Creatives Discuss Their Experiences Working With ‘Hovering Art Directors’
Earlier this year, Adobe launched a global campaign highlighting the trials and tribulations of those working in the creative industries.
Whether you’re a graphic designer, an illustrator or a copywriter, crazy client requests, short deadlines and hovering art directors are all part and parcel of life as a creative pro. You know the type, the micro-manager who stands over your shoulder, providing unsolicited and nonsensical feedback, like “let’s try this sunset as a sunrise” and “the client needed this an hour ago.”
But whether you love them or hate them, we’ve all learnt some valuable lessons from our art directors and creative directors along the way. We asked creatives from some of the hottest design studios and creative agencies across the UK, including Nick Eagleton, Creative Director at The Partners, Beth Algieri, Director at Yum Yum and Sean Murphy, Creative Director at Moving Brands to share their experiences with us.
Read on to find out what they had to say…
Adobe: What can you tell us about your experiences working with creative directors over the years?
Sean Murphy, Moving Brands: “They are a varied bunch, some inspirational, some infuriating, some downright weird. What they all have in common is that they leave a lot of room for interpretation, but have a very clear picture in their heads.”
Nick Eagleton, The Partners: “They say loads of stuff, but all the time you’re thinking ‘Whatever. I’m going to do it my way anyway.’ And then you do it your way anyway. That’s why you want to become a creative director – so you don’t have to listen to them anymore.”
A: Are there any invaluable lessons that you’ve learnt from past or present creative directors? If yes, what’s the best piece of advice they’ve given to you?
Beth Algieri, Yum Yum London: “One piece of advice that stuck in my mind was to ‘never settle for mediocre’, in other words keep pushing until you are 100% happy with the result however many iterations it takes to get there, you’ll be thankful you went the extra mile when you look back at the project in a few months.”
Sean Murphy: “My creative director taught me that the words you speak are just as important as the work you produce. That you should fiercely protect what makes you different. That you should never lose your rag.”
A: Have you met any ‘hovering art directors’ in your career? If so, what were some of their habits?
Sean Murphy: “I fear I am one, as anyone who ‘directs’ tends to ‘hover’. Different creative directors have their own signature hovering stance. Some lean, some perch, some bump out of the way to drive. The worst is when finger meets screen to leave a greasy smudge!”
Nick Eagleton: “The hovering you can ignore and they’ll eventually go away. The worst is when they touch your mouse. It’s sick. It’s like them touching your body. If you become a creative director, never, ever, touch someone’s mouse. Get your own and touch that one.”
A: If you could give advice to budding creatives starting out in the industry, what would it be?
Sean Murphy: “Don’t try and fit in. There are tons of people who follow the same paths, that look at blogs and reverse engineer the work. Hone your own oddness, your own world view. Don’t let people you learn from polish out the rough edge as this is where the good stuff can be found.”
Beth Algieri:_ “Work hard, have fun and be nice to your creative friends and clients. Happy clients mean happy creatives.”_
A huge thank you to Nick Eagleton, Sean Murphy and Beth Algieri for taking the time to share their experiences with us!
About Nick Ealegton
Nick joined The Partners in April 2000 and is now responsible for the creative work of the London studio. Nick is a frequent judge at creative industry awards, and has given numerous talks on creativity and design around the world. He is a visiting lecturer at Central St Martins College of Art and Design, and runs Creative Training Sessions at the D&AD, helping his students ‘turn germs of ideas into gems of ideas’. He is accustomed to winning awards for his clients including Deloitte, Jerwood Foundation and the Falkland Islands.
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About Beth Algieri
Beth studied Illustration and Animation at Manchester Metropolitan University and went on to work in London as an animator for some well-known production studios. After 5 years of working in the heart of the advertising industry she co-founded Yum Yum, a design studio whose passion lies in character design for illustration, animation, toys and games.
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About Sean Murphy
When Sean joined Moving Brands, he brought with him a unique blend of brand, design and communications brilliance. He has worked in the world’s best advertising, branding, and fashion businesses, and has also run his own studio for a decade, working with the fashion and cultural elite, including The Saatchi Gallery, the Guardian, Dolce & Gabanna and Vogue. At Moving Brands, Sean has lead projects for MoMA and the BBC, as well as a project he is especially proud of, working with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
It’s the possibilities of design that excites Sean, that there are no right ways to approach a solution. He loves nothing more than finding shape in an idea, making it solid, bringing it to life and galvanising creative and client teams behind it.
Sean studied at Central St Martins, where he was also an associate lecturer, and the Royal College of Art. He cut his teeth working at Wieden + Kennedy, Mario Testino+ and North.
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