1.
DAVID BELL EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR - MERCERBELL
7 STEPS TO BECOMING
A GREAT ART DIRECTOR
2016 ADMA CREATIVE SCHOOL

2.
7 STEPS TO BECOMING
A GREAT ART DIRECTOR
2016 ADMA CREATIVE SCHOOL

3.
Jorn Utzon

4.
Findyourowncreativeprocess

5.
Thisisawesome
Thisistricky
Thisisshit
I’mshit
Thismightbeokay
Thisisawesome

6.
Be a
creative
sponge
Never stop
feeding your mind

7.
Look up for
inspiration

8.
And look
down for
inspiration

9.
Look
inside for
inspiration

10.
Inspiration
is all around you.
Write down all
your ideas.
Sketch, snap
& scan them.

11.
Moleskine
smart writing
set
The

12.
“Always have
the product on
your desk”
1. KNOW YOUR PRODUCT

13.
PTaste PTouch PSmell PSight PSound

14.
Crewe's Rolls-Royce Factory By Peter Ollerhead 1950s

15.
Ever wondered why
artists have so
many different
brushes?

16.
Free your thinking.
If you get stuck,,
swap pens and the
ideas will soon flow.
JARED CLARK

17.
‘Cut-Up’ William S. Burroughs by Brion Gysin

18.
www.
creativity-online.com
www.adsoftheworld.com/
www.directnewideas.com

19.
7 STEPS TO BECOMING
A GREAT ART DIRECTOR
2016 ADMA CREATIVE SCHOOL

20.
T h e b e s t t h i n g I k n o w a b o u t v i s u a l t e c h n i q u e s

21.
S i m p l e i s a l w a y s b e s t

22.
S i m p l e i s a l w a y s b e s t

23.
“A designer knows he/she has achieved perfection
not when there is nothing left to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

24.
Don’t fear white space

25.
If the idea has
an unreal twist,
use illustration
to help bring it
to life

26.
Reflect
your ideas

27.
Is there
an idea in
the logo?

28.
Is there
an idea on
the bottle?

29.
Visualise
the benefit

30.
toughness

31.
sharpness

32.
strength

33.
A quick and easy
way to grab attention

34.
Maintain
eye contact

35.
Sharbat Gula was the subject of Steve McCurry's ‘Afghan Girl”’

36.
Select your shots carefully
Alberto Korda’s ‘Che’ 5 March 1960

37.
Alberto Korda
Havana 5 March 1960

38.
And crop
with care

39.
Alberto Korda - Havana

40.
Avoid
visual
cliches

41.
The exception

42.
The exception

43.
The exception

44.
20 more visual cliches to avoid

45.
Opposites always
attract attention

46.
Helvetica

47.
Look beyond your screens
for inspiration

48.
7 STEPS TO BECOMING
A GREAT ART DIRECTOR
2016 ADMA CREATIVE SCHOOL

49.
Grids
are good

50.
Grids
are good
The Golden
Ratio and the
theory of
composition

51.
1505

52.
2016

53.
Designing by the
rule of thirds

54.
41% 20%
14%25%
POA

55.
Alberto Korda’s original ‘Che’ neg.

56.
Alberto Korda’s ‘Che’ 5 March 1960

57.
designmodo.com/rule-thirds-grid-outline/e

58.
Know when to stop.
Mr. Robert Waters
High School Art Teacher
“If it looks right.
It is right.”

59.
“Try another view”
Mr. Robert Waters
High School Art Teacher

60.
http://petapixel.com/2016/01/30/10-myths-about-the-rule-of-thirds/

61.
7 STEPS TO BECOMING
A GREAT ART DIRECTOR
2016 ADMA CREATIVE SCHOOL

62.
Type in
your life

63.
Type in
your life

64.
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country.
Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand
calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take the normal classes, I
decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and
sans serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter
combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical,
artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But 10 years later,
when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we
designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had
never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had
multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the
Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I
would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might
not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect
the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking
backward 10 years later.

65.
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country.
Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand
calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take the normal classes, I
decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and
sans serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter
combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical,
artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But 10 years later,
when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we
designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had
never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had
multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the
Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I
would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might
not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect
the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking
backward 10 years later.

66.
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country.
Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand
calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take the normal classes, I
decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and
sans serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter
combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical,
artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But 10 years later,
when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we
designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had
never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had
multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the
Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I
would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might
not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect
the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking
backward 10 years later.

67.
Love.
And
understand
type

68.
UPPER CASE
lower case
Love.
And
understand
type

69.
Love.
And
understand
type

70.
Be the
champion of
the beauty
of type

71.
Ideas in visual type

72.
Type is the main
tool of your trade

73.
Don’t annoy
your Copywriter
(or the reader)

74.
If your poor design
reduces readability,
then expect the
worst to happen.
If your poor design
reduces readability,
then expect the
worst to happen.

75.
www.stcsig.org/mgt/docs/readability-kiss.pdf

76.
www.psfk.com/2016/03/mobile-typography-techniques-design-for-smartphones.html

77.
When to let
the headline
do the talking

78.
www.dafont.com
slideshare.net/Reosurfer

79.
7 STEPS TO BECOMING
A GREAT ART DIRECTOR
2016 ADMA CREATIVE SCHOOL

80.
The
Art Director’s
secret weapon

81.
desire

82.
search

83.
delivery

84.
emotion

85.
Art Directing ideas
in living colour

86.
motion

87.
7 STEPSTO BECOMING
AGREATARTDIRECTOR
2016 ADMA CREATIVE SCHOOL

88.
Take
the time
to learn
origami

89.
www.adsoftheworld.com/media/dm/cocacola_fm_magazine_amplifier

90.
How art direction
can be the idea

91.
7 STEPS TO BECOMING
A GREAT ART DIRECTOR
2016 ADMA CREATIVE SCHOOL

92.
GETTINGINTOTHE
CREATIVEDEPARTMENT

93.
1. THE INTERVIEW
FIRST IMPRESSIONS

94.
1. YOU’VE FINALLY GOT AN INTERVEIW.
LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Begin your book with a great idea.
Then end with an even better one.

95.
2. WHAT FORMAT SHOULD MY BOOK BE?
THE PRESENTATION

96.
2. SITE, eMAIL A PDF, LAPTOP OR iPAD?
TRY THE PERSONAL TOUCH OF YOUR BOOK.
THE PRESENTATION
Think carefully about how you present your book.
You are selling your work, your talents and yourself.

97.
3. HOW BIG SHOULD MY BOOK BE?
EDIT

98.
EDIT
3. BE BRUTAL & EDIT YOUR BOOK
Three great ideas, always beats
thirty three average ones.

99.
4. WHAT TYPE OF WORK SHOULD I SHOW?
VARIETY

100.
4. MIX IT UP
VARIETY
Show a broad range of creative work
across multiple channels, products and brands.

101.
5. HOW FINISHED SHOULD MY IDEAS BE?
SHOW YOUR CRAFT

102.
5. BE JOB READY
SHOW YOUR CRAFT
Rough visuals ‘scamps or pencils’ are fine, but have at
least one fully written or art directed campaign.

103.
6. WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH GOOD WORK?
BUILD ON YOUR BEST
Peggy’s
presenta/on
h1ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYxl-­‐DJ9CEs

104.
6. TAKE YOUR BEST IDEA AND PUSH IT THROUGH SOCIAL CHANNELS
BUILD ON YOUR BEST
Turn a good idea, into a great campaign.

105.
BE FLEXIBLE
7. HOW CAN I STAND OUT?

106.
7. BE ORIGINAL AND FRESH
BE FLEXIBLE
There are many different types of agency.
Adapt your book for each individual agency.

107.
8. SHOULD I TALK ABOUT MY BLOG?
CREATIVITY

108.
8. SHOW YOUR DEPTH
CREATIVITY
Talk about your creative pursuits outside of advertising.

109.
9. DIFFERENT PEOPLE LIKE DIFFERENT WORK?
LISTEN

110.
9. TAKE ADVICE
LISTEN
Listen carefully to all the feedback
and act on the advice that feels right for you.

111.
10. I’M TOO NERVIOUS
CDs ARE VERY
BUSY PEOPLE
Don
in
ac/on.
h1ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbr3bkny0OQ

112.
10. TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN BRING TO THE DEPATMENT
CDs ARE VERY
BUSY PEOPLE
Be prepared, be enthusiastic, be positive and be yourself.
Don’t be a pest, but do follow-up.

113.
GETTING A JOB
CREATIVITY
CRAFT THE
ART DIRECTION
BOOK
What you should be reading

114.
A PARTING THOUGHT

115.
Beware of looking for goals:
look for a way of life.
A PARTING THOUGHT
Decide how you want to live and
then see what you can do to make
a living within that way of life.
Hunter S Thompson

116.
PART OF THE SAATCHI & SAATCHI GROUP
Visit MercerBell to discover more about customer delight.
2016 ADMA CREATIVE SCHOOL