Creative directors are the top dogs of design agencies: they are critical to building and maintaining a successful work environment and nurturing the creative talent of their team. A creative director’s main role is to steer the creative vision of an agency and oversee the entire lifecycle of a creative project. From the initial communication with a client to delivering the final product, whether it be a website, animation, short film or a fully-integrated campaign, a creative director ensures clients’ brands are well represented and their visuals are consistent with the overall brand.
It’s vital for a creative director to understand how the whole creative process works, in order to manage the various elements of a project once they have received a brief from a client. A brief informs the creative director what a client wants from their agency, whether it be more traffic to their website; a refreshed brand identity; a short animation for an advertising campaign – the list is pretty much endless. By having a firm understanding of various facets of design, a creative director can mediate any ideas with a client and explain to them what is possible and what isn’t.
If you have a creative vision and a mind for business, then you may have what it takes to be a creative director.
Need a bit more inspiration? You can hear the story of Seed’s very own Jon Prest, a Leicester-based creative director who specialises in art direction, marketing and brand strategy. We sat down to chat with Jon about his experience and his advice to aspiring designers and creative directors. Watch the interview for an insight into his working life.