Modern digital marketing revolves around one thing: effective communication. Your business’ success is dependent upon various strategies and approaches to promoting your brand. If you’re not able to get the whole point of your product or service across, then there’s really no point for consumers to follow your business either.
Creating beautiful visual media and knowing how to utilize it well is the ultra-foolproof way to get potential clients to fall in love with your hook, line, and sinker. It’s a simple equation: communication in the social media age is mostly visual, and appealing visual content easily gets you the most attention.
This is why businesses are usually encouraged to take their own photos and develop a unique creative strategy. Developing and curating your own visual media instead of relying on stock photos is a surefire way to instantly upgrade your brand image. This is usually done with the help of a successful art director: someone that will understand your creative strategy, and turn them into tangible art that serves as a manifestation of your brand’s values and goals.
Art Direction Photography
Art direction photography is a vastly underrated role that is often overlooked by business owners and product designers. Some would think that hiring a successful art director isn’t necessary and that their team can handle campaigns and shoots on their own. And most of the time, they end up wrong.
In specialized positions like this, it’s generally a good idea to get seasoned professionals. Not only will they take care of the nitty-gritty stuff for you, but they’ll also be able to offer valuable insight and feedback to improve your creative strategy. Visual media needs to be universal: explicit, easy to understand, and most importantly aligns with your brand image.
Still on the fence about whether a successful art director would be a good addition to your team? Here are the top reasons why bespoke art direction photography is the best possible thing for your business right now.
Why an Art Director Is Necessary
We already know what visual media is and how it can help you achieve effective communication with your target audience. But how do you even implement these ideas in the first place?
Before we go into the specifics of art direction photography, first we have to understand the rationale behind these roles and what they can actually contribute.
The essential question: What is art direction?
Art direction is an essential part of any creative strategy. It’s the framework, system, and implementation for how your creative projects and campaigns are carried out. Usually, it’s spearheaded by a dedicated team, and having an experienced director to take charge can do wonders for your brand image.
It’s not a purely creative role, either. Art direction typically requires more management and organization than actually creating art. It’s all worth it in the end, though! What most people fail to understand is the effort that goes into making each photo, graphic, or video ad campaign that comes across their screen. It’s an intensive process from start to finish, and if something goes awry along the way it likely won’t be a successful shoot.
If you’re ready to choose an art director for your team, keep in mind that they need to be the right person for the job! Find someone that’s compatible with your work ethic, and make sure they fit in well with your brand’s values.
Here are some basic qualities that you should look for in your future successful art director:
1. An art director knows how to balance form and function.
Something can be beautiful and serve a purpose at the same time. Some campaigns are so focused on delivering aesthetics and visuals that it takes away from the message. Your director should know how to prioritize functionality and communication above just making things look pretty.
Aim to always make sense with your photoshoots. The best product designs and shoots are always the simpler ones, with solid concepts and a look that just clicks for the audience.
2. An art director listens.
Typically you’ll be hiring a team to carry out your creative projects, and your director needs to know how to work with one. This kind of work is always in a push-and-pull dynamic, so they also need to be able to give and take feedback to have the best outcome possible.
The best art director is the one that takes your vision and brand identity to new heights while still staying true to the original concepts. They should have a clear concept of what they want to do, but also take into consideration the insights of other people involved in the project as well.
3. An art director understands your audience.
At the end of the day, marketing and advertising are all about effective communication. And this requires appealing to your audience’s interests and emotions, which takes a certain skill.
For example, a good art director will never design an extravagant product campaign around a minimalist brand. They’ll pick up on what your target audience wants, do some thorough research, and come up with something that will attract your ideal clients.
4. An art director isn’t afraid to get crazy.
Sometimes things aren’t always on schedule, and something’s definitely bound to go wrong during high-energy photoshoots. A good director should be prepared and capable to work around these things.
Scheduling a shoot takes a lot of resources and manpower. When it comes to the day itself, plenty of things can screw up! But abandoning the project or rescheduling it for another attempt will definitely waste money and time. In these cases, they shouldn’t be afraid to get rid of the tripod and freestyle. Just rolling with the flow can get you better and more organic photos.
If you’re in need of professionals that can expertly handle your visual and creative goals for 2022, don’t look any further. At The Outside Collective, our passion is helping businesses like you realize your potential and maximize it. Change your creative strategy for the better with our art direction photography team.
