Art direction

Member lesson

Judging the work against the brief rather than against taste

Lesson 11 of 12 in Art direction.

Lesson

The hardest discipline in direction is separating this is not what I would have made from this is not right. A strong designer has a strong preference, and a strong preference applied to six different brands produces six versions of the designer.

An ink drawing of a designer ticking boxes on a brief sheet next to a printed poster while a junior colleague watches from across the desk.
Judging a layout against a written list agreed before the work began.
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Check what stuck

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Members answer these 3 questions and keep the ticket for this lesson. Every lesson has one.

  1. Question 1, locked

    Which of these words means this? “A written test the work must pass. Shared, so two people can reach one answer.”

    • Art director
    • Specialist
    • Criterion
    • Praise
  2. Question 2, locked

    Which of these words means this? “What you happen to like. Legitimate, and not a reason on its own.”

    • Creative director
    • Intent over method
    • Preference
    • Selects
  3. Question 3, locked

    Which of these words means this? “Whether this work is right for this brand and this audience. The real question.”

    • Production designer
    • Asset matrix
    • Fit
    • Preference

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