CareerGPS

Art Directors
Summary Occupational Forecast Data for Art Directors
Employment Employment Change Average Annual Job Openings Wage & Training Levels
2020 2025 Numerical Percent New Jobs Replacement Jobs Total Median Hourly Median Annual Training Levels
1,329 1,481 152 11.44% 30 157 188 $21.87 $45,497 Bachelor's degree
Description: Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches, and direct workers engaged in art work, layout design, and copy writing for visual communications media, such as magazines, books, newspapers, and packaging.
Forecast Data Source: EMSI (4th Quarter 2023)

Occupation Details

The information in this section represents occupational characteristics included in O*NET which defines key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described in greater detail in the O*NET Content Model. All items are listed in descending order of importance.

  • Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.
  • Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members.
  • Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.
  • Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.
  • Present final layouts to clients for approval.
  • Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
  • Hire, train, and direct staff members who develop design concepts into art layouts or who prepare layouts for printing.
  • Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.
  • Review illustrative material to determine if it conforms to standards and specifications.
  • Attend photo shoots and printing sessions to ensure that the products needed are obtained.
  • Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements.
  • Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing.

Knowledge

95%
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
70%
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
68%
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
67%
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
63%
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
59%
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
57%
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
52%
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
52%
Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Skills

75%
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
75%
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
72%
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
72%
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
72%
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
69%
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
69%
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
62%
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
62%
Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
62%
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
60%
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
56%
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
56%
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
56%
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
56%
Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
50%
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
50%
Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
50%
Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Abilities

88%
Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
78%
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
78%
Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
75%
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
72%
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
69%
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
69%
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
66%
Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
66%
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
66%
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
66%
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
62%
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
62%
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
62%
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
56%
Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
56%
Visual Color Discrimination - The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
50%
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Work Activities

97%
Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
92%
Interacting With Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
82%
Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
81%
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
75%
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
73%
Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
71%
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
69%
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
67%
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
65%
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
64%
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
63%
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
62%
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
62%
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
62%
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
59%
Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
56%
Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
55%
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
Title Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Overall Experience A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job Training Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Job Zone Examples Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, sales managers, database administrators, teachers, chemists, environmental engineers, criminal investigators, and special agents.
Education Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Interests

Artistic - Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outsi
Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Work Styles

Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Work Values

Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.