Art Directors
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches for visual productions and media, such as print, broadcasting, video, and film. Direct workers engaged in artwork or layout design.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $54K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $71K
Median Salary: $97K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $136K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $199K
Demand
Core Tasks
Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.
Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.
Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.
Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing.
Present final layouts to clients for approval.
Conceptualize and help design interfaces for multimedia games, products, and devices.
Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members.
Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.
Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements.
Prepare detailed storyboards showing sequence and timing of story development for television production.
Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
Review illustrative material to determine if it conforms to standards and specifications.
Attend photo shoots and printing sessions to ensure that the products needed are obtained.
Negotiate with printers and estimators to determine what services will be performed.
Research current trends and new technology, such as printing production techniques, computer software, and design trends.
Hire, train, and direct staff members who develop design concepts into art layouts or who prepare layouts for printing.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Sales and Marketing
89%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
English Language
87%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Communications and Media
84%
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Computers and Electronics
79%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Customer and Personal Service
77%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Design
77%
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Fine Arts
77%
Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Administration and Management
73%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Sociology and Anthropology
68%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Clerical
60%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
80%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
80%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making
78%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management
78%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Complex Problem Solving
75%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking
75%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
75%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Coordination
73%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Active Learning
68%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Management of Personnel Resources
68%
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Top 10 Abilities
Fluency of Ideas
83%
The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Originality
83%
The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Near Vision
80%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Information Ordering
78%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Speech Clarity
78%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Deductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Top 10 Work Activities
Thinking Creatively
99%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Interacting With Computers
96%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Getting Information
89%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
88%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
88%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
86%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People
85%
Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
82%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Scheduling Work and Activities
81%
Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
80%
Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Detailed Work Activities
Determine technical requirements of productions or projects.
Design layout of art or product exhibits, displays, or promotional materials.
Manage operations of artistic or entertainment departments or organizations.
Coordinate artistic activities.
Present work to clients for approval.
Review art or design materials.
Collaborate with others to develop or refine designs.
Draw detailed or technical illustrations.
Confer with clients to determine needs.
Negotiate for services.
Research new technologies.
Train others on work processes.
Coordinate design activities.
Select staff, team members, or performers.
Design layouts for print publications.
Write informational material.
Develop artistic or design concepts for decoration, exhibition, or commercial purposes.
Prepare production storyboards.
Work Context
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
Education
Interests
Artistic
100%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Enterprising
91%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional
43%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Realistic
43%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Social
34%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative
19%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Top 10 Work Styles
Attention to Detail
92%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability
90%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Adaptability/Flexibility
89%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Innovation
89%
Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Achievement/Effort
84%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Initiative
84%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Cooperation
82%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Leadership
82%
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Persistence
80%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Independence
79%
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Work Values
Independence
91%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement
86%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions
84%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Relationships
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
48%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
