Different productions, a common aspect.
Visual direction and production consistency
Visual direction
Translating the brand and campaign brief into coherent visual decisions.
Design evaluation
Evaluating productions based on brief and terms of use rather than personal taste.
Team harmony
Design, content and application managers progress with common references.
Let's bring a common visual direction to production
The poster, packaging and digital page of a campaign can be produced by different people. As Freelance art director Selçuk Aker, I focus on clarifying the common visual aspect, evaluation criteria and decision responsibilities of these productions. Instead of forcing every material to have the same appearance, we determine the principles of the brand that should not change.
In a project with a designer, copywriter, photographer or developer, everyone can focus on their own delivery. If the commonality is not clear, works that look good separately may not be felt to belong to the same brand. At the outset, we make evaluation criteria and approval responsibilities visible.
Difference in duties between art director and graphic designer
The graphic designer produces certain materials; The art director can manage the consistent progression of the visual approach across different materials and producers. In a small project, two tasks may be combined in the same person. Defining routing and production delivery separately reduces price and schedule uncertainty.
We set up the working model on this page according to your team. However, evaluating existing designs, determining the visual direction of the campaign, or supporting design decisions over a certain period are different scopes. You can also check out the production side directly on my Freelance graphic designer page.
Which projects require external art director support?
A new campaign, brand renewal or launch projects where different teams work together may require common direction. If catalogues, packaging and digital displays are being prepared for the same brand, we determine which visual decisions will remain common. Instead of forcing each medium to the same placement, we describe common principles.
If there are many conflicting revisions in the current production process, we also examine whether the problem is only in the design. Incomplete brief, unclear approval person or subsequently changed content can affect the result as much as the design quality.
How does the working process proceed?
Brief and visual references
We create a common framework based on the brand's purpose, target audience, current identity and usage channels. We use references to discuss direction, not as a copy list. We put the reasons for desired and avoidable features in writing.
Main direction and application examples
We evaluate typography, color, use of photography and composition decisions with sample applications. Testing the visual aspect in real use is more descriptive than just an abstract presentation. We clarify who is responsible for the main materials to be produced and their delivery dates.
Evaluation and production coordination
I conduct interim evaluations according to the criteria in the brief. Sharing the priorities and rationale for changes helps the team understand what they need to fix. Final approval authority and physical production responsibilities are clearly defined in the parties involved.
What does the freelance art director price depend on?
Frequency of meetings and evaluations, variety of materials, project duration, and whether or not direct design production is involved change the scope. A one-time visual evaluation is not the same service as participating in the entire production schedule of a launch.
First, share your current team, which decisions need external support, and deliverables. We can plan cooperation on a project or period basis. We do not proceed with an undetermined team capacity or the promise of unlimited production.
Making design feedback actionable
A comment like “make it stronger” alone does not explain what the designer will change. Evaluating on concrete criteria such as message visibility, visual priority or brand compatibility provides more applicable direction.
I share the suggestions with their justification and priority. Separating brief change from revision of existing design helps prevent teams from indefinitely duplicating work.
Frequently asked job questions in art directorship
Can a freelance art director work with an in-house design team?
Yes. We can move forward by determining the current team's tasks and the decision support it needs. The aim is not to obscure responsibilities, but to clarify visual direction and evaluation criteria.
Are all designs included in the art director service?
No. Visual guidance, evaluation and direct design production are separate items. Which materials will be prepared by me and which will be produced by other teams are stated in the proposal.
Can you evaluate the campaign designs alone?
Yes. A limited scope of evaluation can be established if the brief, existing designs and areas of use are shared. After evaluation, design production is also planned.
Do you also manage photo or video shooting?
Visual direction and the need for a shooting brief can be discussed. Shooting day attendance, crew, equipment and production responsibility should be determined separately; is not automatically included.
Is it necessary to change the existing brand guide?
Not always. We first examine the current rules and usage issues. If the campaign need can be solved within the existing identity, an unnecessary identity renewal is not required.
Are being an art director and a creative director the same?
Duties may intersect depending on the institution. The focus in this service is on visual direction, design evaluation and inter-production consistency. It is also determined which part of the strategy, copy, production and team management is involved.
What decision does your team need support on?
Discuss scope of post directorship with Selçuk Aker. Let's clarify the project goals, productions and decision makers together.
Which productions should share the same direction?
Share the production list and current team structure. Let's separate the boundaries of guidance, evaluation, and direct design generation.
- Purpose of the brand or campaign
- Available team and production areas
- Approval structure, schedule and work in hand
Visual direction for advertising campaign and product launch
If you say you want to advertise your company, let's first talk about which product will be promoted, to whom and with which offer. In the campaign design, I determine the main visual, message order and the channels to be used. During the product launch, packaging, web page, presentation and announcements should follow the same approved information.
Sometimes what a team looking for a creative campaign agency needs is not the entire marketing operation, but an experienced designer who will establish the visual idea of the campaign and prepare its applications. You can work directly with Selçuk Aker in this context. If media planning, advertising broadcasting and shooting are required, we determine the tasks separately.
In the launch design, the product name, claims and main image are first approved; Then, outputs such as motion graphics and video, campaign page and e-mail design are prepared. We keep a delivery list so that we can keep track of which files a later changed product information will be reflected in.
