How does one start out as a junior art director?

I have been wondering about the difference between the profession of a graphic designer and an art director at a junior level because in many cases it seems like they do exactly the same. I
always thought of art directors as being one step up from a graphic designer but then I came to realise that one can start out as a junior art director. How does one skip the graphic designer role to start immediately in the art director role and what are the skills required for the job?

Replies2

  • @Rosie Lewis
    Personally before I landed this role I had experience in a wide range of creative work, photography, graphic design, motion design, marketing etc etc, and I’ve found that this breadth of knowledge and touch points in all of these skill sets are what make me an art director rather than just a designer.

    This is completely subjective i know but hopefully helps slightly, there’s also a lot of YouTube videos and researches on D&AD that might help you grasp these roles a little better !
    All the best !
  • Hey Maya, I recently started a role as a junior art director after being a graphic designer!

    I think a huge consideration maybe missed in this post is what industry specifically you’re working in, for example some agencies expect art directors to not only be hands on with tools but also brand strategy. Whereas if you were working in an industry like film this would be completely different!

    In my experience so far art direction is a lot more conceptual than design. In design we MAINLY focus on tools and skill where as art direction is more of a “directing” role (hence the name). Think of it almost being a storytelling role…

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