4 ways an Advertising Art Director differs from a Graphic Designer
Personally, I haven’t been in the industry long enough to give words of wisdom, but if it’s tips for a fresh grad from design school, I think I can still managed.
I started off my career unsure of the difference between the two, a Graphic Designer and an advertising Art Director. So I chose the path of the Art Director, and the more works I created along the way, the more differences I realised there were between the two of them. Here’s the list:
1. Graphic Designer has their own way of working. Art Director adapt to client’s tone of voice.
Be it graphic arts from Noma Bar or crafted logos by Paul Rand, a great Graphic Designer is known for the same way of working and the signature pieces of works he/she produces. While a great Art Director usually have to shift from style to style, and even from flat posters to moving films, dependent on client’s corporate identity and job briefs.
2. Graphic Designer’s works are usually timeless. Art Director’s are of the “now”.
A great piece of graphic design work stands the test of time. The IBM logo design by Paul Rand is a great example. For Art Director, he/she is always looking for the next big idea and most of the time, the art direction has to be current, and in line with the client’s tone of voice and be relevant to the “now” to get to the general masses.
3. Graphic Designer can be an artist. Art Director is only a commercial artist.
An ad that an art director creates usually have to serve the purpose of the brand, with the client’s logo, body copy and delivers a message. While a Graphic Designer’s piece of work can be an art on its own.
4. Graphic Designer’s fame is usually individual and makes a name for himself/herself. Art Director’s fame is usually shared among the whole team and makes a name for the work itself.
Graphic Designer usually make a name for himself/herself. People remember the names of great Graphic Designers and their works. But it’s harder to know who did a particular piece of brilliant advertising other than our own advertising industry peers. Furthermore, a great piece of advertising usually involves more co-creators, including the film director, the actor/actresses in the film, the sound production house, the creative director, the graphic designers, the brand, the other art director, that awesome soundtrack, the copywriter, the ECD, the CCO and even perhaps the clients. It’s usually a group effort at the end of the day. And the agency gets the fame.
But despite the differences, at the end of the day, a great idea is still what drives both to succeed in their individual creative industry. It is more of a personal difference at their jobs that I am trying to illustrate here, so one can see which path one is more comfortable to be heading down in for starters.
Cheers!
