Art Direction: Generating Memorable Ideas

Generating new design ideas with Art Direction

“Congratulations! You've reached the end of this course. Thank you so much for taking part and I hope you've enjoyed it. It's now time to work on your project. This could mean finishing the design concept you started by completing the course tasks or making a brand-new project! Either way, I strongly suggest you take the time to gather inspiration and make a unique project of your own. Make sure to keep track of your progress with different pictures of each step. It'd be great if you could also explain the choices you've made along the way and tell us if you have any doubts. This will help me guide you better if you need advice. Here are the main steps to follow: The Brief Pick a play you want to work on (or a movie, book, and so on). Read the script and the client's brief. Draw out the key information you need using the 'Play Breakdown' document (available in the additional resources of Unit 3).

The Research Use the information you've collected as a springboard to start the research phase. I recommend using Pinterest to collect all your images into one place. Don't forget to look for references offline too – something from your personal inspiration library could be the spark you need for an incredible idea. Review your research and pay attention to what catches your eye. Is there a theme that emerged time and time again? Perhaps you could apply a fresh take on it. Is there an unusual camera angle or a dynamic composition you're drawn to? Maybe your mind is finding a connection between two seemingly unrelated images? Build mood boards to organise your research around these observations. The Thumbnail Sketches Get your ideas down on paper in the form of quick, rough sketches. Remember, this stage is about quantity, not quality. Avoid discarding any creative sparks: a cliché or cheesy idea can sometimes be the stepping stone to a better one! Once you've sketched out all of your ideas, the next step is to edit these down! Pick your strongest three, using the brief and your personal preference as guides. Then, transform your three chosen ideas into more detailed sketches. The Digital Mock-ups Scan your three sketches and export them into Photoshop (or another similar software). Polish the drawings and mock them up into posters. Start considering the project's execution and clarify potential collaborators: Will this be an illustration? A photograph? Is there a specific illustrator or photographer that would fit your brief perfectly? The Client Presentation Lastly, build the client presentation. Use mood boards and sketches to explain where each one of your three ideas came from and how you plan to execute them. End the deck with your recommended idea. This decision must be made based on the client's brief, not only your gut instinct. And that's all! I can't wait to see the project you come up with, so don't forget to share it in the forum. You can do so by clicking on 'Create your project'. Remember to share both the final result and the steps that have led you to it. It would be great if you showed a picture of each step and added a brief explanation about what you have done in each one. I will be more than happy to answer any of the questions you might have along the way! I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, participate in the forum, comment on others' work, and interact with the community. See you there! ”

Partial transcription of the video

“Well done for reaching the finish line of this Domestika course. I hope you've enjoyed it and feel inspired to create your own visual concepts. As you learned, the challenge of art direction is about translating complex storylines and abstract notions like capitalism, racism, and the negative bias into memorable images. Remember the first step, analyze your brief and distill it into a few keywords. Here you really want to understand what your client is after. You can use my play breakdown sheet as a starting point to pull out helpful information if you're working on a play or a movie. Next,...”

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Course summary for: Art Direction: Generating Memorable Ideas

• Level: Beginner
• 100% positive reviews (40)
• 2657 students
• 4 units
• 16 lessons (3h 2m)
• 4 downloads

• Category

  Design, Marketing & Business

• Software

  Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop

• Areas

  Art Direction, Brand Strategy, Creativity, Poster Design