Art Director

Briefly explain what you do for a living. 

I work as an art director (AD) in a marketing and communications company called Aava & Bang. I lead the design team and am responsible for visual design in concept and brand design projects. I design together with the team, but as an AD, I have more responsibility for project management, overall management and scheduling compared to a graphic designer. Design work includes brainstorming, working on the ideas with the team and graphic design. As a supervisor, I also work on the internal development of the organisation and the work community, for example, in improving the design process and performance management.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice? 

Near the end of upper secondary school, I started to think about where to apply. Back then, we had those thick application guides that had all the information about the study programmes in the joint application. I browsed the guide and saw the degree programme in Graphic Design at the University of Lapland. I applied for the programme and got in. After graduating, I didn’t have to apply for jobs as I joined a company that my friends from the university set up.

Describe your typical working day or week. 

This week, Monday was mostly filled with meetings. There was a team meeting for a customer relationship project, an in-office kick-off meeting for the week, where one of my colleagues told us about the possibilities of artificial intelligence, and a meeting to discuss how to visualise the strategy of a client company. I also helped our sales team and compiled references, or work samples, for the tender.

On Tuesday, we had a meeting on renewing the visual identity of a client company, and then I designed the appearance for the rest of the day. In the afternoon, I made a workload estimate for the tender. On Wednesday, I did supervisory work, so I checked how the team members are doing, what their work situation looks like, and briefed them on things that they should keep in mind for the near future. Then I had a meeting with a customer on the brand and visual identity of a new product. Before heading home, I finished the details of a graphic guideline.

On Thursday and Friday, I worked on the designs of the previous days. I had short discussions with a few team members and made social media banners for a customer. At the end of the day, I sent some finished designs to customers for comments.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you work in? 

I work in our company's office in Jyväskylä. We also have offices in other cities. The work is hybrid, but I prefer working in the office. With meetings, you can assume that remote participation is possible, unless otherwise stated. The typical working hours are 8–16, but there is flexibility if needed.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession? 

It is good to understand that becoming an art director right after graduating is near impossible. Usually, people grow into the role, for example by working first as a graphic designer. In other words, strong design competence, experience in marketing and communications and understanding of business are required. A good art director also gets easily excited about new things and immerses themselves in different themes with an open mind.

Of course, personal communication, interaction and project management skills are also important. You must be able to manage your own work, as it is your responsibility that the design work moves forward smoothly. It is a common stereotype that we are just creative, but in practice, the work requires punctuality and good organisational skills. Art director leads the design team, so teamwork and leadership skills are also needed.

What is the best thing about your profession? 

We have customers in various fields, so the assignments often require me to learn and get to know the field in which the customer conducts business or manages public administration tasks. And that's the best thing about the profession – learning about different fields and organisations, for example how public organisations or industrial subcontracting chains work. You experience feelings of success when you come up with a good idea and see it move from a work-in-progress to a finished design. Getting to know different people is also inspiring.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging? 

Your personality is in the centre of creative work, and you get emotionally invested in your work. Design work in general is often a roller coaster of emotions: there are times when you get really excited, but also times where it feels like you don’t know or cannot think of anything. It can get tough at times, but I have learned to approach the roller coaster the right way over the years.

In marketing, the work pace is fast. It tests the employee, especially if the organisation’s project management is not yet fully functional. The competition for assignments and jobs is also very tough, so it can be difficult for younger employees to set their own limits. Receiving continuous feedback requires thick skin, but the entire team stands behind the ideas, so you shouldn’t take feedback personally.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of an art director? 

Good designer skills can get you started, but learning about marketing and communications is also wise. At the university, I thought that I wasn’t interested in marketing, but the working life has taught me that marketing or communication skills play a key role in my work. As in many other professions, working as an art director requires continuous study and self-development.

You should not be discouraged if you cannot get into the university with your first or second try. I do some recruiting, and I would say that the most important factor in finding a job is your portfolio. It's fairly common that someone with the required skills and merits gets employed in an advertising agency even if they lack in education. Nowadays, it’s relatively easy to self-study graphic design, as various software and study materials are available online.

How do you see the future of your profession? 

Artificial intelligence and technological development are changing the industry. In basic design, the importance of technical competence has decreased as the software has developed. The software of today can do many tasks on behalf of the designer. On the other hand, the importance of creativity, ideation and interaction will only increase in the future. Hybrid and remote work pose their own challenges to team leaders, as it is our task to ensure communication within the team and the well-being of the team members.