Daily tasks/Routine activities

1. Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.

2. Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.

3. Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.

4. Present final layouts to clients for approval.

5. Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members.

6. Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.

7. Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements.

8. Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.

9. Review illustrative material to determine if it conforms to standards and specifications.

9.  Negotiate with printers and estimators to determine what services will be performed.

10. Attend photo shoots and printing sessions to ensure that the products needed are obtained.

11. Research current trends and new technology, such as printing production techniques, computer software, and design trends.

12. Hire, train, and direct staff members who develop design concepts into art layouts or who prepare layouts for printing.

13. Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing.

14. Conceptualize and help design interfaces for multimedia games, products, and devices.

15. Prepare detailed storyboards showing sequence and timing of story development for television production.

Key knowledge areas

The following key knowledge areas help  a Art director execute his duties  better.

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.

English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

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.

Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

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.

Skills

The following skills aid an Art director carry out his/her duties with ease ;.

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.

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities

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).

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.

Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.