Art Direction and the Web

I read an article based around Art Direction and the web recently. It was a very interesting read and it got me to thinking about the role of the art director in today’s ever-changing industry.

But what is art direction?

Art Direction: Understanding the Role of an Art Director | Anakle

Art direction is the process of deciding on the look and feel of a piece of work, according to the article. The process of planning, designing and directing the work of an artist or creative team. The article went on to say that art directors collaborate with the creative team to ensure artistic harmony between the various media and styles used in the project and that the final piece of work accurately depicts the visions set before it.

The term art direction is also applied to graphic design, setting the visual tone of a publication. Often times the same person is hired to be the designer themselves as well as the art director. It’s clear that this role involves a high level of responsibility.

How does art direction apply to the web?

Well, the same way it applies to any other form of media. The art director is responsible for ensuring things like readability, navigation and aesthetic appeal are taken into account.

It’s the art director’s job to choose the colour scheme, layout, fonts and other visual cues that will be used throughout the entirety of the piece.
The web is a very visual medium. The images you choose to display and the layout of the page both affect the user’s experience. The web is also an ever-changing medium and art directors must be adaptable, able to work in many different ways.
The most important element of art direction is the ‘concept’ as the article states. The art director will work closely with the client to create a concept for the piece. This concept will evolve through several drafts, but the basic ideas should be set before any of the work begins.
This is the idea behind the piece and it should be something that will attract readers.

How do I come up with a concept in art direction?

  1. Goals. What do you want the viewer to take away from the piece? How do you want them to react?
  2. Use idea-stimulating techniques. Write down all the ideas that come to mind. Then, group them into categories. Look for patterns and relationships among them. Look to your favourite works for ideas. Think about what kinds of things you like and what inspires you.
  3. Once you’ve got your ideas on paper, put on the critic’s hat. Choose the best two or three ideas and develop them into full concepts. Break down each idea into its component parts, analyzing how and why it works.

This article was very interesting, especially when considering my own role as art director for this module. I discovered the importance of coming up with several ideas before deciding upon one to fully develop into the final prototype. There are many directions and concepts to go with the Apollo Space Program, so it will be an interesting challenge to decide on a concept.

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