Art Direction Explained, At Last!

by Steven Heller, Veronique Vienne

What do art directors do, exactly? No one, until now, has offered a satisfying answer to this vexing question. Here, finally, two leading experts on the subject offer a highly informative and entertaining insight into what art direction is, and how to practise it.

Art Direction Explained, At Last! tackles the wide range of roles and environments in which art directors operate - magazines, newspapers, advertising, corporate identity, museums and publishing, to name a few. Revealing case studies explore examples of successful art direction, including Paul Sahre's posters, Peter Knapp's photography, Vier5's websites, Kiehl's cosmetics and Dave Eggers' magazines.

In addition, pre-eminent international art directors interpret their own roles and art direct themselves in a dedicated section of the book, resulting in an impressive, revealing and often very funny recollection of diverse perspectives and approaches.

With a handy collection of art director sayings, an 'art director test', an analysis of job titles and their places on the career ladder, a historical quiz, a list of vital art direction attributes and more, Art Direction Explained, At Last! provides students with an essential insight into the world of art direction and professionals with a bible to their vocation.

Genres: Design, Art, Nonfiction, Business

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Steven Heller writes a monthly column on graphic design books for The New York Times Book Review and is co-chair of MFA Design at the School of Visual Arts. He has written more than 100 books on graphic design, illustration and political art, including Paul Rand, Merz to Emigre and Beyond: Avant Garde Magazine Design of the Twentieth Century, Design Literacy: Understanding Graphic Design Second Edition, Handwritten: Expressive Lettering in the Digital Age, Graphic Design History, Citizen Designer, Seymour Chwast: The Left Handed Designer, The Push Pin Graphic: Twenty Five Years of Design and Illustration, Stylepedia: A Guide to Graphic Design Mannerisms, Quirks, and Conceits, The Anatomy of Design: Uncovering the Influences and Inspirations in Modern Graphic Design. He edits VOICE: The AIGA Online Journal of Graphic Design, and writes for Baseline, Design Observer, Eye, Grafik, I.D., Metropolis, Print, and Step. Steven is the recipient of the Art Directors Club Special Educators Award, the AIGA Medal for Lifetime Achievement, and the School of Visual Arts' Masters Series Award.

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of what art direction means. Heller and Vienne provide historical examples and interviews with current designers (many of whom resist the term "art director" as their title) to give a sense of what this type of work entails. It seems to boil down to these principles and characteristics:
- Be curious
- Be thoughtful
- Be knowledgeable
- Be daring
- Be open

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging and beautifully designed. I found it humorous and entertaining. The insights offered by a group of well known Art Directors was very interesting. I think it could have provided more detail. I would like to see more case studies.

[Angelo Terminel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appreciated how this book is meant to keep the visual learner (obviously art directors are visual) interested. Wasn't as informative as I would have liked.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history, interesting perspectives and overall interesting book.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book, in the first part it gives you a historical description of what art direction is and how it evolved trough the years