What does an art director do?

[grandefille]

ok but does the AD commission illustrations or is it the associate AD?

 

[velcro]

Do you think majoring in photography during college would help to become an art director?

 

[Angie C]

Hum ... so is this affirmation correct:

art director : advertising :: stylist : fashion ?

Almost, but not really, f.ex if it's a advertising campaign the art director is also responsible for picking the stylist. But you could say that the art director has the equal role as a stylist has for a fashion show = come up with a theme, choose who to work with, coordinating, taking all aestethic desicions, make sure everything looks good in the end etc.

I think it differs from place to place how rigid the hierarchy is, in some places the associate ad has just as much to say about the choice of illustrator. But traditionally that is the art directors' choice.

A major in photography could certainly help, but the obvious choice would be marketing/communication or graphic design (if you want to work for a magazine) I think...

 

[Angie C]

Ok, I found this interview of David Hägglund who is the Art Director at Paris Vogue. Very interesting insights.

Please excuse my awful translation... hope you at least understand the most of it.


//How does a regular day at work look like?

I have four designers that help me with the design of the magazine. Then I work with the fashion department to take the pictures: everything from choosing the right photographer, to pick the the location for the shoot. I talk with the editorial office, how to illustrate, who should take the photos. If we are using old pictures I work with a photo editor. It's France so everything isn't so super organised and people are never on time. Our departments responsibility is to make sure that people deliver their things in time. And to plan so that the shootings are made in time, so that we'll have time to do the retouch. And in the middle of this we do the layout. My feeling is that on a monthly magazine it is only one week that is very unstressful.

More?

Yes, and then I approve all Chromas (a high quality photographic proof from the printers, where colors and pictures are exactly as they will be when printed).

Real old-fashion chromas?

Yes, it becomes two, three rounds for each page. It take approximately two hours a day. I change colors and contrast to make it exactly as the photograher have wanted.

How do your designers work?

Three designers work with the front section. They make their pages and then i approve them. The rest I do together with Fabien (Baron). The editorials, the big interviews is there. 80-100 pages of back section. From that 50-60 pages are fashion. And one job on art, and one on a celebrity or actor. That part is the most expensive one.

How is the relation to US Vogue?

Condé Nast is very deconcentrated, The collaboration between the editions is non-existent.

Is it a rivality?

Yes, it's a rivality about both advertisers and photographers. Chinese Vogue may buy directly from us or from US, but I think it ends there. It's very different from Elle, where I think it's the opposite.

Describe the design of Vogue

It's very consequent, not flattering at all. Elle is much more girly, more target group adjusted, they make a design they assume appeals to the reader. Vogue is designed from an aesthetic perspective more than a target group perspective. We try to be very exclusive. In that word there may be a little of excluding too. It's not nice, not sweet, not friendly. No, it's pretty elitistic. And consequent. It should be top of the line. It should be impossible for a very expensive product to not advertise in Vogue.

Is the atmosphere at work, elitistic and excluding?

The ones who have worked with this for a long time might not be the most down to earth people. But it's surprisingly hearthy.//


interview from vassaeggen.se

 

[Lena]

great interview, thanks for sharing

 

[smashinfashion]

so has anyone here had experience as an art director for a magazine? what did you get your degree in and how did you get to where you're at?

 

[adorefaith]

thanks for translating + posting that angie...
very interesting insight....

 

[Ilovelefashion]

This may be off topic but i don´t know where else to ask this.. and it is this thread that got me thinking.

You know those fancy window displays? Who creates them? How would one get that kind of job... an art director of a store?

Because art director can really vary depending on what your talking about. Art Director in context of movies is very different to an Art Dir. of a fashion magazine...

 

[BetteT]

I think it's called "Visual Merchandising" or sometimes, something like "Window Display Designer" Not an art director.

 

[Dylan.]

omgoodness im an art history major right now
and i've had my eye on the art director path for sometime
thanks to everyone for their insights!!

 

[twilight fairy]

..so, art history/graphics design would be a good choice for someone who wants to be an art director of a magazine, then?..

 

[pinksatin]

Sorry, I have more questions about what to study! I was a fashion major at my old university but I transferred to a different school that doesn't have a fashion program. I am now in the art school of my university as a Visual Communications major. "When I grow up" I want to be either an art director, creative editor, fashion editor, or a combination of those jobs. Will visual communication prepare me well? It's a four year program and includes internships with design firms and that sort of thing. I'm just starting the program this fall though since I just transferred last semester and had to be accepted to the art school first. I have to take a slew of workshops this summer to learnhow to use illustrator and photoshoop and dreamweaver and all that stuff first because they don't tell you how to use it in the classes. You just have to know it and I don't. I guess what I'm most curious about is can I still work for a fashion magazine if my education is focused more on art and design? Because working in fashion publications is my ultimate goal.

 

[oceanharlot]

wow- that article was very interesting! I had a couple of things to add- My friend is a graphic designer and she was hired through her job at the newspaper where she builds ads to design the windows for hermes.

sometimes getting the job is just about who you know.

it isnt as though a lot of creative opportunities have linear developement, ie. you can't just go to college and hop out with no experience at all and walk into vogue and get hired to be art director. that only happens in movies. real life is harder. but if you want it, you just have to get out there and start.

 

[pinksatin]

^ That's so true. I mean not that I know from experience, but I think I keep asking these questions just for a bit of peace of mind while part of me knows that a big part of success in this industry is who you know and whether they like what you do. Very subjective. I guess the only thing to do is your best and do something that makes you happy and you love.

 

[smashinfashion]

most of the art directors i know work for ad agencies/magazines/newspapers and have a graphic design background. many of them are also skilled at page design and layout.

 

[piep]

omgoodness im an art history major right now
and i've had my eye on the art director path for sometime
thanks to everyone for their insights!!

art history is definately not a typical degree for an AD. As said above graphic design is the way to go.
if you think about great ADs like Brodovitch, Baron, etc, they were/are great typographers. You have to have a great eye for images AND typography, which many seem to forget.

 

[piep]

ok but does the AD commission illustrations or is it the associate AD?

The AD and/or the photo editor commission illustrations, depending on the size of the mag. if the photo editor does the commission it is aproved by the AD.

 

[FashionMaganista]

Being an Art Director of a Fashion Magazine

I see alot of threads on the editorial part of Fashion Mags.. but not alot on the design work which goes into it.
___________
Does anyone have any info on how to go on to become and art director?

and whats the difference between the Art Director and Creative Director?
Do they work hand in hand?

Does an Art Director get the chance to work in Fashion into their work.. (because I like many others LOVE FASHION)?

and also are there any perks as an Art Director?

and whats the average salary?
____________

*WHEW* that was alot lol

But I think I might be on the right way.. right now im a BA Graphic Design major at CSM and Ive worked freelance pretty much my whole highschool/college life and right now im interning at a Fashion PR place.

so iono where else to go on from there?

Thanks Loves!

 

[kimair]

merged with a previous existing topic...

to answer your question, an art director works on the visual layout for a magazine...they usually work with a creative director in determining the look of a magazine, including departments and editorials...
there are art directors at all kinds of magazines, from fashion to art to news to sports...
to become an art director, you usually start out by working as an assistant at a magazine or interning in the art department...
you usually have to work your way up, from associate/assistant art director to art director to creative director...
art directors at magazines typically make less than an art director at say a marketing firm or ad agency...

being a design major is definitely the right first step, as is the internship...
i'd say if you want to work at a magazine, you should try to get a job at a local mag...
i see you're in san francisco, so you could try 7x7, san francisco magazine, soma, etc.

 

[FashionMaganista]

merged with a previous existing topic...

to answer your question, an art director works on the visual layout for a magazine...they usually work with a creative director in determining the look of a magazine, including departments and editorials...
there are art directors at all kinds of magazines, from fashion to art to news to sports...
to become an art director, you usually start out by working as an assistant at a magazine or interning in the art department...
you usually have to work your way up, from associate/assistant art director to art director to creative director...
art directors at magazines typically make less than an art director at say a marketing firm or ad agency...

being a design major is definitely the right first step, as is the internship...
i'd say if you want to work at a magazine, you should try to get a job at a local mag...
i see you're in san francisco, so you could try 7x7, san francisco magazine, soma, etc.

thanks so much for the info and redirecting me to this thread!!! i totally couldnt find it after searching so much!

For a LONG time I was considering Advertising.. that was actually my first choice. But after growing up a bit and doing a bit of inner searching- I figured I love Magazines!! specially fashion magazines...

What would you say is the BIG difference between Adv and working at a Fashion Mag Publication... and I mean like... work wise/environment/clients/perks... cause i mean when you get older work tends to mean life.. and i just don't want my life too be.. well.. too boring.

(( also .. which would you say is the faster paced environment.. b/c magazines (depending on which) usually are monthly.. and adv has a different time constraint depending on media? ))

MUCHO GRACIAS!

xoJ