Advertising art directors work on the visual side of advertising, such as posters, leaflets or newspaper and TV advertisements. They work in a creative team with a copywriter, who provides the words to go with the images. (Art directors and copywriters are often jointly known as 'creatives').

An art director's job begins when the account planner briefs the creative team about the client, the product, the target audience and the advertising message to be put across. Their work then involves:

• working closely with the copywriter to create original ideas that fit the brief
• producing storyboards (for TV commercials) or sketches of their ideas
• presenting the ideas to the agency’s creative director and account team
• helping to present ideas to the client, and making any changes according to the client’s feedback
• getting graphic designers, artists, photographers or film companies to produce the artwork or TV ads
• choosing studios or locations and attending photo or film shoots
• making sure that budgets and deadlines are met
• overseeing the final editing of the finished advertisements.

Art directors often work on several projects at once, usually under the supervision of a creative director.

Hours and Environment

As an art director your standard hours will normally be 9am to 5pm or 6pm, Monday to Friday, but you must be flexible to work extra hours in the evening and at weekend if necessary to meet deadlines.

You will usually be based in an office or studio in an advertising agency. You may sometimes need to travel to meet clients or visit studios or locations where advertisments are being shot.

Skills and Interests

To be an advertising art director you need:

• creativity and imagination
• good art and design skills, including an understanding of photography and printing
• excellent communication and teamworking skills
• good computer skills
• a good eye for detail
• the ability to work under pressure and to strict deadlines
• resilience and the ability to cope with criticism of your work
• good business sense and awareness of budgets.

Entry

There are no set qualifications for becoming an art director, although in practice many art directors have design training with a HND or degree in graphic design, advertising design, illustration or fine art.

To search for colleges and universities offering art foundation courses, HNDs and degrees see Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). You should check with colleges and universities for their exact entry requirements.

Several universities also offer postgraduate courses in advertising and marketing subjects.

When looking for jobs, you will need a portfolio of work (often known as a 'book') to show to potential employers. You will usually be employed on the strength of your portfolio rather than your qualifications.

It is a good idea to team up with a would-be copywriter and work together on campaign ideas for your portfolio. British Design and Art Direction (D&AD) runs advertising workshops to help people build a portfolio and make contacts in the advertising industry (see the D&AD website for more details).

Most people get their first 'creative' job as a result of work experience and placements in advertising agencies. This will give you the chance to develop your portfolio, make contacts and impress potential employers.

The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) website includes a list of member agencies offering work experience, plus the IPA Graduate Recruitment Agency. D&AD also runs a Graduate Placement Scheme.

For more information on getting into advertising, see the Advertising Association and IPA websites (contact details in the Further Information section).

Training

You will usually start as a junior creative in an advertising agency. Your training will be on the job, possibly through a structured graduate training scheme.

When you start your first job, you may get the chance to gain the IPA Foundation Certificate, an online course for junior staff with at least six months’ experience in any area of advertising.

You should keep up to date with advertising industry news and developments throughout your career. D&AD offers Workout, a range of one-day development courses for creatives, and the IPA offers a range of short courses and seminars to staff working in its member agencies.

Opportunities

Advertising is a very popular career among graduates, and competition for jobs is strong.

Most advertising jobs are based in London. Other major centres for advertising are Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester.

Jobs are advertised in the national press, trade publications such as Campaign and Creative Review, the IPA website (at IPA Jobs Online) and specialist recruitment agencies. However, not all jobs are advertised, so it is also a good idea to approach agencies directly. It can also be useful to network and make contacts within the industry.

With experience, you could work as a freelance art director. In large agencies, you may be able to progress to senior art director or creative director. It is common to move between agencies to gain promotion or work with larger accounts. Head-hunting is also common for senior jobs.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

New creatives can start on £15,000 to £20,000 a year.
Experienced art directors earn between £25,000 and £50,000 a year.
Creative directors in leading agencies can £100,000 to £250,000 a year.

Further information

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