Glossary of Jobs: Creative and Production
Art Director
Oversees the artistic
development of marketing and promotional materials, including print,
radio or television advertisements; collateral; web sites; and internal
and external corporate publications. Supervises illustrators,
photographers and production artists on projects. Within an agency, the
art director works with copywriters to develop strategies for
advertising campaigns and often specializes in a particular medium,
such as broadcast or print advertising. Requires design background and
knowledge of Quark, Illustrator and Photoshop. Five or more years of
experience preferred.
Associate Art Director
Creates and executes design concepts and develops artwork for a variety
of materials, including advertisements, direct mail, web sites and
other collateral. Requires design background and knowledge of software
applications such as Quark, Illustrator and Photoshop.
Associate Creative Director
Responsible for the preparation of advertising and marketing concepts,
and the production of collateral materials. In a large advertising
agency, the associate creative director works on projects with a staff
of copywriters and artists; in a smaller agency setting, the associate
creative director may perform the copywriting and create artistic
concepts. Should possess five or more years of industry experience,
strong project management skills and the ability to direct a creative
team.
Creative Director
Oversees all creative projects and staff, and is responsible for the
overall quality of work produced by the creative department. Manages
creative projects from concept to completion and translates marketing
objectives into creative strategies. Leads and directs the creative
team in the production of advertising and marketing collateral. May
have a strong design or copywriting background. Should possess eight or
more years of experience and advanced leadership, communication and
project management skills.
Creative Services Manager
Serves as the liaison between senior management and the creative
department, and reports directly to the creative director. Duties
include assigning teams to projects, keeping teams on track and making
sure they meet deadlines, and maintaining an efficient and engaging
work environment for creative personnel. Requires a strong
understanding of creative briefs and digital asset libraries, excellent
communication skills, and the ability to establish solid relationships
with internal staff and clients.
Curriculum Writer/Developer
Responsible for designing and developing specifications and protocols
for an organization’s curriculum products. Communicates with
appropriate internal groups and subject matter experts to ensure
training content is accurate and aligned with the overall goals of the
organization. Duties include developing and maintaining training
manuals, PowerPoint presentations, agendas, assessment and other
educational materials, as well as coordinating the distribution of
these materials to internal and external staff. Requires strong
writing, editing and proofreading skills, and the ability to gather and
assimilate information from a variety of sources to produce cohesive
content.
Desktop Publisher
Electronically designs and produces printed materials such as
advertisements, brochures and newsletters. Consults with clients or
supervisor to evaluate individual project needs; prepares cost and time
estimates for projects; and reviews printed material to ensure quality
control. Requires basic design ability and knowledge of word processing
and desktop publishing programs.
Digital Artist
Creates and modifies print and web images, including photographs, using
software tools. May have basic drawing skills combined with knowledge
of design programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand, Fireworks
and Dreamweaver. Requires strong artistic ability and technical skills.
Graphic Designer
Develops the images used in a variety of creative projects, including
presentations, brochures, advertisements, catalogs, direct mail,
corporate identity and packaging. Also responsible for the design,
layout and formatting of materials. Designs may integrate typographic,
photographic, illustrative and graphic elements. Strong design
abilities and proficiency in software applications such as Quark,
Illustrator and Photoshop is required.
Illustrator
Conceptualizes, paints and draws new images used in a variety of
materials and publications. Specialized illustrators may possess
expertise in areas such as technical, medical, architectural,
scientific and cartoon illustrations. Requires artistic talent and
knowledge of design programs such as Illustrator and Photoshop; fine
arts education preferred.
Instructional Systems Designer
The Instructional Systems Designer (ISD) is responsible for the design,
development, implementation and maintenance of a wide variety of
training products The ISD may be required to conduct needs assessments
and participate in the design, development and implementation of
training courses or modules.
Litigation Graphics Specialist
Provides
animation, renderings and presentations for trial support. May work
closely with legal teams to review key evidence and examine how to
portray this information to jurors, judges and arbitrators. Must be
proficient in PowerPoint, Animation, Illustrator and Photoshop.
Motion Graphics Specialist
Creates animated artwork for a variety of mediums, such as the
Internet, television and movies. Projects may include commercials, web
movie clips, stand-alone presentations, trailers, intros and
post-production work for television and movies. An accessible online
reel of edited motion graphics work and/or professional movie clips
often is required. Must be proficient in Photoshop, Flash, After
Effects, Adobe Premier and Final Cut Pro. Avid training is a plus.
Package Designer
Produces containers, including boxes, tubes, bottles and shopping bags,
for various items, such as food, beverages, clothing and cosmetics.
Works with elements such as shape, color and graphics to create
containers that are unique, functional and appealing to customers. Must
have a background in art and design, as well as knowledge of marketing
and consumer tastes. A college degree with an emphasis on design is
preferred.
Prepress Specialist
Pre-flights files from clients, anticipating and correcting any
problems. Duties may include operating image-setters, scanners or
related equipment used for proofs and plates; fine-tuning basic
settings for hardware- or software-based PostScript RIPs; and tracking
customer jobs. May also be responsible for reviewing proofs. Requires
attention to detail and knowledge of printing processes, pre-flight
software and design applications such as Quark, Illustrator and
Photoshop.
Presentation Specialist
Uses Macromedia Flash, Microsoft PowerPoint, Director, SuperCard,
HyperCard and HTML to create internal and external presentations for
organizations. Understands marketing strategy as well as copy/design
integration and is able to organize information effectively. Strong
design sense and organizational skills required.
Print Project Manager
Oversees production of print collateral. Duties include maintaining
client relationships; providing quotes and print estimates; scheduling
and following up on all projects; assisting in resolving data
processing, production and accounting challenges; and ensuring customer
satisfaction, quality control and timely delivery of final products.
Requires excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Production Artist
Assists design teams in graphic production for collateral, packaging,
display and advertising projects. Should be adept in using software
applications such as Quark, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, basic
HTML and ImageReady. Must have solid knowledge of four-color printing
process, and be able to pre-flight, collect files and archive materials.
Production Coordinator
Provides logistical support to production department. Duties may
include tracking and scheduling projects; filing summary reports;
archiving and pre-flight formatting of collateral; and invoice
management. Requires strong organizational skills and keen eye for
detail, as well as knowledge of Quark, Photoshop, Illustrator and
project management software.
Production Director
Directs production programs within an advertising agency or company.
Duties include those listed for production manager but with stronger
work experience within each function. Manages staff and systems of
production departments; oversees information and cost management; and
develops, maintains and enables standards processes and policies
consistent with company interests. Requires advanced, broad-scope
technical and industry knowledge, 10+ years production management
experience and exceptional communications and managerial skills.
Production Manager
Manages production of a variety of projects. Duties include project
planning, workflow management, vendor negotiations, print buying, cost
control, quality control, logistical coordination and press checks.
Often supervises traffic coordinators and print buyers; may manage
small design studio. Requires expertise in both analog and digital
technologies, familiarity with design software applications and project
management experience.
Studio Manager
Responsible for the general management of a graphic design studio.
Duties include reviewing schedules and keeping studio job board
current; establishing internal project goals, assigning projects and
ensuring smooth work flow; writing and distributing detailed project
schedules; overseeing quality control; and coordinating release of
projects as necessary. Requires excellent communication and
organizational skills and eye for detail.
Traffic Coordinator
Coordinates scheduling, processing and trafficking of advertising and
other creative projects. Serves as a liaison between clients, outside
vendors and agency departments to coordinate efficient and timely
creative project processing. Responsible for creating project schedules
and job estimates, maintaining records of action and work flow on
projects, and routing projects for approval.
Technical Illustrator
Conceptualizes and illustrations/graphics for technical manuals,
brochures, catalogs, presentations, and other marketing literature, as
well as animated productions, television commercials, movies, computer
games, or set and exhibit designs. Must have knowledge of Photoshop,
Illustrator or similar computer graphics software, as well as strong
organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines.
Traffic Manager
Oversees the efficient flow of work from account services to creative
and production departments. Duties include creating project schedules,
maintaining job files, tracking and monitoring progress, routing
projects and conducting traffic meetings. May oversee traffic
coordinators. Excellent organizational skills, ability to multi-task,
eye for detail and previous traffic experience required.
