The average wage for an art director is $91,520 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, although according to Payscale, the average salary for an art director is between $42,887 and $68,990. Of course, wages are contingent on the location. The highest-paying states for art directors are New York, California, Illinois, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. There is a high concentration of art directors in cities like San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles.
Benefits
Art directors are often awarded other benefits in addition to a base salary. Common benefits added to the salary include medical, dental and vision. Around 81 percent of art directors have medical benefits.
Industries that Hire Art Directors
Common industries that employ art directors include advertising, public relationships, newspapers, periodicals, motion pictures, apparel, and specialized design-service industries. However, some art directors choose to work independently and are freelance contractors. Although art directing is a competitive field, job prospects are expected to grow through the year 2014.
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