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4 Easy Steps to Create a Beautiful Design Portfolio

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These principles apply to build a site that expands your professional network.

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While it can be hard to know where to start with photographing your work, you don't need to be a professional to do it well. There are some universal principles that are always worth learning, so whether you're a student, just starting out, or looking to upskill, we're covering all of the essentials - from setting up your shoot, to capturing objects and printed material.

You can spend ages getting your work right, but then comes putting it into context for your portfolio. You might be a ceramicist, designer, or anything in between - whether you need to shoot objects, garments or printed material, we've got you covered in our very first illustrated guide. And the good news is that you don't even need fancy equipment to do this well.

Why is it worth photographing your work?

Digital mock-ups and templates can be hugely useful when putting a portfolio together. They offer a controlled environment - from lighting to angles and context, and you're not limited by space, or photography equipment available to you.

However, for creatives who produce physical objects, artworks, ceramics, paintings and more, learning how to photograph your work and present it in a portfolio can be a vital tool in sharing your work with people who might not be able to see it in real life. Most importantly it can help put your work in context and better communicate the ideas behind it to a viewer.

In this guide, we'll be covering:

How to photograph objects

How to photograph books and printed material

How to photograph installations and exhibitions

After the shoot: editing your photographs

Before you begin: What are you looking to achieve?

There are a few things to keep in mind before you get going. What do you want to accomplish in your images and how do you want them to look? While we'll offer stylistic examples and a few starting points, you should consider the mood, tone, or personality you're trying to evoke.

Where you're shooting will impact your art direction. If you're renting a space, or only have a certain amount of time in a location (or due to the weather if you're using natural lighting) you want to make sure you don't waste the time you have. Here are some failsafe steps to planning your shoot...

📌 Identify what elements you want to showcase

Is there a particular print process, binding, layout or material that you want to highlight? Is there a particular spread in a book you want to show? Make a note of them.

🧐 How do you want your work to be shown?

Consider the context. Do you want the look of your photographs to be very stripped back and minimal? If so, consider showing it laid flat, on white, square-on to the camera, with even and flat lighting.

But that's not your only option. You could consider showing your work more playfully, with props, on the floor, on a desk, or even a shelf. Do you want to shoot it on grass outside? Are there multiple copies of the book that you can arrange? You could also have a mix of two styles: some straight-on spreads alongside a few playful ones. The tone of voice is up to you.

You don't always have to photograph your work within a studio-like setting. If you've created an object, prototype, sculpture, ceramic or garment, it can be useful to photograph this in a relevant environment to help bring your ideas to life. Here are some examples:

Photographing a printed menu in a restaurant environment

Designed a new type of garment? Photograph it on a model

✍️ Fail to plan, plan to fail

Plan out the shots you want to take in advance. As we say in our PDF portfolio guide, you should be selective about the images you include; e.g. you might not need two shots of the same book from a different angle, unless each image showcases a unique detail. Be specific: know what spreads you want to capture, angles you want to show off and techniques you want to highlight.

What shots do you need to tell the story of your project? Do you need before and after shots, or photographs to capture an element of the process that might help a viewer better understand?

Drawing some sketches of what you need can ensure you don't waste time and know exactly what shots you need to get the message of your project or work across.

What equipment do you need?

It goes without saying the most important thing you'll need, apart from your work, is a camera.

There are a huge range of cameras and lenses out there, but try not to get too fixated on securing the best gear available. While you can use the camera on your phone, just be sure you're happy with the resolution of your images in case they need to be seen at a large scale like on a website. If you're looking for something more high-res, you could look into renting a camera for a day, or even asking a friend if you could use theirs. Below are some essentials you'll need to get you started...

A camera (and if you'd like, different lenses)

Large sheets of paper or card

Ironed sheet or fabric

Lights, or access to natural light

A tripod

Masking or gaffer tape

Remember that you can also use pretty much whatever is available to you; you don't always need 'professional' equipment. Sometimes a simple mug is all you need to prop up an object at a certain angle, or stop your book from falling over.

Setting up your shoot

Choosing the right location to set up your shoot is essential to things going smoothly. Ensure you have the right amount of space, exactly what you need and that you plan efficiently to do whatever you can to set yourself up for a successful shoot. Here are a few things to keep in mind...

☀️ Go in search of light!

Lights, camera, action - pretty much in that order. Arguably the most important element to consider when thinking about where to photograph your work, is lighting. You can either use natural light or artificial lights such as camera flashes or lamps.

When selecting your location, try to set up your photography space so that your source of light falls naturally to the side, or ideally overhead, which will give a really flattering shadow beneath your object.

Using natural light
The light will be most forgiving if it's coming from the top edges of the frame to the bottom edges, casting a shadow underneath the book. If the light comes from the bottom to the top it tends to look quite harsh. This is important to remember if you're going to be shooting a lot of work in the day - because you'll need to set up, bearing in mind that the sun will move around.

Using flashes (if you have them)
Using dedicated camera flashes or lamps means that your light will stay consistent, and also gives you the option of shooting all day and evening, or over multiple days.

Avoid putting flashes too high up because it will normally cause glare on the printed text or image. If the light is too harsh, bounce the light onto a wall instead which will soften it.

🏡 Location, location, location

This can also depend on the size of the work you're photographing; large scale sculptures or objects will require more room, whereas some printed objects might only require a table. Some good locations for your shoot might be:

College or uni studios

A well-lit room

Outside with natural light during the day

🧺 Set up a backdrop

Regardless of what you're photographing, you'll likely want some kind of backdrop for your photos. You could move a table so that it's flush against a wall, or prop up a large piece of paper and card on the table so that it naturally bends down onto the table, creating a seamless backdrop. This will ensure you don't have any harsh lines in your shots.

Most importantly, make sure that this card or fabric is bigger than the work you're looking to photograph so that it sits comfortably within the frame. Okay, you're good to go!

How to photograph objects

From ceramics, sculptures and textiles to prototypes and products, there are plenty of objects you might want to photograph for your portfolio. Thinking about context, lighting and set-up will help you get the images you're imagining. Here's a step-by-step to get you started...

📍 Position your object

If you're looking for a simple, clean shot, place your object in the centre of your set. You can experiment with different angles, depending on what element of the object you're looking to capture. Remember you can always take a couple of shots of shots and edit later.

🏗️ Get your camera level with the object

When it comes to the angles of the camera, try and avoid shooting everything just from the height you would hold the camera at yourself. Drop it lower to get level with the object which will show off the shape better, or even shooting directly overhead with the object laying down.

💿 Use card to block reflections

A common problem when shooting objects is that they might be reflective or glossy, and you don't want to see yourself reflected in the image. Hang some plain white or black card or fabric just outside the frame of the image to minimise any reflections you don't want.

💡 Bounce light to brighten your image

For both natural and artificial light, you might find that an area in the image looks too dark. An easy way to brighten it up is to use a reflector to bounce light into the image; and if you don't have one, a white piece of card (or even a white shirt) works well. Then using a darker material in the same way will block light and create darker shadows.

For example: If the sunlight is coming in from the top-right hand side of the image and the bottom left looks a bit dark, place a flat white material towards the bottom left to bounce the light back into the picture and brighten it up.

⛅️ Shooting outside with natural light

Depending on the look and feel you're looking to capture, you might decide to photograph your work outside. If that's the case, be sure to choose a day to shoot where the weather is consistent. Pick either a fully cloudy day or a fully sunny day, it'll make the images more consistent. Cloudy days will give a much more forgiving and flattering light that is easier to work with. Sunny days will give you the opportunity to play with interesting shadows like dappled evening sunlight.

Do some location scouting and be playful with how you can use the environment around you to bring out elements of your work. Think about how different textures, shapes and structures could be incorporated to help bring your work to life. Take a look at Milo Little's work below as an example.

How to photograph books and printed material

Photographing books and printed material might seem more straightforward than other objects, but there's still lots to consider. Remember to take a look at the list of shots you made earlier and consider your set-up. What lighting and backdrop will show your work best? Are there particular details that you want to make sure you capture? The scale of your work will impact your approach, but you can always edit individual shots into one big spread.

🔆 Scan or shoot?

The most simple way to capture a book is to scan it, if you have access to a scanner. Leave the scanner hood open for a black background or closed for white. Take a look below at Danya Abu-El-Hawa's work as an example of this. Scanning can also be a good option if you create any collage work and you want to show off all the different textures and layers of your pieces at a high resolution.

If your book or printed material is too big to fit onto a scanner, however, you'll need to use a camera (more on that below!)

📐 Do you need to readjust your set-up?

When shooting spreads, it's often easier to shoot from above. So you might want to consider laying your book and background on the floor to make it easier to get the camera high enough above it.

This is also a good time to reassess your backdrop: is it larger than your book when opened out to a spread? Try using a well-ironed piece of heavy white fabric, white foam board or a large sheet of white card ( G . F Smith offer large paper samples which are perfect for this).

🖼️ Test your framing

If you want all of the images to be shot straight down, make sure that you set up the camera with the book open first to see how much room you need. The worst thing to do is frame it up nicely with the book closed, then open it to find that it's way too tight in the frame.

Test different heights with your camera from above, and once your framing is more-or-less settled, fix the background to the floor so you don't accidentally knock it flying. Tape the paper to the floor, or if using fabric, use tins to pull it taut. Consider shooting everything landscape as it's easier to crop the image to portrait if you need it, compared to the other way round.

↕️ Reposition your camera

You'll want to hold your camera (steadily!) above, directly over the book, but know that this could result in your images being a little inconsistent. If you have a tripod, you can use it to hold the camera out sideways and look directly down which keeps the legs of the tripod out of the shot.

If you don't have a tripod, you could use two chairs and a long stick like a broom handle or curtain pole, and attach the camera in the middle using gaffer tape. Have a look at @shittyrigs for more inspiration. If that worries you, you could use a GorillaPod and wrap the legs around the pole.

⚓️ Keeping your book still and flat

A common problem when shooting spreads is that the book doesn't always stay flat enough. A good way to get around this is to place a larger book on top to help press the book flat between taking images. Then, to keep the book in place between spreads, you can use re-positionable sticky glue dots to stick the back covers down to the background.

After you have these shots, you want to highlight some of the details you noted earlier. So take the camera off the tripod and be playful with angles. Experiment with moving the light around to see how it best brings out the textures and shape of the print.

⬆️ Keeping your book standing

Other common problems with shooting books, especially thin books, is if you need it to stand up. You could try putting a smaller, thicker book behind it to prop it up. But if it's too thin, you can cut a piece of stiff card or foam board slightly smaller than the book. Then use double-sided tape or sticky dots to glue the rigid board to the back of the book, which makes it easier to prop up.

Again, remember to consider all your options here. This approach might be too clean and clinical. You could, for example, photograph it using a cheap point-and-shoot disposable film camera with a harsh front flash.

How to photograph posters and artwork

🧱 Find the right wall

Shooting a single sheet, like a poster, is a bit easier, as you can use sticky dots or Blu Tack to pin them to the wall. This also means that your camera doesn't need to be overhead. Keeping a poster straight in the frame can be the tricky bit, but keeping your camera at a right angle to the wall will help avoid your poster being on a tilt.

📒 Treat your poster like an object

However, don't feel like you need to only shoot it straight on, be playful if you want. For example, if you chose a thin and lightweight paper, it might be interesting to deliberately show the print gently folding over itself. Show the piece as an object in itself. If you decide you do want to get the poster flat, try weighing it down with heavy objects for a day or so - it'll make it easier to photograph in the long run!

How to photograph installations

🚪 Installations and site-specific work

When photographing installations and site-specific artworks, including murals, a reminder to consider:

Lighting: Using natural light will help with accurate colours, supplement with artificial sources if needed

Utilising space: Frame shots to include relevant surroundings for context

Angles: Capture from eye level, multiple angles, and show the artwork in its surroundings

Interactivity: Include people and moving elements to convey engagement and scale (e.g someone walking past)

Capturing the context is super important here - you want people to know where your work's been hung! Molly Kent's photography below is a great example of shooting your installations in a way that shows their texture and detail, whilst giving the context of their surroundings.

After the shoot: Editing your photographs

Once you have all your images, the golden rule of thumb is to get as close as you can to the finished product in the camera first and foremost. Try not to rely too much on having to over-edit to produce a great image. More often than not, there are a couple of timeless edits you might want to make with your shots. Some suggested considerations for editing are:

Exposure and white balance

Texture and contrast

How to clean up background; removing dust, dirt

How to clean up objects

How to remove white backgrounds

Standard images sizes / crop ratios

Cropping your image

Overall, remember not to over-edit, avoid over-saturating your images (unless that's what you're going for!) See the videos below for guidance on how to edit your images in Adobe Photoshop.

In summary, photography for your portfolio doesn't require professional expertise and you can do a lot with a more basic setup. You've already made the work - it's just about showing it off! If you choose physical photography over a mock-up, context is key. Using real-life settings can enhance understanding and appreciation of your work, especially if you're putting it in situ.

Planning is super important, as well as considering elements like mood and desired outcomes. It's essential to set up your shoot in a well-lit space with a suitable backdrop, whatever art direction you're choosing. Think about how you want to use post-processing, and how you'll achieve your creative vision to showcase your creations.

When you're finishing up, make sure you export to the resolution you need (small files for PDF portfolios and websites to avoid slow-loading images and large downloads).

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How to photograph work for your portfolio

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While it can be hard to know where to start with photographing your work, you don't need to be a professional to do it well. There are some universal principles that are always worth learning, so whether you're a student, just starting out, or looking to upskill, we're covering all of the...

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Applications for creative roles will often require you to have a portfolio of sorts; and today, that can take many forms - from social media profiles to printed objects. In this guide, we'll be focusing on the trusty PDF portfolio - a condensed and curated version you'll need for many job applications. Here's what to include, how to make the edit and some all-important details for curating a great PDF portfolio.

What is a portfolio?

A portfolio is a printed or digital document that showcases your best work. Used predominantly when applying for a job or internship, your portfolio is considered to be just as important as your CV and cover letter.

Portfolios can vary across different disciplines. For example, those working in film and animation might opt for an online showreel, whereas photographers might prefer a large-scale, printed portfolio that shows off their images.

While your work should speak for itself, when done well, your portfolio could also be considered a project in itself, or even an extension of your practice.

How is a PDF portfolio different?

Today there are lots of different ways to present your work - from Instagram and Behance, to a personal website - and each has its own role to play. For example, you might use your Instagram account to document process or inspiration, while your website shows a selection of finished projects.

For applications, though, a PDF portfolio is usually the standard format. This will be an edited, tailored and well-curated selection of your work that helps a potential employer understand more about you and your suitability for a role. As they are commonly uploaded as digital files, they will ideally be no more than 10MB in size, and 25MB maximum to meet email attachment size limits.

What goes into a PDF portfolio?

We'll go into these in more detail below, but generally speaking, this type of PDF portfolio is made up of:

A cover page

A selection of projects (normally between five and ten)

An end page

Your contact info (including name, email address and social media links)

👋 Cover page

A typical cover page will include your name and location. Sometimes, if you're submitting a PDF to a specific person or company, it can be a nice touch to opt for a more personal introduction. This could mean opening with a customised greeting like, "Hello Design Studio!"

🗂 Selection of projects

There's a whole lot of varied advice out there on what projects to include in your PDF portfolio. But ultimately, it all depends on the type of role you're applying for.

As a general rule, you should only include the work you're most proud of. Be selective and avoid adding any projects for the sake of it. Aim to keep your selection below 10 projects, and try to balance different approaches and outcomes, making sure the projects you choose fit the brief and role advertised.

If you don't have loads of experience just yet, remember that employers are most interested in new voices and fresh perspectives; they'll want to see an eagerness and hunger to learn. So even if you don't have any published or commissioned work just yet, you can include self-initiated projects, rough ideas, drafts or experiments. This shows that you're interested and keen to learn.

👉 End page

Your final page is a chance to thank the reader for their time. Feel free to add a touch of personality, include a fun GIF, or even a friendly note. You can be the judge of this; work out if a personalised message is something they'd like to see, or whether they'd like it to be a bit more formal.

☎️ Contact information

It's up to you where you include your contact details, but just make sure they're easily findable somewhere in your PDF. You don't need as much info as you'd write in your CV, but it's good to include:

Your email address

Your location, or where you are based

Links to a website, blog or relevant social media platforms

The last thing you want after sufficiently impressing a potential employer, client or collaborator is for them to give up because they can't work out how to reach you.

You can also embed hyperlinks in your PDF and export it as an interactive document - just be sure your links are working and correct - there's nothing worse than realising that your website or social links are broken - or accidentally linking to that tray bake brownie recipe you were looking at over lunch!

How to curate your work

It is crucial to personalise your PDF portfolio to the job you're applying for. You should select only the best examples that are most relevant to your interests and the role.

We know it's not always an easy task! Remember that while working out what to include in your PDF portfolio can be tricky, being able to curate your own work is not only a great skill to exercise, but is also an attractive quality for potential employers.

✂️ Less is more

If you've worked on a range of briefs at college or university, there will be some you enjoyed more than others. Only include the work that you were genuinely interested in, and that best represents who you are. It can be tempting, but don't feel like you need to include everything 'just in case'. Be brutal when selecting.

A good way to start making the first selection is to list all of your projects, and then whittle them down to just the ones you're most proud of.

✅ Keep it relevant

Study the organisation or person you're reaching out to. While it's a good idea to show a variety of projects, it's important to tailor your portfolio to reflect the skills that prospective employers are looking for.

For example, if you're applying for a role as a digital designer, show off your digital work! Or if you're an illustrator reaching out to a magazine, study the types of illustrations they normally publish; if they work with lots of portraits, include examples of this.

🔮 Include work you want to do more of

Your portfolio is not only a reflection of your current practice; it can help you attract the kind of work you want to be commissioned for. For example, if you've only got one project with a focus on typography, but you'd like to explore this further in future, include it!

As well as showing off relevant skills and projects, employers are also interested in your passions, and personal or self-initiated projects are a good way to show this.

How long should a PDF portfolio be?

Once you've worked out which projects you'd like to include, it's time to think about how you communicate them on the page. While we can't give you a definitive number of pages to aim for, here are some considerations that can help you work out what makes sense for you...

📏 Switch up the length of projects

Depending on the projects you choose to include, you'll want to dedicate more or less pages to certain projects. A response to a fun, one-day brief, for example, might warrant one or two pages. A long-term, research or process-heavy project might be better explained across more.

If you've used or developed a new technique that was essential to a project, why not include research insights or tests? This might help communicate your process and proactivity.

For illustrators or image-makers, this can also help a potential commissioner understand how long your work takes to produce - for example, if you use digital or analogue techniques like linocut.

🏃 Pace your projects

Think about how a viewer experiences your PDF portfolio: How might it feel to go through lots of detailed projects in a row? You want to hold the reader's attention, so try alternating between longer and shorter projects to help create rhythm and pace.

Think about what might capture someone's attention first, and what impression you leave them with. A good way to do this is to open and close your PDF portfolio with your very best work. You could gradually build up to a finale, give them an "ah-ha!" moment when they finish on your final piece.

Categorisation, captions and credits

📂 Categorisation is essential

It's important that a prospective employer can easily navigate your PDF portfolio, especially if you work in a multidisciplinary way.

If you're someone who likes to mix a few genres, styles or disciplines, it's helpful to clearly label or categorise your projects. For example, you could keep commercial and personal work separately; or distinguish between techniques like digital art and screen-printing.

🧾 Keep captions concise and remember to credit

Your viewer needs to be able to quickly understand your work and the thinking behind it, and this is why captions and credits are super-important. What part did you play and how was it achieved? What's the big idea?

For this, remember:

Use clear project titles, followed up with a short explanation of the work

Avoid big chunks of text where a paragraph will do

Specify the part you played, along with anyone else who was involved

Don't try to claim everything as your own, especially if it was a group project!

An employer will ultimately prefer to look at your work, rather than have to read lots about it - so include enough information that they understand what they're seeing, without you being there to explain it. You can always embed hyperlinks if it helps.

How to design a PDF portfolio

👔 Choose a format that suits your work

You can format your PDF portfolio in either portrait or landscape, really; it all depends on the images, design and text you want to use and what feels right for your work. A programme like Adobe InDesign can be a good starting point, as it makes images and text easy to adjust and allows you to experiment with different layout options.

Ultimately, how you choose to visually communicate your work and personality is up to you, but below are a few universal tips and tricks.

🧹 Avoid cluttering the page too much

Your work needs to be the main event, so make sure your presentation is clear. To do this, you can use any combination of layout options.

Why not try full-bleed images, or spread out a few on a page or two? Adding 'page furniture' such as project titles or page numbers as footers or headers can also help images feel anchored to the page - just make sure there's not too much unnecessary graphic noise around your work.

📸 Choose your images carefully

Just like the curation process for your projects, be selective about the images you include. Each image should serve a purpose, so avoid including two images that do the same job.

For example, you might not need two shots of the same book from a different angle, unless each image showcases a unique detail.

👾 Check for pixelation!

You'll want to avoid pixelation on any images, but be aware that big image sizes will often eat up your MB allowance and might be a nightmare to send digitally. Where possible, save images as .jpegs and reduce the quality, not the resolution.

What's next?

Once you're happy with your selection, you can export your PDF portfolio and get ready to send it off! We'd also recommend taking your PDF to events like portfolio reviews like our very own. This gives you a chance to meet other people, and practice talking people through your portfolio.

Making the selection isn't always easy, but it will get easier over time. And remember your portfolio is an evolving document that you can keep updating as you grow as a creative.

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Read this guide to create a stand-out PDF portfolio.

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Dutch-born, Berlin-based designer, author, researcher, and TDC Medalist Jan Middendorp sadly passed away last month at the age of 67. In Middendorp's honor, we are proud to republish eye magazine...

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News Dutch-born, Berlin-based designer, author, researcher, and TDC Medalist Jan Middendorp sadly passed away last month at the age of 67. In Middendorp's honor, we are proud to republish eye magazine...

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Designer, Illustrator, and Advocate Crisy Meschieri

Our own Southern Region Associate Rep has a project to boast about, so we decided to feature her in our August Member Spotlight. Crisy had recently worked with the City of Huntsville, AL to design a few vehicle wraps, and they enjoyed working with her so much that they invited her to submit an RFP to rebrand the public bus system and the accessible paratransit system for the Huntsville Transit Department.

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Our own Southern Region Associate Rep has a project to boast about, so we decided to feature her in our August Member Spotlight. Crisy had recently worked with the City of Huntsville, AL to design a few vehicle wraps, and they enjoyed working with her so much that they invited her to submit an RFP to rebrand the public bus system and the accessible paratransit system for the Huntsville Transit Department.

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Link in Bio is a newsletter about working in social media, creating clever content, and making sure your boss never asks you to "go viral". Click to read Link in Bio, by Rachel Karten, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

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Pretty Little Marketers - weekly Social Marketing roundup

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Pretty Little Marketers - weekly Social Marketing roundup

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Richard Huntington (Chief Strategy Officer of Saatchi & Saatchi) Blog

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Richard Huntington (Chief Strategy Officer of Saatchi & Saatchi) Blog

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- Radical thinking for the brand advice business

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Radical thinking for the brand advice business

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EVERYTHING you need to learn about Photoshop

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EVERYTHING you need to learn about Photoshop

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"adobe photoshop tutorials" "lightroom tutorials" "photoshop tips and tricks" "how to photoshop" "learn photoshop" "photoshop tutorials free"

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PiXimperfect, hosted by Unmesh Dinda, is a free resource for learning Photoshop and Lightroom. We believe in learning the concept, rather than learning the steps so that you can translate "your" imagination visually to the world. This will make you a better decision-maker, rather than letting others make decisions for you.

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Index of Library of Congress Research Guides Research guides to the Library's collections, as well as subject guides prepared by Library of Congress staff, are listed below. More online guides covering other Library of Congress collections are available via the

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Part of the Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, the Business Section is the starting point for conducting research at the Library of Congress in the subject areas of business and economics. Here, reference specialists in specific subject areas of business assist patrons in formulating search strategies and gaining access to the information and materials contained in the Library's rich collections of business and economics materials.

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Research Guides: Doing Company Research: A Resource Guide: Introduction

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This guide provides ideas and strategies for researching companies, with a focus on more common sources that may be of use for those looking for information on companies that are active and for those looking for current information.

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Part of the Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, the Business Section is the starting point for conducting research at the Library of Congress in the subject areas of business and economics. Here, reference specialists in specific subject areas of business assist patrons in formulating search strategies and gaining access to the information and materials contained in the Library's rich collections of business and economics materials.

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Research Guides: Doing Consumer Research: A Resource Guide: Introduction

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Consumer research involves finding data on consumer behaviors or preferences, in order to establish a target market segment for products or services. This guide provides links to a wide variety of useful resources for your research.

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Part of the Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, the Business Section is the starting point for conducting research at the Library of Congress in the subject areas of business and economics. Here, reference specialists in specific subject areas of business assist patrons in formulating search strategies and gaining access to the information and materials contained in the Library's rich collections of business and economics materials.

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Research Guides: Doing Industry Research: A Resource Guide: Introduction

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This guide is designed as a starting point for those looking for current information on industries. In addition, some historical sources are also included.

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Research Guides: Art History: A Research Guide: Introduction

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This art history guide provides an overview of digital and print resources, including periodicals, auction catalogs, and links to digitized collections of drawings, prints, and photographs.

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Part of the Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, the Business Section is the starting point for conducting research at the Library of Congress in the subject areas of business and economics. Here, reference specialists in specific subject areas of business assist patrons in formulating search strategies and gaining access to the information and materials contained in the Library's rich collections of business and economics materials.

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Research Guides: Entrepreneur's Reference Guide to Small Business Information: Introduction

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This resource guide cites "how to" books, reference books, directories, online resources and databases, all of which will be useful at some point in the process of becoming an independent business owner.

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These are just a few of the more obvious concepts to consider when looking at the industry. That have been included because they illustrate the idea that there are parts of the fashion industry that need to be researched in small pieces as part of a bigger picture.

Retail

Carol L. Highsmith, photographer. Clothing store Huntington Beach, California. 2012. Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Traditionally clothes were sold in retail bricks-and-mortar boutiques and large department stores. There were also catalogs and later television/cable stations.

The late 20th century saw the rise of the internet as a major player in the selling of fashion. Many stores created websites to sell items online while large fashion houses created websites as a way to show consumers their product and as a way to sell directly to consumers. Newer, smaller brands have used websites to raise their profile and as a way to sell to consumers or boutiques. There is also an increasing number of web only brands, External and highly specialized and niche sites like those selling only shoes, resale web sites, etc..

One of the advantages for consumers for buying on the internet is seeing new brands, but there is also the ability to personalize, customize, and see an increased range of items beyond just the narrow range sold in stores with limited space. It also allows brands to sell directly to consumers and for smaller brands to compete. Fashion sold over the internet has even begun to evolve into digital fashion sold in digital fashion stores. These sites sell "garments" that only exist on the internet and where one item can be sold innumerable times. These sites can be a way for people to purchase fantasy outfits for their social media sites and avatars.

There are a few other notable retail trends of note. One is the concepts store that sells a carefully curated selection of products connected to a theme. These brands are interested in connecting with people though the discovery and experience and has been particularly associated with brands that have strong identities including several in the luxury market. Another trend is the showroom. This is where retail stores act more as a showroom for their products and less as a way to sell items in the store. This concept can also be modified like in the case of the Amazon physical stores, which acts as both store and showroom, but also works in concert with their online store.

Lastly, while social media may have once been a way for companies to market brands and products, it has also increasingly become a way for those social media accounts to also act as a storefront.

Fast / Ultra-Fast Fashion

"Fast fashion" is a term used by retailers for designs that move quickly from the catwalk to the store in order to capture current fashion trends as opposed to waiting for it to filter down via the traditional fashion cycle. Sometimes it is referred to as "cheap and trendy" and covers the entire lifecycle from design to creation, and marketing of fashion. Some brands in this market like H&M and Zara have a strong bricks-and-mortar presence while others like Shein (and Romwe) are online only.

But the industry life-cycle has sped up even faster. Now ultra-fast fashion featuring brands like Asos, Boohoo, Fashion Nova, and Shein have begun to dominate the fashion ecosystem. They are able to capitalize on faster changing trends and viral sensations.

This sector of fashion has risen to become a large part of overall fashion retailing, and so can be researched as an independent topic within the larger fashion industry. To really look at this sector, you will also want to research the individual companies that make and sell, to get a fuller picture.

Sustainability

Related to fast fashion as well as the desire for more ethical business practices generally is the trend towards ethical fashion and sustainable shopping. This has led to the rise of environmentally concerned initiatives like the Clean Clothes Campaign, the Fashion Pact External debuted by French president Emmanuel Macron in 2019, Fibershed (in California), the New Standard Institute, the NRDC's Clean by Design, and others.

There are two rising topics in the sustainability discussion within the fashion industry. The first is the rise of organic brands. The second is sustainable consumption and low waste with the related interest in second hand fashion -- thrift stores, clothes consignment websites and stores, and re-purposing. One emerging problem related to sustainability and ethics is the practice of greenwashing which is conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company's products are more environmentally sound.

Niche Markets & Underserved Consumers

The industry is increasingly interested in data. internet retailers are using the data they have collected to better understand customers - who they are, what they are buying, emerging trends, etc. That data is also essential for the customization and personalization that consumers want. The data gathering has also been a boon for the types of customers that traditionally may have been ignored or customers interested in niche products.

For example, those who need plus size fashions and other nontraditional sizes have traditionally had limited options in the retail environment when what was sold was controlled by those who had specific ideas of who their consumer was and were limited by the size of the stores themselves. internet sites like ModCloth, StichFix, Gwynnie Bee, Avenue, and others have been able to expand their selections beyond just the traditional sizes. The popularity of some niche websites has meant that a few have even decided to move from being an exclusively online to opening physical retail stores.

Another growing area is luxury fashion. While there have always been department stores with luxury brands, individual luxury brand stores, and consignment stores that were focused on luxury brands, the internet has changed and broadened the market. It provides a way to sell luxury directly from the brand or through sites like Net-a-Porter and Luisaviaroma, but also avenues to sell and even rent, expensive fashions for less through a robust resale market with sites like Poshmark, theRealReal, and Rent the Runway.

Also, there is an increasing rise in single product category sources. While there have always been stores that sold only one type of apparel - think shoes and undergarments - the internet has been a boon for those wanting to focus on a single-product category.

Unisex Brands

This is an emerging trend so the available information is much more limited, but there has been a rise in those brands that are unisex, gender neutral, or non- binary. This is a topic where articles in trade literature and other news sources, combined with other sources is going to be necessary.

See Now, Buy Now

The internet has sped up the time from runway to retail but has also increased the desire by consumers, for that time frame to speed up even more. Consumers see what comes down the runway and they want what they see sooner rather than waiting for months. See now, buy now is the idea that what comes down the runway will be in the store counted as days not months. Some retailers have tried with varying degrees of success. But this is likely something the industry will continue to discuss.

Additionally, some retailers like Zara have discarded the season cycle of introducing new merchandise, introducing new items more frequently throughout the year. Other retails have copied this which has sped up the life-cycle and hooked consumers on a continually changing and sped up shopping environment. Some brands like Shein can even benefit by shipping directly to consumers by bypassing import duties that are levied on retailers shipping in bulk to businesses.

Evolution of the Bricks & Mortar Shopping Environment

With the growth of online retailing, developers of bricks and mortar shopping environments have increasingly used Entertainment-Based Retailing as a means to attract shoppers and offer an experience not available for online shoppers. There are elements of both traditional malls (and power centers) along with "lifestyle" centers that have both dominant/large anchor tenants side by side with smaller specialty retailers and other entertainment and dining options in a more town like setting that can be referred to as power towns.

Traditionally, fashion brands produce multiple collections in a year. For a long time it was just spring, fall, and couture, but some designers can create resort and even pre collections - all of them have many individual pieces. Because of the fast turnaround in seasonal collections and the sheer number of items that need to be moved, when brands bring their items to retail, it can be the case that items do not spend much time on the sales floor before being discounted. Consumers know products are discounted and often wait to purchase what they want. In the end, many items never sell at full price. The impact of the internet and COVID may alter this cycle.

In the COVID-19 world, the entire shopping experience may end up being overhauled for the short-term to make things safer and easier as well as make customers comfortable with shopping. It has also meant that people are more cautious with their money an looking for more value and basic clothing pieces.

While some retail stores had instituted interactive displays, sample stations, and other in-store experiences to give in-store shoppers things they can't get online, COVID-19 will shift retailers again as some of these new efforts, and even many traditional ones, will be impractical or even unsafe. Retailers will need think and rework how merchandise is displayed, how it is folded, how many people are allowed in the store, how dressing rooms and check-works, etc. A Washington Post story from May 22, 2020, looking specifically at American Eagle, mentions an new employee handbook that included details big and small all with the goal of making the shopping experience safe and fast, but which has also remind shoppers and employees that COVID-19 has brought a new environment for everyone.

What people for shopping for is also changing and that in turn impacts what is being sold. There has been a longer term trend moving away from more formal office attire to business casual and working at home has resulted in lower sales for dress shoes and even some higher heels. COVID-19 has sped that trend up as people look for clothing that is more casual and more all-purpose.

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Research Guides: Fashion Industry: A Resource Guide: Introduction

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These are just a few of the more obvious concepts to consider when looking at the industry. That have been included because they illustrate the idea that there are parts of the fashion industry that need to be researched in small pieces as part of a bigger picture.

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Part of the Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, the Business Section is the starting point for conducting research at the Library of Congress in the subject areas of business and economics. Here, reference specialists in specific subject areas of business assist patrons in formulating search strategies and gaining access to the information and materials contained in the Library's rich collections of business and economics materials.

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Research Guides: Small Business Hub: A Research Guide for Entrepreneurs: Introduction

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A virtual space with strategies for researching the steps of starting, growing, and closing a small business. Use the Hub to find recommended resources or schedule a time to talk with a business librarian.

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Part of the Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, the Business Section is the starting point for conducting research at the Library of Congress in the subject areas of business and economics. Here, reference specialists in specific subject areas of business assist patrons in formulating search strategies and gaining access to the information and materials contained in the Library's rich collections of business and economics materials.

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Research Guides: Salary & Compensation Research Guide: Introduction

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This guide offers a starting point to researchers looking for current and historical salary and wage data for occupations, industries, and government employees.

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Part of the Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, the Business Section is the starting point for conducting research at the Library of Congress in the subject areas of business and economics. Here, reference specialists in specific subject areas of business assist patrons in formulating search strategies and gaining access to the information and materials contained in the Library's rich collections of business and economics materials.

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Research Guides: Influencer Marketing: A Research Guide: Introduction

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As a marketing strategy, companies hire individuals with a large social media following to promote products through their personal accounts. Use this guide to research the business of influencer marketing, current issues and regulations in the industry.

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Research Guides: Marketing Industry: A Resource Guide: Marketing Associations

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This guide provides links to print and online resources for publications, associations, agencies, regulations, and data sources in the field of marketing. Related fields such as public relations and advertising are also included as their missions overlap.

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www.indeed.com needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.

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5 Tips to Improve Your Job Search in 2023

The job market is still very tight. Companies are looking for specific, educated, qualified employees to fill their positions. Job seekers must be on their toes and ready for those positions. They have to get involved in the job-scout process and learn how to improve their chances of being hired. Technology plays a significant role ...

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Use the AAF Career Center to find new jobs in marketing, communications, and advertising today!

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By Zippia Team Updated March 14, 2024

A junior designer is an entry-level professional who creates high-quality designs for clients. They work under the supervision of senior designers, understanding project requirements and creating drafts, models, and prototypes. They collaborate with team members to come up with creative ideas and produce final design solutions, often involving banners or logos. They also take on specific design tasks and use feedback from other designers to improve. Their duties include developing design and construction drawings, creating marketing collateral, and contributing to the conceptualization of marketing proposals. They use various techniques and tools, such as Adobe Creative Suite and AutoCAD, to create designs for print and online advertising, environmental design, and web design. They also manage extensive collections of products in design libraries, assist project designers in design development, and prepare client presentations.

How long does it takes to become a junior designer?

It takes about 5 years to become a junior designer.

Year 1-4: Bachelor's Degree Most junior designers need a bachelor's degree, which typically takes four years to complete.

Year 5: Experience and Training After graduation, they often need 6-12 months of experience and 1-3 months of on-the-job training.

Is being a Junior Designer right for you?

Key steps to become a junior designer

1. Explore junior designer education requirements

If you're interested in becoming a junior designer, you must consider how much education you need. Based on real junior designer resumes, 74.9% of junior designers have a bachelor's degree. Regarding higher education levels, 5.0% of junior designers have master's degrees. Even though most junior designers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Most common junior designer degrees

Show More

2. Start to develop specific junior designer skills

A junior designer should have strong communication and design-forward thinking skills. They should also be proficient in 3D rendering software, technical skills like software applications, and have experience with designing for marketing collateral, posters, and web banners. They should also have the ability to develop designs for small businesses and non-profit organizations, manage extensive collections of products, and design solutions for residential properties and renovation initiatives.

To stand out, a junior designer should be able to provide art direction, development, and implementation of business and technology sites. They should also be able to create original print designs and engineer repeat layouts. They should be able to design for print and online advertising, environmental design, and web design for different markets.

As Vibhavari Jani, an Associate Professor at Kansas State University, says, "Communication (written and visual), design-forward thinking, experience with 3D rendering software (Enscape and Lunion), and technical skills (software applications like Revit, Rhyno, Sketchup) stand out the most."

3. Complete relevant junior designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New junior designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a junior designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real junior designer resumes.

4. Gain additional junior designer certifications

Junior designer certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific junior designer certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for junior designers include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and LEED Green Associate.

More About Certifications

5. Research junior designer duties and responsibilities

A junior designer's responsibilities include developing design and construction drawings, creating marketing collateral and web banners, and contributing to brand marketing proposals. They may also assist with completing RFIs, preparing FF&E and finish specifications, and designing solutions for small businesses and non-profit organizations. Patrick Klarecki, a Professor at Ferris State University, adds that junior designers are also responsible for "developing consumer websites utilizing HTML and graphics creation software."

Manage the website and twitter page, write the blog posts and attend numerous fashion shows and sample sale rooms.

Coordinate REVIT teaching for inner office/branches.

Utilize PowerPoint to create furniture, lighting and final material selection presentations for client meetings.

Create PowerPoint templates to be used by clients or other upper management in proposals or live shows.

6. Prepare your junior designer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your junior designer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a junior designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

7. Apply for junior designer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a junior designer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

1. Browse job boards for relevant postings

2. Consult your professional network

3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly

4. Watch out for job scams

Are you a Junior Designer?

Search for junior designer jobs

Updated March 14, 2024

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

The average Junior Designer salary in the United States is $53,349 per year or $26 per hour. Junior designer salaries range between $43,000 and $65,000 per year.

Junior Designer Related Careers

Junior Designer Related Jobs

Junior Designer Jobs By Company

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs

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How To Become A Junior Designer: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia

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Learn what a junior designer is, what they do, and how to become one. Role overview, definition, salary and skills for Junior Designers

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Media Planners develop strategies that determine which media channels should be used to communicate with a client's target audience.

Also known as...

Communications Planner; Media Strategist.

The role in brief...

Media Planners develop strategies that determine which media channels should be used to communicate with a client's target audience. These strategies flow from the brand's communications strategy and often need to be developed in conjunction with the client's creative agency. The resulting media plans are informed by quantitative and qualitative research data sources. Media Planners usually work in media agencies or integrated agencies, but are sometimes employed by creative agencies too. In larger agencies, media buying and planning are separate departments, but in some agencies the planning and buying functions are combined in one role.

Working with...

Internal: Media Account Director; Media Buyers; Insight Executives.

External: Client marketing team; Other agencies on their client's roster e.g. Creative, Public Relations; Media research organisations; Media owners.

Media Planners will usually report to a Media Planning Director or Media Account Director. Those at more senior levels in larger agencies may have management or supervision responsibility for junior Media Planners or Insight Executives.

Responsible for...

Researching and analysing data to understand the client's target audience and the best ways to reach them through a variety of media channels.

Creating media plans which detail and justify the media channels to be used.

Working with Media Buyers to ensure that media plans are feasible.

Presenting media plans to the client and later keeping them informed of the campaign's progress.

Working with the buying team to ensure media plan is executed on time and to budget.

Maintaining a good working relationship with the client's other roster agencies throughout the planning and delivery of the campaign, in particular the creative agency to make sure the advertising is placed correctly and on time.

Analysing and reporting back on campaign effectiveness.

Keeping track and reporting on of industry developments relevant to their accounts, including the activity of key competitors.

Maintaining a detailed awareness of relevant media research and new opportunities within different media channels.

Involved in recruitment and selection decisions.

Those who succeed are...

Analytical and strategic thinkers.

Numerate and able to understand, interpret and use complex and varied sources of data and statistics.

Strong communicators, able to simplify and explain complex plans and strategic thinking.

Well organised, with strong attention to detail and proficient at Excel.

Well informed about trends in media research and technological developments, and pro-active in translating these into new opportunities for clients.

Knowledgeable about their client's business and market, and where and how advertising contributes to success.

Focused on the personal and professional development of their team.

Where they come from, and where they go...

Media Planners often start work as graduates within media agencies, although apprenticeships offer another route into the role. Many will start in a combined Junior Media Planner/Buyer role, and rotate through different departments, before specialising in planning once some experience has been gained.

At larger agencies this is done via formal graduate recruitment schemes, typically on an annual basis. Media Planners can also be taken on following agency apprenticeship schemes where there is no requirement for a degree, although A-Levels, or equivalent are still expected. For more information visit Creative Pioneers Advertising and Media Executive Apprenticeship.

Some may specialise further, for example as Social Media Planners. Those that are successful can then go on to become Senior Media Planners, Media Account Directors or Media Planning Directors. Others may choose to specialise further in particular areas (e.g. Insight) while some may move to strategic planning roles in other types of advertising agency.

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Media Planners develop strategies that determine which media channels should be used to communicate with a client’s target audience.

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As marketers, we all want to climb the career ladder as quickly as possible. But if you're going to become a marketing manager one day, you first need to learn what the role demands.

Moving up in ranks means becoming more involved in the marketing process, and eventually becoming the principal implementor.

As a marketing manager, you'd be in charge of a team. Employees will look up to you as you once looked up to your manager.

However, accepting this position comes with increased responsibility. It can feel rewarding to watch your strategies come to life, but it's important to understand what the role entails.

Below, we'll go over what a marketing manager is, what a marketing manager does, the management process, and the skills and education you'll need to become one.

What does a marketing manager do?

Marketing managers have a variety of responsibilities. While there are industry-specific standards, there are common tasks that all marketing managers will do:

Conduct market research to understand the public interest and determine the marketability of products and services.

Design creative and unique marketing strategies across multiple channels like social media, tv, billboards, and newspaper articles.

Create marketing plans detailing outcomes and goals.

Create comprehensive budgets and cost estimates.

Negotiate with potential clients and partners to prepare sales and advertisement contracts.

Handle public relations and troubleshoot internal and external issues as they arise.

Marketing managers are also responsible for training their team members on campaign-specific marketing plans. They'll hire new employees to join their team, selecting those they believe will meet intended goals for executing brand strategy. They collaborate with all team members, motivating them to meet goals while providing guidance and delegating tasks.

Marketing Management Process

To succeed in their responsibilities, marketing managers follow a similar process. Each step in that process requires a unique approach depending on the product, service, or business.

Idea Generation

Marketing managers approach the idea generation stage with an intended product in mind or an idea for a product or service that a business hopes to create.

They'll conduct market research to understand current trends and customer interest. If a new product is launching, are there competitors? How successful are they? What are consumers saying about available products, and how can they be improved?

Understanding consumer interests and behaviors is key to beginning this process.

Marketing Plan

After identifying markets and understanding trends, marketing managers will develop a marketing plan that they'll use to implement their strategy. This plan identifies the target audiences, campaign-specific tactics, budget, and goals.

They'll work with different teams, like UX product design, financial departments, and sales engineers, to develop a strategy that will allow the product to meet its intended goals. While a marketing manager is the chief decision maker, there may be financial aspects that they are not aware of. Collaboration between all teams ensures that the marketing plan is as comprehensive as possible.

The marketing manager will likely conduct tests with intended audiences to ensure that the final marketing plan will drive the most revenue before implementation. This may take the form of focus groups, personal modeling, or consumer interviews.

Implementation and Results

At this point, the marketing manager will work with their team to implement the finalized marketing plan. Timelines will be set for tracking campaign metrics, using data to adapt the strategy if necessary.

Regardless of campaign outcomes, all research and data will inform future marketing processes.

Skills to Become a Marketing Manager

Most companies require their marketing professionals to have a bachelor's degree. Still, since the marketing industry adapts quickly, companies don't necessarily need their marketers or marketing managers to have specialized degrees in specific fields. Some companies may require professional degrees or memberships in professional associations.

However, there is one universal requirement to become a marketing manager - a three- to five-year track record of consistently performing to your potential and achieving your goals. If you want to become a marketing manager one day, your performance as an individual contributor matters more than anything.

For instance, if the main goal is to manage a company's blog team, one would need to prove that they've consistently written quality content that has met their manager's expectations.

There are basic soft skills that a marketing manager should possess, like creativity, critical thinking, and leadership. However, a combination of these skills along with well-developed hard skills are crucial for job success. There are six essential skills an aspiring marketing manager should work to develop.

1. Communication

A marketing manager's job revolves around communicating with different audiences by developing creative content for advertisements, videos, and articles. This content must also be consistent with the tone, branding, and voice outlined in the marketing plan.

The marketing manager will also be in conversation with their own managers, team members, and external stakeholders.

Understanding how to confidently communicate with different audiences is critical for this role.

2. Budgeting

Marketing Managers handle all kinds of resources, from campaign budgets to pay-per-click ads to influencer marketing. All of these actions require budgeting skills.

A marketing manager also handles internal budgets for their team, ensuring that everyone has the resources they need.

3. Negotiation

After creating the marketing plan, the marketing manager will need to convince internal stakeholders of its value. They'll need to identify the right teams, and convince them of the benefits to the business and intended customers. Without internal buy-in, the campaign may cause internal confusion if all teams aren't on the same page.

The marketing manager may need to negotiate with other teams if they believe changes need to be made. They may agree with some suggested changes, but they'll also need to know when to negotiate and advocate for certain elements of their plan if they are called into question.

Externally, the marketing manager may be involved in financial negotiations with outside stakeholders to ensure that budgets aren't over-spent.

4. Planning and Execution

Long term planning and goal setting are two important skills to be a marketing manager. They need to understand intended outcomes, plan for intended results, and execute the strategy to meet those outcomes. For example, is the ultimate goal to gain 1,000 Instagram followers? How will that happen? What steps need to be taken along the way to reach the goal?

When managing multiple marketing channels and entire teams of people, understanding how much time to dedicate to all aspects of a campaign is essential.

Can you create comprehensive plans to manage your tasks? Can you meet deadlines? Can you deliver high-quality work under said deadlines? These are questions that might be asked when interviewing for a marketing management position.

5. Collaboration and Delegation

Marketing managers lead an entire marketing team. Size may vary, but there are several people who will work under their direction.

They need to work well with others and enjoy building relationships with internal teams and external stakeholders. However, it's still important to be a leader that can step in and assign tasks when necessary. For example, the marketing manager would ensure that their team members are assigned the right tasks for their skillset, and that individual performance aligns with task expectations.

6. Adaptability

Customer behavior and markets can be volatile, so adapting to changing industry standards is a must. For example, a strategy may need to be adapted after falling short on expected outcomes. Instead of giving up, the marketing manager should devise a plan with their team to come up with alternative options.

7. Empathy

Understanding markets means understanding consumer needs and predicting what they want and how they'll react to your service. This requires a significant amount of emotional intelligence.

On their teams, marketing managers are responsible for balancing role expectations with team member's capabilities. For example, if someone on their team is stressed because they aren't meeting deadlines, it's the marketing managers job to address the issue with empathy. An effective marketing manager would be able to recognize their stress and work with them to come up with effective ways to meet their goals.

Ultimately, marketing managers develop unique, ambitious marketing strategies for products,

businesses, and services. They create comprehensive marketing plans, and work with their teams to execute them successfully.

A marketing manager ensures that products, services, and businesses have the best chance to thrive in their intended markets, satisfying both companies and consumers.

Anyone who works to develop the skills outlined in this piece will be successful in their role as marketing manager.

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Understand the roles and responsibilities of a marketing manager, and learn the skills to be successful in the position.

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ART DIRECTOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR (know the difference)

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ART DIRECTOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR (know the difference)

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You've always loved the thought of a creative career. What could be better than making the everyday things around you beautiful and visually intriguing for a living? And if you've done any research, you've likely encountered two job titles that seem very similar: creative director versus art director.

Both seem like positions that could help you leverage your creativity in a meaningful way. And you're not wrong. The roles can be very similar in some settings. "Creative direction and art direction at small agencies will typically have a significant amount of overlap, if not being just one combination position," says Brian Smith, creative director at FullStack Labs.

Even though the roles aren't always totally distinct, there are some specifics associated with each career that can help you compare and contrast the duties of creative directors versus art directors.

"To any student considering becoming an art director or creative director, spend time focusing on your true talents and gifts," says art director and brand storyteller Rachel Pesso. "The world needs you all so much."

So how do these roles overlap and how do they differ? With the help of creative professionals, let's take a closer look at these two roles and set the record straight.

What is a creative director?

The creative director is typically the head of the creative team. These professionals have the final say on what goes to the client and make important upper-level managerial and creative direction decisions.

Creative directors generally develop and oversee projects at the earliest stages. They cast vision, form concepts and pilot design philosophy. These are the big-picture thinkers of the team. They can close their eyes and see the finished product, even though it hasn't been created yet. And while their focus is typically on the bigger picture of getting the work done and the direction it'll take, that doesn't mean an eye for detail falls to the wayside.

"Because I have the mindset of wanting to understand even the smallest piece, I'm able to look beyond the normal details others see and create something more thoughtful and impactful," says Teal Nicholson, creative director of LLG Events.

What does a creative director do?

You'll find the creative director in meetings with clients, heading up team brainstorming sessions and spearheading the initial concepts of a project. They map out future plans and make sure the result and process match the client's goals and objectives. The role really centers on team management and providing creative vision.

"It's important to realize that creative direction involves more than coming up with cool or innovative ideas," Nicholson says. "You need to be a good leader, have fine-tuned analytical skills and be open to other people's opinions and concepts." This job title involves managing people-and success can hinge on your ability to adapt to your team.

It's also important to understand an entire creation process, Nicholson adds. You'll manage a project from start to finish, including execution. "It's my job to clearly explain how to maintain our brand image, how to execute our design process for each event, and how to make sure everything we do is reflective of our company and our clients in tandem."

After these parameters are clear, creative directors delegate each part of the process to their team members.

Depending on the size of the company, the creative director might get further into the nitty-gritty with the team and contribute to certain aspects of the project. Other creative directors may observe from afar and continue steering the ship, making course corrections as needed.

How do you become a creative director?

As you can see, creative directors have quite a bit of responsibility. That's why it shouldn't come as a surprise that in most cases you'll need to be formally educated to join the ranks of these creative professionals.

We used job posting analysis software to analyze more than 3,000 creative director job postings from the past year and found that 90 percent of job postings are seeking candidates with a bachelor's degree or higher. ¹ The most common option is earning a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, but some opt for degrees in advertising, fine arts or another creative field.

Education is only the first step. Unless you already have experience in related fields, you'll likely need to work in the field to learn the ropes and start climbing the ladder. Creative director isn't an entry-level job. According to our analysis, over 70 percent of creative director positions asked for six or more years of experience with approximately 25 percent of postings asking for candidates with three to five years under their belts. ¹

These years of building experience are important opportunities to understand how other roles function. Mastering skills and tools like graphic design, illustration, photography, copywriting, Adobe Creative Suite® and social media can all give you valuable insight into what needs to happen for a project to succeed.

"I learn by doing," Nicholson says. "So I found the best way to learn best practices was to perform them myself. I wanted to try what I could to understand processes holistically, as opposed to piece by piece."

What is an art director?

While a creative director provides the conceptual idea behind the project, the art director executes the details. Once the concept is out on the table, art directors are responsible for heading up their teams and creating the aesthetic of the piece. They see the project through the phases of production, edits and final execution. Art directors rely on their technical skills to help a team get the job done.

What does an art director do?

Leading a team of artists, art directors will determine which artistic elements to use; articulate the vision to their team; review and approve copy, designs or photography; develop budgets and timelines; and determine how to best represent the creative director's concept.

Freelance art director Melissa Yancey emphasizes that art directors engage in multiple art forms instead of zooming in on just one. Designing, printing, making custom boxes and papier-mâché props, constructing, painting, decorating entire sets and researching tasks all fall under her role.

You can find art directors working in a vast array of fields, including advertising, on movie sets, in public relations firms, with theater and TV producers and directors, or at book and magazine publishing houses.

How do you become an art director?

"My entire life has been preparing me to be an art director," Yancey says. "I've always had wide and varied interests." Her education began in areas like graphic design, painting and textile design as she tried to find the right career fit.

"When I had the chance to art direct a music video, I realized I could put all these things I love dearly, but haven't mastered entirely, to use."

As with creative directors, education is an important first step for anyone seeking the role of an art director. We analyzed nearly 2,500 art director job postings from the past year and found that 90 percent of employers prefer candidates to have at least a bachelor's degree. ² Common degree options include graphic design, web design, art or animation.

Work experience as a graphic designer, editor, photographer or in another artistic occupation will help you master the technical skills you'll need for leading a team of artists. If you've been there and done that, you'll be able to direct and advise more easily. According to our analysis, most art director positions in the last year sought candidates with at least three to five years of related experience. ²

Creative director vs. art director: Choosing a path

If you like the idea of creating concepts and really selling the idea behind them to key stakeholders, then creative direction will fulfill you, Smith says. "If you want the hands-on work of making your concept come to life, then art direction will be an ideal fit."

Yancey recommends asking yourself whether you're "big picture" or "little picture." Big picture people who feel weighed down by the details that get something from A to B will likely prefer creative direction, Yancey says. Little picture people who love toying with the details and making an idea into a product will probably enjoy art direction more.

"Truly though, I wouldn't recommend picking one path without having explored a few others," Yancey says. Creative directors and art directors will both be better at their jobs when they have a wide base of experiences and interests.

The good news is that this isn't a decision you'll be pressured to rush into as you start a creative career. The years you'll spend building experience in roles like graphic designer or production artist will give you plenty of exposure to what the work of both art and creative directors looks like. Use that time to pick the brains of these experienced design professionals-what do they like about the role? What's challenging? Their experience can help guide your future career ambitions.

Capitalize on your creativity

Now you know the different roles and responsibilities of the creative director versus art director. Creative directors are the visionaries who maintain a holistic view of a project to ensure it meets the needs of the client. Art directors are responsible for the actual execution of each step in the process.

If both career descriptions of a creative director and an art director appeal to you-our experts agree, you don't have to choose just yet! "I found that identifying and honing the skills that fulfilled me professionally was more important than deciding which title I wanted to achieve," Smith says. "By mastering the skills you love, you will naturally evolve into one role or the other."

The beginning of this journey is in education. As you enroll and learn the technical skills and foundational knowledge in design, visual communication and more, you will have more tools to decide on either of these coveted creative roles.

Check out the Rasmussen College School of Design to learn how a design education can provide a foundation for you to grow into these creative careers.

¹Burning-Glass.com (analysis of 2,536 creative director job postings by education level, Feb. 01, 2018, and Jan. 31, 2019).
²Burning-Glass.com (analysis of 2,451 art director job postings by education level, Feb. 01, 2018, and Jan. 31, 2019).
Adobe Creative Suite is a registered trademark of Adobe Inc.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2019.

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Creative Director vs. Art Director: Drawing the Line Between Commonly Confused Creative Careers

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You've always loved the thought of a creative career. What could be better than making the everyday things around you beautiful and visually intriguing for a living? And if you've done any research, you've likely encountered two job titles that seem very similar: creative director versus art director.

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A comms planner provides strategic rigor to the implementation of the idea, ensuring integration of the work between creative and media. Their key outputs include messaging frameworks, comms tasks, tactical briefs, and ecosystems.

Previously (and less frequently) known as Engagement Planners, Channel Planners, or Connections Planners.

Brand Planner

Also called "Account Planner" or in some smaller advertising agencies, simply the "Planner" or "Strategist." Confusing, no?

The Brand Planner is considered the "voice of the consumer" in the creative process. They figure out what messages need to be communicated to reach target consumers in the right way, with the right message. To do this, they consumer research and trends to write creative briefs and evaluate work.

Media Planners

Called "Comms Planners" in some media agencies.

Within a media agency, media planners calculate how to best and most efficiently reach target consumers. They do consumer media research similar to an agency's comms planner and use this research to develop a media plan and a tactical channel plan.

Digital Strategist/ Social Strategist/ Digital Guru....

May just be called "Strategist" especially at digital or social agencies.

From my experience, these roles vary the most from agency to agency. Generally, these people have a deep knowledge in a specific field such as social media, search strategy, website strategy, etc. They use these precise skills to develop digital or social solutions to a brand's problems. In addition, they think about how to optimize each piece of creative for the channel similar to a Comms Planner.

How Do Comms Planners and Media Planners Compare? How do they Overlap?

Here is a simple Venn Diagram that outlines how BBDO Comms Planning compares to our counterparts at a media agency.

How Do We Keep The Planners Straight?

In summary, we've found at BBDO that a simple way to talk about the different types of planners is to think of the Who, What, When, How, and Where of communications.

Brand Planners focus on "who" we're talking to and "what" we're saying.
Comms Planners gives us "how" the idea shows up and also "when."
Media Planners tell us "where" the idea shows up in media.

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What is a Comms Planner vs. a Media Planner vs. a Brand Planner vs. a Digital Strategist?

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When I begin to work with a new team, I've found it useful to provide the definition of a comms planner and explain just what I'm doing there. Since Comms Planning is a relatively new role in an...

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Socialinsider Blog: Social media marketing insights and industry tips

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Becoming a social media strategist means being ready to wear many hats. If you believe this is a dream job, you have to know that it implies a lot of work.

Since the social media has become the space where everyone is searching for solutions to their problems, then companies decided to make use of social media strategists to empower their businesses.

As a brand, in a world driven by the online market, you need a specialist to survive and thrive. This is how social media strategists have become the most sought in the marketing industry.

Let's find out more about the perks of being a social media strategist!

What does a social media strategist do:
1.1. Develop, implement and manage social media plans
1.2. Define the most important social media KPIs
1.3. Build an online community
1.4. Run a competitive analysis
1.5. Monitor brand mentions
1.6. Measure the success of every social media campaign
1.7. Oversee the social media content
1.8. Be an early adopter of social media trends and technology
1.9. Work in a multidisciplinary team
1.10. Track and analyze SEO in order to provide effective solutions
1.11. Network with industry professionals and influencers
1.12. Hire and train others in the team
1.13. Provide constructive feedback

To be confident and extremely effective, a social media strategist needs to have both creative and analytical skills.

Learning how to become a social media strategist is not easy. It requires a lot of work and patience to get inspired.

This role cuts across several departments, from marketing to product development and sales.

This job title means having skills like data measuring, planning, project execution, copywriting, graphic design, video production, and customer care.

Note! A social media strategist acts as a bridge between a company and the social media community.

If you work in a big organization, you need to focus on planning, strategizing and executing social media campaigns.

However, when working for a small business, you could be a one-man or one-woman show where you serve as a superhero, planning and executing everything that has to do with social media on behalf of the organization.

Here's a list of roles and responsibilities of a social media strategist:

One of the key roles of a social media strategist is to identify prospective customer's demographics, where they act on social media, how they communicate, and what makes them tick.

Social media strategists analyze social trends and develop strategy plans to reach out to the right audiences.

When a plan is fully developed, you need to implement and manage it through social media campaigns.

After developing a social media campaign, the next step to take is to track the results. But how can you do it?

The answer is simple: Via social media analytics. (And if you choose a tool to ease your work - like Socialinsider - you will love the process)

Social media strategists should have an in-depth understanding of how social media works, always keeping an eye on the most important metrics that prove a campaign's success.

Typically, people look at factors such as shares, likes, comments, and clicks.However, you cannot afford to dwell on the basic metrics.

Other KPIs such as web traffic, program sign ups, impressions, brand mentions, engagement, sales, followers, and leads are even more significant in establishing the efficiency of a campaign for a social media strategist.

1.3. Build an online community on social

Engagement for a social media strategist is not about the number of comments or likes. It's about building a community.

Even if numbers do matter, influence is more important.

As a social media strategist, you are supposed to build a community that is responsive and loyal to your brand. Different social media strategists employ different tactics when it comes to engagement.

Humor, storytelling, and polls are some of the most popular tactics. Regardless of the tactics used, you should also connect with audiences and establish a lasting relationship that goes beyond sales and leads.

1.4. Run a competitive analysis

In a fast-moving world, where the average human being now has an attention span of eight seconds, businesses are definitely scrambling for audiences' attention.

A social media strategist needs to understand what differentiates its business from their top competitors. The difficult part is to learn how to translate these benefits to customers.

Your analytical skills can come in handy when analyzing the competitive landscape and their strategies.

For instance, if a competitor is using offers to attract leads and a huge following, the social media strategist needs to be aware of this.

Hence, you need to monitor competitors and ensure they're at the same level with you or that you are above them in terms of strategy.

1.5. Monitor brand mentions

A social media strategist's roles cut across customer care and PR in the digital space.

You have to monitor brand mentions in a bid to ensure you're creating a buzz among social media users.

This role is intertwined with managing the brand's image by ensuring negative myths are quelled before they spread.

After all, social media can be very toxic, and a campaign can end up eliciting very negative reactions.

Social media marketing requires continuous effort. Being a social media strategist means living a never-ending story, with constant work while plucking creative ideas.

A good following and influence do not guarantee leads and sales in the future unless you maintain and improve statistics.

Therefore, you need to assess every campaign's evolution individually to ensure the performance improves continually. Monthly tracking of KPIs is also necessary to ensure changes don't go unnoticed.

If you spot a significant drop or stagnation, you have to conduct a cause-effect analysis and change your marketing strategy, if needed.

Besides looking at all the main metrics, you also have to keep count of the latest trends among users and social media algorithms.

1.7. Oversee the social media content

It is clear that content is your brand's main attraction. Just like a monkey is for a circus show. That is why you have to make sure the content produced is not only top quality, but in accordance with your brand's goals.

Without content, audiences cannot engage with brands. Moreover, no one wants to view sales pitches and adverts on their social media feed every day.

And this is when social media strategists were invented. Your job requires developing solid content strategies that comply with your audience's needs and the market's trends.

Social media strategists need to be trendsetters. The digital world is fast-paced. That is why you cannot ignore changes since they can lead to extreme losses.

Therefore, you should be among the first to implement or try out new tools, even when their success rate is not proven.

1.9. Work in a multidisciplinary team

We were talking earlier about the fact that a social media strategist needs to wear a lot of hats. Well, if you are not doing all the job, then you need to closely work with your team to manage the entire process of developing a campaign.

In case you are a solo rider in your organization, it's essential to consult with other experts.

A social media strategist works with copywriters and designers, and collaborates with marketing, sales and product development teams.

A lot goes into strategizing and executing campaigns and when one ingredient is left out or overused, a lot could go wrong.

You need to be an excellent team player as well as keep an open mind. You should be able to handle criticism and accept ideas from other team members to excel in their approaches.

1.10. Track and analyze SEO in order to provide effective solutions

Even if you are a social media strategist, not a SEO specialist, you still have to learn a little from every aspect related to content developing.

You need to make sure your content (both images and text) are optimized for all search engines and social media platforms your brand is using.

Moreover, by constantly checking your SEO performance, you will ensure everything works as planned.

1.11. Network with industry professionals and influencers

As mentioned above, the digital landscape changes faster than you can dream it.

Networking is, therefore, necessary if a social media strategist wants to keep up with trends and standards.

You should have several influencers' contacts on speed dial. Influencers can easily change the fate of a campaign gone bad or a campaign that refuses to take off.

In a nutshell, the social media strategists' network is almost equivalent to their career success.

1.12. Hire and train others in the team

You are not only responsible for your job, but also for your team's results. Since you work with content creators, designers and other specialists, you need to learn what to search for when recruiting new employees.

Social media strategists know what skills are needed and the kind of personality that would coincide with an organization's brand.

You may also offer training sessions to new members and ensure a brand's identity on social media lives or even when you delegate duties.

1.13. Provide constructive feedback

Besides answering your customers' concerns and requests on social media, you also have to provide feedback for your colleagues.

By proving that you are there to offer your support and answer all their questions, you will be able to raise a strong team.

Offer your colleagues and managers constructive feedback to obtain better results as a team, being able to fix whatever is not working with patience.

Every member of the organization needs to be aware of what's happening online, just as they're aware of offline activities.

To kickstart a career as a social media strategist, you first need to learn everything you need about all social media platforms.

With a good understanding of how each platform works, the user demographics and the kind of content suitable for every media channel, you're one step closer to being a social media strategist.

This is just the starting point to land good jobs in the field. Here are a few strategies you can try out:

attend conferences organized by influencers and digital marketers and create a richnetwork

join twitter chats and actively participate to get a gist of what it's like to manage a brand on a personal level

join social media groups and observe what people post about, how other users respond and the topics that call the most attention. You may also market small businesses in such groups as you work your way up the career ladder.

read and subscribe to blogs that analyze digital marketing trends

be an early adopter of social media trends and tools. This will boost your confidence and help you establish yourself as a trendsetter

network with influencers to establish your personal brand as well as offer you insights on where to be and how to land gigs or jobs

enjoy being on social media and develop a passion for the job. If you can't enjoy responding to audiences and crunching data, then you'll definitely not enjoy working as a social media strategist.

Most people use these two terms interchangeably, but there are remarkable differences you should learn about.

Social media managers focus on daily activities, while engaging with customers and making sure they are satisfied.

On the other hand, social media strategists think long term and look at the broader picture, developing extensive research, reports and marketing plans.

A social media strategist has a broader scope of responsibilities, while social media managers focus more on the day-to-day social media activities.

In a company, a social media strategist works on bridging the gap between offline and online activities.

Social media managers, on the other hand, may strategize campaigns, but their focus is on execution.

They monitor engagement on a daily basis and oversee the success of individual campaigns.

Social media managers are likely to be found in digital marketing firms while social media strategists are likely to work in organizations as in-house experts or as account managers in marketing agencies.

In reality, the two professions may overlap depending on an organization's size, resources, and structure.

Here's a list of tools you can use in your day to day activity as a social media strategist:
Schedule content and collaborate with other teams: Measure your campaigns' performance and analyze your competitors' social media actions: Track the SEO results Monitor the brand's mentions:
Based on Glassdoor data, here's how it looks for the other similar job titles and their salaries across the United States:

A social media strategist may earn anything between $45,000 and $90,000 per year, depending on where they work, what studies they have and the job's requirements.

Besides the studies you need to have in fields like communication, business or marketing, you also need a set of skills and a thick portfolio.

The skills that transform a social media strategist into the best social media strategist can be learnt along the way, due to the experience you accumulate in time.

Here are some of the top notch skills for a social media strategist that could really change the way they are perceived:

When all you do is talk and listen, it is very important to learn how to communicate with your audience to make yourself heard.

Having good communication skills can open a lot of doors for you, while unexpected opportunities may appear.

If you also develop the content for your social media campaign, then you need to ace the communication game to increase the number of leads.

Establishing your tone of voice, learning more about your audience and owning your goals can help you develop quality content that really takes your message forward.

And yes, besides managing others, your work mostly implies writing. Isn't this the best part? Otherwise, why would you be here?! Having copywriting skills is a must.

Since you will be developing marketing plans and brand strategies, you need to establish what your focus is by looking at the goals of your business.

Sure inspiration is important, but you also need to learn the "how to" that lies at the foundation of content writing.

These writing skills will propel your brand on the way to success.

Being a fan of social media platforms is a plus. This can easily be a line in a job description for a new social media position in a company.

Learning how to navigate every social media platform, knowing what tone to use in your posts according to the type of audience you have and finding out what is the best posting time are tricks that could help you get to the depths of social media.

And when you manage to learn all social media channels' secrets and puzzles, then you are worthy of becoming a social media strategist.

It is true that new updates emerge every day, but the main thing is to keep up with the evolution of every social media platform. You need to make sure you follow the latest trends.

When you want to work as a social media strategist, you know you have to look at the bigger picture. And speaking of pictures, it could be a great advantage for you to have some graphic designer skills.

Even if you are working with a team of specialists, you still have to learn the basics of graphic design to show your colleagues what you expect from them.

This way, it will be easier for you to facilitate communication with your team.

You can use your artistic flair and vision to develop the infographics and charts for your new studies of blog posts without the help of a graphic designer.

If you work as a freelancer or in an agency, you have a portfolio of clients that you are responsible for.

Managing your clients and their social media campaigns relies on your planning skills.

Knowing how to distribute your efforts and resources to develop effective campaigns for the brands you manage is an art.

You need to pair perfect timing with good communication skills and top notch content.

This way, you will be able to prevent and eventually solve any problem that may occur with your clients. Managing clients leads to a better time-management for yourself.

Having the studies that recommend you for the social media strategist job doesn't always lead to occupying that position. However, you should not lose hope.

There are plenty of other jobs in the same industry for which you could be a good fit. In case you need a change of scenery, a fresh start or simply a new career direction, you can always look up for related jobs.

Here is a list of other career paths for a social media strategist:

Content Strategist

Senior Manager of Marketing

Director of Strategy

Creative Director

Content Manager

Media Supervisor

Junior Social Media Strategist

Associate Social Media Strategist

Digital Analyst

Digital Marketer

Digital Strategist

Online Marketing Manager

Final thoughts
A social media strategist's working life looks like the life of a jogler at the circus, learning how to do it all while also in perfect balance.

The best part about it is that all this effort pays off when you know you can use your creativity and connections to make magic happen for the brand you are working for.

The satisfaction is huge when you see the results of your social media campaigns while you also understand the importance of teamwork.

This could be a dream job if you are ready to commit and transform your passion into a way of living.

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The Role Of A Social Media Strategist | Socialinsider

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A social media strategist is a bridge between a company and the social community. Discover the skills needed and the daily tasks of this job.

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DIELINE - The Leading Source for Packaging Innovation and Insight

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The Leading Source for Packaging Innovation and Insight

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Does a particular space add value for its visitors or occupants? Experiential design is a philosophy that insists that space planners, interior designers and architects ask themselves that question when they plan the physical places that humans inhabit.

Of course, the experiences that add value aren't the same for every type of space. People visit stores, museums, theme parks, offices and other built environments to satisfy differing wants and needs. Yet every space can benefit from experiential design.

In this article, we'll explore the concept of experiential design and how its principles help businesses of all kinds build places where people want to spend time.

What is experiential design?

As human beings, we interact with and respond to our environments and feel the resulting effects-for better or worse. Experiential design is a multi-disciplinary design approach that prioritizes human-centric environments supportive of positive experiences and enhancing users' and visitors' well-being.

This approach to design values human experiences above other factors such as utility, aesthetics and economy. Not that experiential designers don't recognize that a space must be functional, visually appealing or affordable. However, none of these factors should take precedence over creating a physical environment in which human beings can thrive.

Experiential design's applicability is broad, touching many disciplines. Architects use experiential design to plan a building's structure and floor layouts. The principles are also applied in environmental graphic and interior design, wayfinding, and art installation and exhibition design. A location's furnishing and fixtures, interactive elements and its relationship to the surrounding area may also benefit from the application of an experiential design mindset.

Where do the principles of experiential design appear?

All spatial design is experiential design-it is intended for human beings to experience. From retail stores to factory floors, any place that is built for human habitation is a place suitable for the application of inclusive, experiential design principles.

Like other experiential concepts, such as experiential marketing and art, experiential design emphasizes the experience a person has with a built environment. In this context, experience encompasses a person's physical, cognitive, social, cultural and emotional experiences with a space. Depending on the purpose of the space and the desired objective, each individual's experience may include physical or digital interactions, social aspects, visual, auditory and other sensory inputs and the person's responses to these.

The built environments where experiential design enhances people's experiences include:

Art installations

Exhibitions and cultural centers

Theme parks and location-based entertainment venues

Restaurants and hospitality locations

Hospitals, medical offices and human services facilities

Retails stores and professional service centers

Concerts, sports and similar events

Brand activations and sponsorship events

Public art installations and placemaking

Municipal service, government agency and transportation spaces

Offices, factories, labs and other workplaces

In each of these settings, experiential design helps organizations or sponsors communicate their desired message to each visitor-whether that message is one of comfort and reassurance or surprise and excitement.

For example, when discussed as an architectural or interior design philosophy, the emphasis of experiential design is on well-being and people's overall feeling of comfort or enjoyment of a space. Professionals designing hospitals, airports or private homes incorporate human-experiential design and experiential interior design principles to ensure that the resulting space provides a positive environment for everyone who uses it.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are immersive experiential designs which emphasize creating memorable, engaging multi-sensory experiences. We can see this type of experiential design in interactive museum exhibitions, public art installations, theme parks, concert venues and similar environments.

Each part of an experiential design space is planned to coordinate with and continue a narrative, while taking into consideration the needs of the audience.

Use experiential design to build environments that:

Improve productivity and employee satisfaction

Represent your brand's personality and values

Are accessible and engaging for visitors of all ages

Help employees and visitors navigate through your space safely and confidently

Encourage visitors and shoppers to stay longer

Reduce anxiety and stress

Engage and entertain

Educate and encourage

Tell your story

Four examples of experiential design in action

Experiential design principals can support your project goals from offering a comfortable place to work or play to transporting your visitors to a different time and space. Here are four examples:

1. Playful Learning Landscapes brings interactive educational experiences to Chicagoland children.

The Playful Learning program installs interactive learning experiences in Chicago-area public spaces to support the well-being of its youngest community members.

2. rEvolution designs a winter wonderland for a special holiday brand activation.

Visitors to the American Family Holiday House's Magic of Lights event were treated to an immersive experience that transported them to a fantasy ice cave. The space was transformed with sculptures and wall, floor and ceiling coverings to create a memorable holiday experience for guests.

3. Komatsu stimulates the senses with experiential interior design.

Manufacturing company Komatsu welcomes employees to its new corporate headquarters with human-centric, multi-sensory design touches including digital information displays, natural elements and a mix of different textures.

4. The Adler Planetarium takes visitors into the night with an interactive exhibit.

Darkened walls and dim lighting set the stage for an exploration of the night sky in this exhibition at Chicago's Adler Planetarium. The exhibition's story is told through visual and digital effects and interactive displays.

What type of environment do you want to build?

Building positive, inclusive spaces for employees, visitors, customers and spectators requires the expertise of a designer who understands the concepts of experiential design and why they matter. A qualified experiential design and fabrication company will learn about your business and the people who use your space, then develop a plan to build an environment that enhances the experiences of everyone who enters.

To find out more about how you can improve your space with experiential design, schedule a no-pressure introduction to Bridgewater Studio today. We'll customize a free project plan that you can use to begin your next building construction or remodel.

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What is Experiential Design? (And Why Every Space Needs It)

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Does a particular space add value for its visitors or occupants? Experiential design is a philosophy that insists that space planners, interior designers and architects ask themselves that question when they plan the physical places that humans inhabit. Of course, the experiences that add value aren't the same for every type of space.

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Copy is the text used to sell products in advertising and marketing and copywriters are the professionals who create this copy. Copywriting is a centuries-old craft. One of the oldest surviving advertisements in English was printed on a small sheet of paper in 1477 by William Caxton, who wrote ad copy to sell a handbook for priests.

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Modern copywriting evolved alongside newspapers and magazines and has adapted to every communication innovation since-from television and radio to the internet and social media. Whenever you pass a billboard, watch a commercial, scan a magazine advertisement, or scroll past a promoted social media post, a professional copywriter created the words you see or hear.

These words are carefully selected and arranged to encourage, convince, inspire, and/or educate readers and listeners so that they're more likely to:

Buy a product

Buy a service

Take an action (register for a site or service, call for more information, visit a store or website, etc.)

I started my writing career as a journalist, which is a common route to copywriting. For the past 15 years I've worked as a copywriter for a digital marketing agency and in-house marketing departments and also as a freelancer. Copywriting is a fun career that offers day-to-day variety and collaboration. It requires a self-starter's mindset, a love of language, and strong listening skills.

Read on to learn more about other essential qualities of a copywriter, the tasks they typically tackle, and the core skills and training needed if you want to pursue a career in copywriting.

(And if you're looking for open positions, you can search for copywriter jobs right here on The Muse!)

What Is a Copywriter and What Do They Do?

Days, weeks, or months can go into creating copy for ads and marketing campaigns, and the actual writing (as in fingertips to keyboards) is only part of a copywriter's job. The job responsibilities of a copywriter can include:

Brainstorming and creating concepts for advertisements and marketing campaigns-often working in partnership with a graphic designer

Writing copy for various formats and media

Pitching ad and marketing campaign concepts to clients or company decision-makers

Researching products, services, customers, website search trends, competitors, and entire industries

Developing brand voices or adapting copy to an established brand voice

Analyzing campaign results to guide future copywriting strategies

Editing and revising-writing means rewriting and copywriters are responsible for taking direction from stakeholders and reworking copy through multiple drafts until it's on target

What Do Copywriters Write?

Copywriters compose the words, phrases, taglines, sentences, and paragraphs that sell products and services. As a copywriter you could write business-to-business (B2B) copy for companies selling goods and services to other companies, business-to-consumer (B2C) copy for companies that sell their products through a retail business, or direct-to-consumer (D2C) copy for companies that sell directly to customers through a website.

Your writing may appear in or on:

Print ads (newspapers and magazines)

Social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc.)

Scripts for radio and podcast ads or any spoken advertising-typically with voice-overs by announcers, show hosts, or actors

TV and streaming service ads in the form of scripts, on-screen words, and taglines

Websites (homepages, category pages, landing pages, product descriptions, 'About' pages, etc.)

Billboards and posters alongside the highway and in public transportation hubs, for example

In-store signs that drive awareness about specific products and sales in the store

What Is the Difference Between Copywriting and Content Writing?

Copywriting and content writing overlap and the roles are often confused. However, their core objectives are different.

In copywriting, the goal is usually to make the sale. The writing is often medium or short form (e.g., the "Got Milk?" campaign) and has a clear, simple message meant to inspire action (e.g., milk is healthy, grab a gallon). Often copywriting directly addresses a customer problem, promises entertainment, or evokes an emotion. For example, the "Share a Coke" campaign put different first names on Coke cans to inspire positive thoughts of friendship.

The purpose of content writing, on the other hand, is educating, helping, or entertaining existing and prospective customers. This copy is usually longer form, such as blog posts, articles, or scripts and text for how-to videos. The main goal of content marketing is to deepen brand relationships, establish topic-area expertise, and confirm that a product, service, or company is the customer's best choice.

Keep in mind there is significant overlap in these positions and copywriter roles often include long-form content. When searching for copywriter jobs, pay close attention to the job responsibilities so you know what type of writer a company is seeking.

Key Facts About Copywriters

Let's get down to the details and talk about pay, work environment, and more.

Where Do Copywriters Work?

All companies that advertise or market their products or services need copywriters to ensure they capture attention and inspire sales. You could work as a copywriter in any industry you can imagine, including alternative energy, fashion, technology, media, waste management, space tourism, and more.

No matter the product or industry, there are three common options for how you'll be employed as copywriter:

On an in-house marketing team: As an in-house copywriter you work directly for a company as a member of its marketing team. You'll help develop the company's marketing strategy and write copy for its marketing campaigns and advertisements. In-house teams are growing, according to a 2020 survey of marketers by Digiday, which found that 83% were handling marketing mostly or completely in-house, rather than hiring external advertising and marketing agencies.

For an advertising or marketing agency: Agency copywriters develop ad or marketing campaign pitches to win outside clients and then execute on their successful pitches. With an agency, you'll write for client companies you don't work for-often for multiple at a time.

For yourself as a freelancer: Freelance copywriters work under contract or on a project basis.

Can Copywriters Work Remotely?

Yes. Copywriters can work remotely and many were already work-from-home veterans before the world went into lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. (You can search for remote copywriting jobs right here on The Muse!)

How Much Do Copywriters Make?

Income for copywriters varies significantly based on what your experience level is, which geographic location you're in, and whether you're an employee or a freelancer. According to PayScale, the average salary for a copywriter is $53,154, but jumps to $63,055 in New York, while the average salary for a senior copywriter is $75,656 but only $63,465 in Phoenix. Experienced, in-demand copywriters can reach six or even seven figures.

What Is the Outlook for a Copywriting Career?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 2% decline in jobs for all writers and authors between 2019 and 2029. The emergence of artificial intelligence copywriting technology has raised concerns about the future of copywriting specifically. But AI is meant to support-not replace-human wordsmiths. And as long as companies need to communicate the value of their product or service, they'll need support from copywriters.

How Can You Become a Copywriter?

You must be a strong writer to become a copywriter, but that's not the only necessary skill. You also have to come to the table with ideas, a strong point of view, adaptability, and strong listening skills, says Susie Felber, Global Content Director for consumer health electronics company Withings and a former editor of mine.

To develop these skills, start working as a copywriter. Pursue the education and training that supports a copywriting career (we've outlined them in the next section!), but remember that there's a trial-and-error aspect to being a copywriter and the best way to learn is by doing. So seek internships as soon as possible, apply for entry-level copywriting positions, learn from more senior copywriters, and find a mentor willing to help you grow your problem-solving and interpersonal skills. (Remember, you can find open copywriter internships and entry-level jobs on The Muse!)

What Education, Training, or Certifications Do You Need to Become a Copywriter?

There's no one single route to a copywriting career but as far as education requirements, most copywriting job postings include a bachelor's degree at minimum. Some of the most helpful degrees for copywriters are:

For more specialized industries (such as medicine, pharmaceuticals, engineering, or technology), companies may seek copywriters with a background in that field in addition to proven writing skills.

Certifications aren't typically required for copywriters, but there are many available to help you advance your skill set and help you stand out to companies and hiring managers.

Some continuing education certificates to consider earning include:

What Skills Do You Need as a Copywriter?

If you're serious about pursuing copywriting, it helps if you write consistently, even if it's not professionally. So definitely work to hone your writing skills as you prepare for your career-and once you're already in it. Like most things, writing improves with practice.

So strong writing skills are essential, but this is also a career where soft skills rise to the top. You need to learn diverse subjects and industries quickly so you can write about them with confidence, which requires a blend of curiosity and tenacity on top of the ability to pinpoint relevant data. "I look for someone who is deeply interested in almost anything," Felber says. "Copywriters who have a strong journalism or education background are often curious people who go the extra mile and enjoy finding a story in anything and everything. You may dream of selling a novel, but you'll find enjoyment even when writing about dog beds or atrial fibrillation." With these skills, you're more likely to create engaging copy that addresses the issues that matter most to your target audiences.

Some important soft skills for copywriters are:

Ability to take direction

Creativity

Curiosity

Empathy and emotional intelligence

Fast learning ability with a growth mindset

Flexibility and open-mindedness

Intuition

Persuasive communication

Sense of humor

You'll also need certain hard skills-the specific knowledge or abilities you'll use to do a job. Writing is an obvious hard skill all copywriters need, but a strong foundation of marketing skills is also important. Copywriters are expected to be strategic marketers as well as creative thinkers, especially as they gain experience. So you need:

Writing and wordsmithing skills, including copywriting-specific skills and knowledge

Research skills

Knowledge of spelling, punctuation, and grammar

Knowledge of strategic marketing

Basic SEO skills

Familiarity with content management systems

Familiarity with digital publishing platforms

Knowledge of social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc.)

Marketing is an ever-changing field, so you'll also want to be sure to keep up to date on marketing trends and emerging marketing technology as part of your ongoing professional development.

Should You Become a Copywriter?

I love copywriting and am grateful I have the opportunity to write about a variety of topics every day. I've written about marketing, meditation, nook decorating, dog howls, and much more. It's fun to find the words that spark interest, pause the scroll, and drive sales. If you're a creative, curious writer with a growth mindset and a knack for problem-solving -you may find copywriting is a career path you'll love, too.

Copywriting is also a challenging, high-pressure career. In addition to writing on tight deadlines, the success of your writing is determined based on metrics, such as sales figures, click-through rates, and conversion rates, so you need to be willing to adjust your work to accommodate these factors. "A great copywriter will have to be open to feedback and willing to make edits and modifications-even if it's not what they think is best," says Emma Cimolin, marketing director of B2B delivery software company Routific. "They understand that it is what is best for the client and their needs."

To keep the stress in check, it's important that you're a strong writer who loves the writing process, takes direction well, and can write and revise quickly. "Copywriters can't be precious about their words," Felber says. "One with experience knows that your first idea, second, or even third-are rarely your best. Really listening to the client, internal or external, helps you bring their vision to life." When hiring copywriters, Cimolin looks for candidates with empathy who can understand and write genuinely about audience pain points. Like Felber, she looks for flexibility and a dash of humility. "A great copywriter will need to check their ego at the brief," she says.

Think back on jobs you've had in the past. Did you ruminate on negative feedback from bosses? Did you have trouble shifting gears when required? Or did you see constructive criticism as an opportunity to learn and improve? If you said the latter, you have the temperament to match the job. Responding to constructive criticism and changing course are daily-even hourly-requirements for copywriters.

How Can You Land a Job as a Copywriter?

To land a job as a copywriter, you need to sell yourself! Throughout the application and hiring process, you'll need to share your education and experience while also demonstrating with every piece of your application that you're a clear communicator, persuasive writer, and solid grammarian.

Before applying for copywriting jobs, be sure to polish your job hunt "calling cards" and skills:

Resume: The copy on your resume should be clear and compelling-like your ad copy will be once you get the gig.

Cover letter: Consider your cover letter one of the first writing samples someone who hires you is going to see. This is your opportunity to tout achievements from previous positions and demonstrate your stellar wordsmithing skills.

Portfolio: Gather a variety of your best writing samples and share them in an online portfolio or on your copywriter website. Include links to your portfolio on your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other sites hosting job-hunter profiles.

LinkedIn and/or freelance marketplace profiles: Most of my current clients found me through LinkedIn. Make sure your profile is detailed and includes links to your copywriting portfolio, copywriter-specific keywords (i.e., copywriting, digital marketing writer, paid-search ad copywriter, etc.), recommendations from peers and former bosses, and a professional but friendly headshot. If you're going the freelance route, build a compelling profile on top freelance marketplaces-but be sure to do your research and be wary of undervaluing your work, taking assignments that don't match your skills, or taking on too many clients.

Interviewing skills: Know the specific skills, responsibilities, and experiences each job description requires, so you can share your ability to meet these expectations when answering interview questions. For example, you might share stories about how you took direction and changed your copy approach or how you put yourself in the shoes of customers. Prepare for your interview thoroughly so you're more relaxed and able to share your capabilities with clarity and confidence.

Finally, if you want to make your way into copywriting you need to network, network, network! Do you have family or friends in marketing? Reach out to them for informational interviews or career guidance. Join your state's chapter of the American Marketing Association and attend their trainings and happy hours. Marketers are a social bunch and networking is an important part of career development in the field. You never know who will become a mentor, know of a job opening, or have a colleague who's hiring copywriters.

If you have the writing chops, curiosity, tenacity, and passion to become a copywriter, you're setting off on an interesting, challenging, fun, and rewarding profession. I'm rooting for you!

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Career Explainer: What Does a Copywriter Do?

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Copywriter job duties, average pay, hard and soft skills, and education-plus how to become a copywriter and figure out whether it's the right job for you.

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What is an Account Planner?

The Account Planner's role is quite different from that of the other members of the team. A good Account Planner will be a strategic, critical thinker and researcher who is more in tune with the consumer than the client.

In short, account coordinators, executives and managers know what the client wants (or needs) and Account Planners know what the consumer wants. They drive the strategic direction of each campaign, and ensure the creative work not only fits the brand but is also strategically focused. The Account Planner is a key role, but many agencies place the burdens of account planning on the account manager or director.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in advertising, business, marketing, or a similar field

Extensive experience in the ad and marketing industry

May have worked a supervisory role

Creative and able to think around problems

A rigorous and logical thinker

Strong presentation skills

Excellent written and spoken communication skills

Able to work as part of a team

Good memory for facts and figures

Good meeting deadlines

Gain a comprehensive context for advertising strategies by analyzing a wide range of information in great detail, including demographics, socio-economics and the market for the client's product and market share

Drive the overall strategic direction of creative campaigns

Ensure that the creative team's work is focused strategically and is within brand guidelines

Guide production planning activities ranging from developing and revising production schedules, forecasting trends and customer demand, and managing logistics

Redesign website and direct all online advertising efforts including paid search, SEO, blogs and data feeds

Commission research from outside organizations to inform advertising strategies

Run qualitative research groups; use a variety of market research data to monitor cultural and social trends and their impact on consumers' attitudes, behaviors and perceptions

Provide the creative team with a clearly defined brief that contains concise information on the product, audience and strategy so that they can develop creative ideas applicable to the media channels that will promote the idea most effectively

Set the communication strategy for advertising campaigns

Develop, manage and analyze research projects

Click here to find view available Account Planner roles >

Account Planner Essential Skills

Account Planner Roles & Responsibilities

Day-to-Day Duties

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The Account Planner drives the strategic direction of each campaign, and ensures the creative work not only fits the brand but is also strategically focused. The Account Planner is a key role, but many agencies place the burdens of account planning on the account manager or director. Learn more today!

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WAYPOINT, As a video game creative agency in Los Angeles, our aim in this article is to help you understand what's involved in the making of video game key art and what it takes to become a great key artist.

What Exactly Is Key Art?

Key art is artwork created during the design of a video game. It is usually intended to be the pre-visualization of the video game. The initial illustrations are known as concept art and are a way to bring a character or landscape to life and to make the process a little bit easier for the programmers. In a similar way, many of these concept images are used as key art, which is the image that ends up on the game's packaging, or used as a way to promote the game prior to its release.

In the initial stages, game designers use key art to show the team what their vision is so all the various artists stick to a single vision of what the game will look and play like. While the task of coding and adding everything into the game makes up the largest piece of a game's creative process, the concept and key art act as the very first, and most important piece of the whole puzzle. Key art focuses more on the overall scene than on individual objects or characters. You can learn more about creating key art here.

The Role of A Key Artist

The key artist will be more interested in drawing an entire scene than a single static character or object. The key artist must be able to not only draw the character and environment in perspective, but also suggest lighting, special effects and action/movement to create drama and tell a story. The key artist is not concerned with details and is more interested in illustrating game play not characters or environments.

It is important that concept art not only looks great, but that it also does its job and helps further the rest of the production line. The role of the designer and illustrator is to create designs that not only inspire but also inform production.

What It Takes To Be A Great Key Artist

A great key artist is someone who can think and creatively problem solve, who is open and communicative and will express their opinions, and who can create solid production art on model and on time.

It is important to seek out variety by practicing drawing and painting all kinds of things. Go out, draw, and experiment with traditional mediums like acrylics, water colors, pen and ink, oils, screen-printing, wood working, sculpture. The more tactile your art making is, the more you will develop muscle memory and physical awareness about techniques, textures and processes that will be invaluable in your career going forward, should you work digitally or traditionally. This will give you essential skills to take on any task and also draw convincingly from imagination to the things you love. Draw from life - draw landscapes, plants, people, animals at the zoo, trains in the train yard... you see it, draw it.

Make sure that you are pursuing your goals by practicing and learning at every opportunity. Be open to new opportunities and take on projects or tasks that might be outside of your comfort zone.

Learn from other artists by finding them online and reaching out to them. You'd be surprised at how approachable and kind these people are. Work hard and make connections. If you are in art school, then make friends, be outgoing and collaborate with others. These people will go on to be lifelong professional contacts and will be the source of new opportunities for you throughout your career.

You can teach yourself by means of tutorials from magazines such as Computer Arts, or you can take courses to learn how to use the software. There are also animation certificate programs that last between 6 months and 2 years.

Photoshop has a tutorial that looks at the basic principles of designing a video game character, including: sketching, design, rendering and more. It goes through a logical workflow, from exploratory sketching in loose grey scale to turning it into a fully realized piece of concept art. As well as learning how to use the drawing and painting tools in Photoshop, it is a good introduction to a typical video game studio pipeline, which is essential if you want to get into the industry.

Books are great for general art knowledge but as software is consistently updated that means "Program Guides" will quickly become out of date. Your art skills will be much more valuable in the long run than your software skills.

Choose your specialty and create a portfolio of your best work. Your portfolio should consist of a number of different designs or creations, and if possible, demonstrate their use in video games. You should have a varied portfolio to showcase your range and focus on versatility - include polished pieces along with sketches and roughs, environments and characters, mood pieces and action. When reviewing portfolios it's always more interesting to see imagination, a desire to explore and use creativity over skill. You will need to be a highly collaborative and team-oriented person.

Tips

Contrast
Work with brightness and contrast levels to create a dramatic effect on your character

Lighting
Play with highlights and shadows to make the action or storyline of the game come to life

Textures
Use a variety of textures to add realism, blend with different modes and use High Pass to increase detail moderately

Color
Use color layers (on Overlay) to make the lighting effects more realistic and believable

See some Dance Central Spotlight key art captures below made by our designers!

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Amazing Things You Ought To Know About Video Game Key Art - WAYPOINT | Our blog

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WAYPOINT, As a video game creative agency in Los Angeles, our aim in this article is to help you understand what's involved in the making of video game key art and what it takes to become a great key artist. What Exactly Is Key Art?

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SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER/COMMUNITY MANAGER (know the difference)

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SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER/COMMUNITY MANAGER (know the difference)

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EXPERT INSIGHTS

Nov-11-2023

Khoros Staff

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IN THIS ARTICLE

In the past, businesses relied on social media managers to create content and foster community development. But, more recently, these tasks have become specialized. Nowadays, most social media managers act as the brand's voice with a focus on content, while community managers act as a user and promote audience engagement. These managers work together often, but they typically operate on vastly different platforms.

To help ensure this distinction is clear, we'll break down the difference between a social media manager and a community manager from their responsibilities, goals, skills, where they fit within a company, and how success is measured.

A social media manager posts on the brand's social media accounts and is responsible for brand voice. They deliver news across platforms, such as the release of products, services, and features. Social media management also involves creating content to promote the brand's products and attract new customers.

For example, the social media manager for Fitbit, the popular wearable activity tracker, regularly promotes the annual release of the main product, along with the addition of new features throughout the year. The image below showcases a post created by the Fitbit social media manager to announce the arrival of their latest fitness tracker, the Charge 6, on the brand's social media account:

Social media managers often speak to people already familiar with the brand. They create posts and content, but are also responsible for replying as needed. It's the social media manager that ensures content is scheduled and posted in a timely manner.

A social media manager can work independently or as the head of a dedicated team. Depending on the size of the business, a social media manager may delegate posting responsibilities to other team members. For large organizations, managers may focus solely on strategy and analytics. To see all of the ways social media managers can leverage social media to create business value, check out our Social Media Pocket Guide whitepaper.

What is a community manager?

A community manager connects with the audience on a more personal level by posting in discussions on their own account (not the brand's) to encourage engagement among group members. Often they are seen as the community's advocate for the brand. They encourage discussions that will help improve the product and will often ask for feedback from the core audience.

For example, one of Fitbit's community managers goes by the username LizzyFitbit, and regularly engages with the Fitbit community by posting updates and replying to user questions:

Community managers like LizzyFitbit help grow the brand by encouraging engagement among existing users while also connecting new users to resources that will help them get more involved.

In addition to increasing engagement, community managers are also tasked with looking for ways to improve the user experience. They answer user questions and track product feedback. In the example below, LizzyFitbit replies to a user's feedback in the Fitbit community, noting requests to improve the product:

Surveys can also be a part of a community manager's role because they help telegraph that the brand is actively looking for ways to improve the user experience. Also, catching issues early helps reduce customer frustration later.

What about a social media community manager?

A social media community manager is usually a combination of the two roles in smaller companies. Your main responsibilities in this case are to create and manage content while being the first point of contact for social media profiles and online communities. However, more established brands tend to separate the two positions.

The key difference between a social media manager and a community manager is how they interact with audiences. A social media manager acts as the brand to promote the brand's products, while the community manager acts as an average user to encourage audience engagement and provide support.

A community manager's goals are usually broad and long-term. They center around establishing a strong and supportive community, which can take years. The social media manager's goals are more specific and short-term and focus on sales or conversions.

Community manager goals: Increasing brand awareness or engagement. A community manager looks to increase the number of brand mentions, impressions, and community members across platforms.

Social media manager goals: Often sales-related and focused on social media ROI. A social media manager creates content but also measures important metrics such as click-through and conversion rates.

These two positions work towards the same mission, but through different methods.

Social media manager responsibilities

Acting as the voice of the brand across social media platforms

Delivering news, including the release of products, services, and features

Creating and scheduling content

Social media strategy and analytics

Follows social media best practices

Community manager responsibilities

Connecting new users with resources to help them get involved in the community

Answering questions and helping to troubleshoot issues

Looking for ways to improve the user experience by gathering community feedback

What responsibilities are shared between the two roles?

The social media manager and the community manager can often work together on content strategy and answering user questions. For example, the unique "ear-to-the-wall" perspective of the community manager may help the social media manager understand what type of content to create.

In the case of Fitbit, the brand has a separate social media account dedicated to offering support for Fitbit devices in multiple languages. People a part of the Fitbit community may post about product issues in the forum, which can inform the support team that multiple users are experiencing the same problems. The social media manager who runs that account can now post to let Fitbit users know they're actively working on the issue:

Both positions respond to user mentions and questions, but they do so in different ways. The social media manager typically responds to general inquiries, such as people asking about the release of a new product or pricing questions. Technical questions and issues are handled by the community manager, who helps with troubleshooting.

Typically, both the social media manager and community manager are a part of the marketing team. However, this can vary from company to company. Some community managers can be on the product, growth, or communications team instead.

It's also likely that they'll report to different people. A social media manager will usually report to the senior social media marketer, CMO, or marketing director, while a community manager will report to a marketing director (unless not on the marketing team).

The two roles are usually on the same level and they collaborate with the same team members. Although the managers have different responsibilities, their work is often related to one another in the sense that they can help inform each other's goals.

The skills required for these roles are similar. Both positions will require strong communication skills as both represent the brand in some way. They also need to be knowledgeable of social media, digital marketing, and general customer support.

Social media management skills

Knowledgeable of social media strategies and trends

Content development and creativity

Social analytics and reporting

Strong writing skills

Community management skills

A social media manager's success aligns with the company's overall yearly goals. Depending on the company's goals, you will strategize on content and then measure the outcomes through specific metrics. For example, if the company wants to sell more products, you should keep an eye on how effective your social media posts and ads are at convincing people to buy.

For a community manager, success is measured more in the long run. Instead of focusing on direct sales, your job is to build strong relationships with specific users who like your brand. Success in this role would look like these users talking about your brand more or retaining members of the community.

Why are both roles important to your business?

Both positions are crucial to any business looking to build a strong digital following. Although some companies still rely on one person to manage all of these responsibilities, many have begun specializing in tasks in order to serve their customers better.

Splitting duties into different roles will allow your business to better connect with audiences. From increasing conversions as a result of better content to creating lifetime customers through community development-both roles have the potential to transform your business.

Build an online community with Khoros

Don't miss out on an opportunity to strengthen your brand. Brand communities deepen engagement and increase customer loyalty. Effective community management requires dedication, time, and the right tools to drive long-term success.

Khoros Communities can help you create a seamless customer experience that builds deeper relationships while increasing sales. Our platform helps you develop, launch, and nurture your own customizable branded community. Request a demo today to see why our community management software is trusted by more than 2,000 brands.

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Community manager vs. social media manager: Key differences

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Social media managers act as the brand to promote the brand's products, while community managers act as an average user to encourage audience engagement.

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The Hollywood Reporter defines the term "key art" as "the singular, iconographic image that is the foundation upon which a movie's marketing campaign is built."
It is the image that appears on the film poster, in magazine ads, on the DVD/Blu-Ray Cover and on the streaming movie thumbnail.

From a graphic design perspective, key art can be extended from the realm of film to any intellectual property. A book cover, an album cover, a game cover-all of these have key art that is repurposed across the marketing campaign. And the good key arts-the ones that leave a lasting impression-immediately bring to mind a title, without ever having to show it. They have become a part of pop culture-they are iconic and they are memorable.

Art vs. Design

Art and design aren't one and the same. The purpose of art is to communicate to it's viewer on a subjective level-to resonate in some fashion; to provoke some form of emotion, even if just admiration.

The purpose of graphic design is first to attract, create interest and then deliver a message. The message delivery is the ultimate purpose and is accomplished through information hierarchy-the balance, placement and composition of a message in a way that it will be most easily assimilated and understood.

Art can be done for art's sake. Design cannot. The end result of design is never the design-it is a person interested, a person buying, a person accepting an idea.

In the case of a movie poster, the purpose is to get people interested in seeing the film. If an actor is the reason most people will see the film, then featuring the actor makes sense. If the character is the reason people will see the film, then featuring the character makes sense (superhero films). Look at most movie posters and you will see right away what the marketing folks thought would sell the film.

A book cover has a different, but similar, purpose. With a book cover, you need to grab someone's attention long enough that they will flip the cover and read the back. And the purpose of the back is to be interesting enough that someone will buy the book. The full design still follows the pattern of attract, interest and deliver a message.

A video game cover falls somewhere in between a movie poster and book cover-it needs to sell the graphics but the story, theme and gameplay are just as, if not more, important. So it has a dual purpose of selling the graphics while also getting people interested in the story and gameplay.

A music album is unique in that people buy an album based on the artist or a song they heard. In this case, the album works as a brand reinforcement for the artist. With streaming services, I think the significance of an album is diminishing and with it, the album cover. Which is a shame as albums were once as significant as book covers and movie posters in popular culture-if not more so.

Blurring the Line

So why key art and not key design?

Key art blurs the line between art and design in that it is, in and of itself, a piece of art that should be able to stand on its own. The graphic design happens around it-either framing it or reinforcing it or, in some cases, working intrinsically with it to create a final design.

Movie posters are hung on walls. Book covers decorate bookshelves and coffee tables, as do album covers and game covers.

The same cannot be said of fliers, brochures, magazine ads, websites, banner ads and other graphic designs. These things have a short lifespan. Movie posters, especially good ones, will be around for decades. Book covers become collectors items. And album covers do as well.

What Makes Great Key Art

So what separates the mediocre key art from the excellent key art? A whole lot of factors that are far too wide and varied to cover in a single article. But here's a cheatsheet of the questions you should ask of your key art-a litmus test of sorts:

1) Is it memorable?

In 1991, Jodie Foster starred in two films. Both posters featured a photo of her. One looked like a typical family portrait that you might find filling the photo frames at Walmart. The other features a moth.

To create a memorable image requires imagination, a willingness to deviate from the expected and a bit of luck. Movie posters are all too often plagued by formulaic imagery, repeated over and over again with different characters and different settings.

There are articles dedicated to movie poster cliches. You can try to create an image that doesn't fit into any of these cliches, but the reality is that almost any image CAN be categorized, especially if there are enough categories.

And this is where some imagination comes in. Here are three iconic movie posters.

Let's take a cue from the American Beauty poster and "look closer..."

American Beauty uses a crop that feels almost voyeristic-giving you nothing to look at except a naked woman's torso, offset with a single red rose. It's an image that is both captivating, sexy, beautiful and a bit unnerving all at the same time.

Jacob's Ladder blurs the image of the movie's star and isolates it in black. The strange coloring, the eye in focus-it all gives a sense of dread and dreaminess. You can't help but be captivated by the image and yet still feel confused by it.

Full Metal Jacket shows the dichotomy of war in an isolated helmet-"Born to Kill" and bullets are book ends to a peace sign, which your attention is drawn to with a small flare. The entire point of the film in a single image-pretty genius.

It's interesting to note that all of these posters (and virtually all iconic movie posters) have key art created strictly and only for the poster. These aren't photos taken on set. And they definitely aren't frames taken from the film itself. Some include imagery that don't even appear in the film.

Compare that to these mediocre posters, all of which seem to follow the trend of taking images from the film, putting a title on it and calling it a poster.

2) Does it evoke an emotion?

This is the intrinsic purpose of art-to resonate subjectively. And it comes into play in the creation of key art. Fear, uneasiness, happiness, joy, excitement, intrigue, anxiety. Everyone wants to feel something. And key art that makes you feel something is immediately a step up from the competition.

Creating an emotional impact with a single image is no easy task. And it's becoming more of a challenge as people become desensitized to violence, gore and sex. But shock and awe aren't the only emotions to convey.

Here are some posters that evoke happier emotions extremely well:

3) Does it deliver a message?

A photo of an actor can be just that-a photo of an actor.

If your marketing brief is to feature the actor, you can take two very different approaches. The first is to literally feature the actor. While this might sell a movie, it's a piss poor approach to a movie poster and most likely not help sales.

The second approach is tell a story through the image of the actor.

The poster for Nightcrawler says a lot more than you would initially think.
Here's a man wearing sunglasses after the sun has set-that makes him suspicious, maybe he has something to hide? And why is he furling his brow? It's in LA (shown by the skyline). The poster looks like a pulp cover with the pronounced rosette pattern and screen printed lettering-giving you an idea of the tone of the film--most likely crime noir. The distinctive lips tell you it's Jake Gyllenhaal, but something about him looks different than we're used to seeing him. And the crop of the image is super close, telling us this is a portrait of a man-a story driven by a single character.

Compare these two posters. Both feature a nearly full body photo of the primary character. But one is actually designed as a piece of art and the other is just a photo with a title slapped on top of it.

This leads to the last and probably most important point.

4) Does it invite contribution?

A great piece of art invites the audience to contribute to it. The Mona Lisa isn't a particularly great portrait-in fact a 10 second internet search will find portraits far better-but it has something other portraits don't-a faint smile. A smile that could mean so many things to so many people.

Some of the best posters and covers are those that leave room for the audience to project their own thoughts and ideas into it. To fill in some of the blanks with their imagination.

This is especially important in book cover design. One of the rules I have for myself is to never feature a face of a character on a cover. The reason for this is simple-your idea of the character may be different from mine. But more importantly, it allows you to contribute to it.

Compare these covers for the same book. One shows the girl's face and the other doesn't. Which is the stronger cover? Which pulls you in? Gets you more interested?

Movie posters are obviously a different animal in that the characters are shown, but that doesn't mean the same principle can't be applied. The original poster for Alien didn't feature a xenomorph-instead it featured a cracking egg with green ooze coming out of it. Thus the audience is left to "fill in the blank." This actually heightened the movie-going experience as people seeing the original didn't know what to expect. Even the trailer didn't show the alien.

This also doesn't mean every piece of key art shouldn't show you the actors or characters in the film-remember the most important thing is that the design delivers it's message and gets people to SPEND THEIR MONEY ON IT.

These posters all feature the character/actor on the cover, yet they do so in an interesting and different way that allows you to project your own ideas and feelings on them.

Summary

Creating key art is one of the more challenging aspects of graphic design-and also one of the more fun parts of the job. You get to truly be an artist. This article only scratches the surface of key art. Composition, color, typography and all manner of other things come into play, but this should give you the nuts and bolts of what separates the great from the blah. And if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.

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Key Art: Creating a Lasting Impression - ZevenDesign

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The Hollywood Reporter defines the term "key art" as "the singular, iconographic image that is the foundation upon which a movie's marketing campaign is built." It is the image that appears on the film poster, in magazine ads, on the DVD/Blu-Ray Cover and on the streaming movie thumbnail.

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Portfolio Dos and Don'ts with Ellen Su, Artistic Recruiter at Titmouse

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View our work, which spans visual identities, architecture, interiors, products, publications, posters, books, exhibitions, websites and digital installations.

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Giant Spoon | The agency that stirs shit up.

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Giant Spoon is an LA and NY-based full-service advertising agency that blends creative, media, and strategy to build breakthrough work for ambitious brands.

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10 Excellent Free Online Graphic Design Courses | Dribbble

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Learn graphic design with these 10 free online graphic design courses. Build your skills and jumpstart your graphic design career.

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Blender Tutorial for Complete Beginners - Part 1

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Free and Open Source

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We set goals because it helps us to clarify what we want to achieve in our surface design business. This then helps us to stay focused and on track until we get there.

Easy, right?

Well, yes... and no.

Identifying what we want to achieve is usually fairly easy, but achieving it is less so, and pretty much impossible if our goals are unrealistic.

How do you know if you're setting unrealistic goals? Here are some questions for you:

Have you ever set an income goal for the year and not even come close to it?

Have you ever set a project goal for the month and not even started working on it because you couldn't find the time?

Have you ever written a task list for the day and crossed off less than half by the end of the day?

If you said yes to any of these things, then you've definitely been setting yourself unrealistic goals.

I know that we've been told for years to aim high and shoot for the stars, to keep hustling and stretch ourselves. Of course, there are benefits to hard work, determination, persistence, and stretching ourselves. But constantly setting unrealistic (and impossible) goals is really not helpful.

The problem with always setting goals that we are unable to achieve is that it leads to feeling frustrated, ineffective, and disappointed with ourselves. Eventually, we can lose all confidence in what we're doing and want to give up completely because it's just too hard.

These terrible feelings are particularly detrimental to creatives because we need our creative energy to produce our best work.

The good news is that failing to achieve all your unrealistic goals has nothing to do with your ability or potential for success. It has everything to do with your unrealistic expectations - and that can be fixed.

The Benefits Of Realistic Goals

Something amazing happens when we set goals for ourselves and actually achieve them because it's much more motivating than struggling and always falling behind. We start to feel accomplished and capable. And this increased motivation means we're actually likely to achieve more than we planned (which is unexpected but true), which makes us feel incredibly productive.

I know it feels less productive to have only a few things on your task list, but it's actually more productive. It forces you to be selective and prioritize doing the things that really matter, instead of trying to do all the things. It's working smarter and not harder.

Another thing that happens when we really focus on one aspect of our business at a time is that we make much more progress in that area than when we jump about from one thing to the next. I have noticed that those who excel in their surface design businesses are the ones who focus on one area and get that established, instead of diversifying their income streams too soon.

Setting realistic goals is not only good for you and your mental health, but it's clearly also good for your business. So, how do we do it?

Setting Realistic Goals In 3 Easy Steps

Here are three easy steps to setting realistic goals for your business.

1. Set an outcome goal

2. Make it actionable

3. Break it down into small steps

Let's look at each stage in a bit more detail.

Step 1: Set an Outcome Goal

These are the goals which identify the outcome (end result) you want to achieve. It's the most common type of goal that people set when running their own business; usually set every year, but they can also be quarterly or monthly goals.

Before we look at some examples, all your goals will benefit from using the SMART checklist. This prevents you from making vague, open-ended goals which are much harder to act on.

You've probably heard of this acronym before, but here's a quick refresher. SMART stands for:

Specific: Use real numbers, not vague amounts
Measurable: You can count or measure your progress
Achievable: It's possible and realistic!
Relevant: It makes sense for this stage in your business
Timely: There is a date or time for completion
Outcome Goal Example:
"I want to earn $50K from licensing my patterns in 2023."
SMART check: it's specific ($50K), it's measurable (you can count the money), it's relevant (if it makes sense for your business), and it's timely (within the year 2023).

But is it achievable?

Like most income goals, this is something we can't completely control because it relies on other people to license our work. How achievable it is will depend on various factors, including how much was earned from licensing last year and what we do this year.

Many of the outcome goals we set in our business fall into this category. We know what result or outcome we want, e.g. income, clients, wins, etc, but they're outside of our direct control. It's still good to set these goals, but to increase our chances of achieving them, we need to add some actionable details to them.

Actionable Outcome Goal Example:
"I want to add 100 new patterns to my portfolio in 2023."
Step 2: Make It Actionable

What actions could we take to increase our chances of achieving the income goal above? Creating lots of new patterns and reaching out to more clients would improve our chances of earning more from licensing, so let's turn one of those into an actionable outcome goal.

This is a goal that is completely within your control because it's entirely up to you to do the work, so it's actionable. But let's also do a SMART check: it's specific (100 new patterns to portfolio), measurable (you can count them), relevant (it supports our income goal), and timely (within the year 2023).

Is it achievable?

It sounds possible, but this can be hard to assess immediately, which is why we need to break it down in the next step.

Step 3: Break It Down Into Small Steps

To ensure our actionable outcome goal is achievable, we need to break it down into steps. This is how and when you will take action. I recommend you write each step down using the SMART checklist to ensure each one is specific and timely, which really helps to avoid procrastination.

Let's take our Actionable Outcome Goal of "I want to add 100 new patterns to my portfolio in 2023" and break it down into smaller and smaller steps.
Now you can decide whether it is achievable and realistic for you, or whether you need to go back and review your Outcome Goals.
"I will create 25 new patterns and upload them to my portfolio each quarter"
"I will create 2 new patterns and upload them to my portfolio each week"
"I will create 1 new pattern every other day from Monday to Thursday and upload them to my portfolio on Friday"

You can see that by breaking those steps down to what would be required each week and day, you can really see what work is required to achieve the goal of 100 new patterns in a year.

Is it achievable?

Now you can properly assess this for yourself because you know how long it normally takes you to create a pattern and present it in a way that is portfolio ready. If you normally spend a week on each pattern, you either need to reassess your goals or speed up your process somehow. Consider also what other goals you want to achieve, any other commitments you have and whether you want to take any time off.

Make sure to break down all of your other goals to properly assess whether they are truly realistic. The more you break it down, the clearer it will be. While you're considering what's realistic, I want to warn you of a psychological tendency that I call Magical Future Thinking.

✨ Beware Of Magical Future Thinking

Magical Future Thinking is our tendency to have an unrealistic vision of our future, and in particular, our future selves. Here's an example:

"Tomorrow I will leap out of bed early, feeling refreshed and super organized, eat healthily, do yoga, and get all the things on my task list done before 5 pm. Nobody will interrupt or distract me and I will remain focused, productive, and motivated for the entire day. I will achieve at least three times as much as I did today and time will stretch and expand until everything is done perfectly."

We've all done it; unrealistic expectations of our future selves. Obviously, I'm exaggerating here but you get the idea. It's why diets always start tomorrow, not right now... because nobody wants to do hard things right now.

Here are some reminders to stay realistic and avoid magical thinking:

Your future self is usually just as tired, distracted, and unmotivated as you are today. Plan for that.

Life will always be full of interruptions and unexpected situations. Allow time for that.

Don't put hard things off until later because by then you'll feel even less like doing it. Rip the Band-Aid off and get the hard stuff done early.

You are not a machine. Schedule breaks and fun things too to fuel your creative energy.

So, when you are assessing your goals to make sure they're realistic, don't fall into the trap of magical thinking.

So remember, while setting unrealistic goals feels like it will help us achieve more, in reality, it doesn't. Constantly pushing yourself to your limits is not sustainable or healthy and constantly failing to reach your goals isn't good for your mental health.

The best goals are the ones you can achieve most of the time. Sometimes you'll need to push yourself to get finished, but they're always possible. Sometimes you won't reach them, and that's OK!

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How to Set Realistic Goals for Your Art Business - Sketch Design Repeat

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Setting realistic goals as a surface designer is the key to maintaining your motivation and productivity.

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