As part of my contextual research, I decided to carry out research into what exactly art direction is and the role of an art director as it isn’t something I am very familiar with. In plain terms, it is the oversight of all the artistic aspects of a project. An art director can be found in a variety of areas including theatre, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film & TV and video games. For a sole art director, it is their responsibility to supervise and unify the vision. In particular, the overall visual appearance and how it communicates visually is the directors responsibility. They would choose what visual elements would be the most suitable to use along with the artistic style they feel would be the best and if the use of motion would be suitable.

A common question I found was what is the difference between a graphic designer and an art director, as they would regularly work in the same areas. But there is a big difference, graphic designers are the ‘ones in the trenches’ bringing all the different elements whether that be drawing, sketching, animating or designing. Art directors in comparison don’t do much of the actual design work (still usually have a background in graphic design) they guide the overall artistic vision and manage the project.

Art direction is so important as it gives the project a sense of direction. Without it, the project would lose direction and not make sense. The job of the art director is to  make the project less complicated and expensive. An art director is essential in multi-faceted design projects like magazines to ensure it has a consistent look.

For never having heard of art direction, I now know how much of an important role they play in helping the public understand the project and the message they hope to convey.