Emily Papp

Today in Deb Morrison’s Creative Strategist class, we were required to turn in self-directed, written midterm exams. The assignment was simple: Craft and answer three provocative questions about the state of advertising, brand development, media, or creative and where you fit in. Below you’ll find the first of my three questions. Though they’re somewhat dry in the sense that they were written in essay form, I hope they’ll prove to be insightful and interesting.

This is part one of a three-part series.

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Examine the relationship between art directors and designers. Draw parallels and identify differences between the two positions. How do industry professionals in these positions work together, and how do different agencies utilize these titles differently?

As a young professional-in-training striving to gain the skills necessary to succeed as a creative in the advertising industry, this is a topic very near and dear to my heart. Although I occasionally dabble in project management and advertising account planning, I primarily consider myself a print designer with web and video experience; I haven’t yet decided what shape my career will take following graduation in June, but I often weigh the possibility of becoming an art director against the likelihood that I’ll initially start out as an advertising designer. While the two positions share similar titles, there are various characteristics that differentiate them from one another. Brett Robbs and Deborah Morrison, co-authors of Idea Industry, elaborate on this phenomenon by explaining:

“…In some agencies, art directors and designers — traditionally classified in a world all their
own — now see more overlap in the way they work and in the language they use to grow and
describe their craft. You’ll hear their titles often used interchangeably, though their focus and
process is often a bit different.”

While this excerpt broadly explains the differences between art directors and designers, it’s most important to heed the piece that describes how the two terms are often swapped without regard to the specific duties assigned to each role. Different industry organizations have adopted different definitions of each position: Many agencies adhere to a hierarchy that positions art directors superior to designers, with each designer logically working their way up the ranks to the position of art director; on the other hand, some agencies don’t require art directors to have substantial skills in design—in this type of company organization, art directors guide and oversee the production process while designers actually carry out the technical tasks; some art directors in this model likely have limited knowledge of design programs.

In an article titled “Art Direction and Design” that was published on A List Apart earlier this month, industry professional Dan Mall further details the fundamental differences that often distinguish art directors from designers. Of the two positions, he explains, “They work hand-in-hand to deliver the point emotionally and physically. Design is perfection in technique; art direction is about the important, yet sometimes intangible emotion that powers the design.” Here, Mall eloquently attempts to
explain the complex relationship that designers and art directors share. Each position offers something unique and undeniably valuable; while art directors are traditionally responsible for working with writers to generate advertising concepts and define related strategies, designers work to bring those creative ideas into fruition. Design is a process of incorporating new ideas and combining specific visual elements to communicate the desired concept. In this way, designers are tasked with creating tangible advertising products that effectively creatively carry out advertising strategies. In the most simplified explanation, designers are meant to figure out how to communicate a concept visually, while art directors are in charge of understanding why.

In many agencies, however, the lines between art direction and design are blurred. Later in his article, Mall quotes JD Hooge of Gridplane, who admitted, “In my experience, the process is much more collaborative. The ideas inform the concept and vice versa.” Just as writers and art directors work in pairs to formulate creative concepts and develop campaign strategies, art directors and designers often work closely as well—designers sometimes aid in the idea phase of a project while art directors might occasionally help with design and production.

Here’s where the concept of the creative strategist becomes relevant in the real world. Though I consider myself a designer, I know that I’ll be better prepared as an advertising professional if I take the time to develop skills in strategy and idea generation, working on campaigns from the second an idea is conceived to the moment the copy has been finalized and the visual materials have been produced. Because there often aren’t any clear boundaries separating art direction from design, I’ll likely need to know the necessary skills to succeed in both positions.