A design director leads a creative team to create artistic products for advertising, interior design, print graphics, website layouts, and events. They oversee and inspire artists, designers, and other professionals, participate in client meetings, and ensure the overall quality of work. A higher level of education is often required, and experienced individuals can earn lucrative salaries.
A design director usually plays a supervisory role and is responsible for leading a creative team of individuals. A person in this position typically supervises others who work in unison to create an overall artistic atmosphere or final product. Using innovation and imagination, concepts can be created and visualized for advertising purposes, interior design, print graphics, website layouts, and even special event-themed decor. A design director guides team members and other creative professionals to bring collaborative visions to fruition.
Artists, production staff, copywriters, sculptors, and other designers are often overseen and inspired by a company’s director of design. He leads creative meetings and brainstorming sessions. Whether a team is coming up with ideas for the design of a store window, a product catalogue, an advertising campaign, themed events or website layouts, input from many people often turns into innovative and extraordinary ideas. The Design Director not only helps deliver great concepts, but also leads a team towards implementation.
Sometimes called creative directors, people in these positions often participate in client and sales meetings. They often help sales executives come up with general ideas or concepts. In advertising, for example, a design director may need innovative ideas very quickly to sell design services to the company. As this person is usually a visionary, they are usually able to figure out what the client hopes to achieve and generate excitement with a campaign. He eloquently describes his vision in words; designs; and often, storyboards and printed graphics.
Additionally, a design director is usually responsible for the overall quality of work that all other departments are responsible for producing. For this reason, he must be very hands-on and maintain an open line of communication with other team members. Checking in on the progress of multiple projects throughout the day, he can offer expert advice on how improvements can be made. He can suggest changes to color palettes, photographs used in print advertising, or even subtle design changes that can improve the appearance of a presentation.
Most agencies require a design director to have a higher level of education. A bachelor’s or master’s degree is often desirable. Experienced individuals in this leadership position can usually earn lucrative salaries. The work can be quite demanding, but people in this creative industry generally find the work incredibly rewarding.
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