Art Director vs Designer
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- noob12345
Was reading this post and some people were mentioning Art Directors and Designers were at the same level-
http://www.qbn.com/topics/650560…In all of the places I've worked at Designers reported to Art Directors and definitley didn't make as much money.
Most salary finders would seem to support this-
Art Director Salary-
http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=…Graphic Designer Salary-
http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=…I'm interested because someone once told me at a job interview that ADs and Designers were at the same level and I didn't believe it. Anybody have any experience with this?
- akrok0
it's just a title. don't mean a shit. you could be designer and do everything. incl. art direction.
- the Swede speaks truthmonospaced
- careful, they are all honeytraps. the swedes that is.Stian
- hahahaha. :-Dakrok
- scarabin0
in my industry there is a very clear difference. art directors lead teams of designers and give them revisions, feedback, etc on their work. designers are basically entry-level grunts
- Yeh man that is what I understood the difference to be. Hence 'director'.Hombre_Lobo
- i_monk0
I was a production designer who did all the art direction for one of our biggest clients because the guy with "Art Director" in his actual title was too busy AD'ing another account.
The lines aren't as clear as they seem, and titles don't always translate between studios.
- noob123450
@Arok- On a talent level I'd agree. But when you're talking to a producer about getting paid I'd agree with @Scarabin.
- cannonball19780
I'm so glad I don't work in advertising anymore.
- ********0
Titles only matter for your next job.
- Glitterati_Duane0
I was hired as, "Art Director" for my first job after school but I did everything, including, creative direction, art direction, design production and a range of non design related stuff. Today I'm just a designer and make much more money. Art Directors do typically get paid more but it's all bullshit at the end of the day. Most decent designers could be capable Art Directors.
- akrok0
don't forget theirs a levels as a designer also.
jr. designer
mid-level designer
senior designer- same herebulletfactory
- mid-level is probably not spelled out. hah. :-) usually.akrok
- Well said.Hombre_Lobo
- bulletfactory0
I've had the same experience as scarabin. Designers report to me, I report to the Senior Creative Director. I provide direction, critique, sign off on work etc.
- autoflavour0
if Mad men has taught me anything, Art Directors get to sleep with everybody, drink a lot and basically be terrible people..
designers get to do all the work
- I thought that was what account people were for?noob12345
- i thought the gay guy was the AD there, DD was the copywriter.jazmine
- yep, Sal was the AD, but then don is now the creative directorautoflavour
- duhsign0
Its pretty loose. Advertising agencies vs design agencies vs creative agencies vs idea agencies...every situation is different. I think some places stick to the classic structures and heiarchy. some use titles as carrots to get the grunts motivated. some use titles to wow clients.
- duhsign0
from what I have seen anywhere with less than 30 employees and an art director and senior designer are the same except that if there is an ad and sr designer the designer has to clear their work with the ad, even if the ad only looks at it and says fix this or that with zero creative direction.
- noob123450
This is kinda re-affirming where I'm going. I'm freelance, but I decided to ditch the Designer title for the Art Director title a few years ago. The only time it really makes a difference is when I tell agencies how much I charge. They just seem willing to pay an Art Director more than a Designer.
- i_monk0
Now that this is settled, let's talk about how shitty career ADs are at building files. Like tabbing all the copy over and then moving the text box half off the page. What the hell man? Nice logo – why did you design it entirely in InDesign, buddy?
Amirite?
- lolGlitterati_Duane
- hah. you needed to vent. :-)akrok
- lol, even worse is the associate CD who really would be a crappy AD whos only direction is always "just make it look cool". hahahaduhsign
- ...cool"duhsign
- ********0
art directors are failed designers.... quote from some grafitti guy
- cannonball19780
Designing or directing art are tasks you do to get the job done. The titles are relics from a backassward industry propagated by jockeying for position and a land grab for prestige.
- identity0
<---- proud designer.
- identity0
jr. intern
sr. intern
jr. designer
designer
sr. designer
jr art director
art director
sr. art director
design director
chief design director
associate creative director
creative director
group creative director
sr. group creative director
executive creative director
N. American executive creative director
global executive creative directorPick one...
