Poor Direction Skills Will Get Your Art Booed!

At the end of all the sleepless nights, caffeine highs, alcohol relievers and random moments of Creative Insanity, what every Creative wishes to hear that makes the agony worth it are two blissful words: You’re Hired.

Here are 5 things I’ve learned that Art Directors must avoid while helping the team create that winning campaign that will make your portfolio bling like the 10 Carrots on Kim Kardashian’s ring finger.

1. If you can’t create it, don’t attempt to show case it. Indeed, we want to wow our employers, but the importance of displaying excellence and the capacity to create is far more important that showing you made an effort. You want to get it right! Don’t shoot for the stars and end up in Mars.
2. If you can’t create it but really want to do it, then get comfy with tutorials and scout out creative talent to teach you the tricks. Once you know how it’s done, you’re golden, but you don’t want to be up struggling until 5 am every day while your work still looks like crap.

3. Detail is everything, so don’t get lazy in the process of executing.   Ensure that lines are clear and crisp, that colors complement, that images are not pixelated, and that the image portrays what they concept conveys.

4. Egos need not apply in Campaign construction. You want the employer to see that you have great team skills in that your executions compliment rather than confront the research of the account planner and the copy of your writer. Your portfolio should sing harmony, not chaos!
5. Don’t be boring! Diversity is key when it’s time to show off your skills, so select campaigns that really allowed your creative juices to flow and your art to come forth STRONG. Everything visual counts so that includes the strength of the deck, the placement of images, the creativity in executions and any extra surprises and fillers you may want to slip in-between.

Good luck to everyone who has dared to travel this trail of criticism and re-execution. Hard work pays off so sweat now to party later.