Art Director

Overview

Watson is looking for a skilled and innovative Art Director with hands-on capabilities and an eye for design.

In this role, your focus is all around the craft and concepts of a campaign. Beyond the artistic look and feel of a visual direction, you define the why, how, and possibilities of that direction—going beyond single assets to further defining how a campaign comes together collectively. Additionally, you'll be looked to for creative concepts that build off of the campaign strategy and creative direction.

Reporting to a Creative Director, you’ll both support and lead on a mix of visual exploration, production, and new business development—ensuring consistency, cohesiveness, and an elevated and rationalized aesthetic across all output.

Technical Details

Location: Los Angeles, In-Office

Department: Creative

Job Type: Full-Time

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design
• 5+ years of professional experience in a corresponding role with a portfolio showcasing impactful design expertise and visual strategy.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite—specifically Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator and Indesign.
• Excellent static and motion design sense with a keen attention to detail in the work and presentation of it.
• Proven experience in developing and executing high-impact visual designs across various touch points including digital, social, print, and OOH.
• Robust understanding of design principles including typography, color theory, and composition.
• Ability to translate complex ideas into visually striking designs that captivate and engage.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present and justify creative ideas to clients and internal stakeholders.
• Strong time management and organized workflow for both yourself and those around you.
• Natural listener with a desire to grow, learn, and positively impact the work and team around you.
• A proactive and creative mindset, with a strong understanding of visual storytelling and audience engagement.
• Experience in supporting new business initiatives across deck design and comping.
• Confidence and professional expertise regarding best practices across all social platforms.
• Experience with Motion Design is preferred.
• Experience mentoring junior team members is a plus.

Due to the collaborative nature of this role, the right candidate will need to be based in Los Angeles or open to relocating.

Responsibilities

• Create and develop campaigns for films, TV series, and brands based on a defined art direction or supporting brand guidelines.
• Inspire the creatives through a vast understanding of tone, genres, and styles—showcased through aesthetically and thematically rich moodboards.
• Develop visually compelling assets for social media, digital platforms, print, and experiential media—ensuring high standards of quality and creativity.
• Work in tandem with the creative team to confidently brainstorm and define concepts and executions with an emphasis on craft and conversation.
• Support in the development and creation of presentation decks for holistic campaigns, visual direction, and concept deliveries.
• Create or guide the creation of visuals that communicate the message, tone, and idea while ensuring the defined art direction is always adhered to.
• Lead other members of the creative team, such as illustrators, animators, and designers to bring cohesive visual elements to the project.
• Ensure details such as imagery, font selection, hierarchy, and layout are not only legible, but thematically aligned with the campaign vision.
• Confirm assets suit all digital platforms for optimal experience.
• Expertly master Adobe Creative Suite while ensuring you efficiently and effectively influence the development of others who use it.
• Ensure project assets are organized and managed for easy access and efficient workflows for yourself and the creative team around you.
• Manage workloads and project deadlines for yourself while ensuring the creatives supporting you are moving forward efficiently.
• Conduct thorough reviews of all work to ensure accuracy, consistency, and high-quality creative outputs — all adhering to the production timeline.
• Present visual direction and concepts to internal stakeholders and external clients with the ability to adapt and amplify off provided feedback and direction.
• Foster a collaborative and innovative environment within the design team, encouraging creative exploration and professional growth.

To be considered for this role, please email your resume and portfolio to [email protected] with "Art Director" in the subject line.

About Watson

Watson is a team of multidisciplinary makers, thinkers, and doers collaborating with some of the top entertainment studios and brands in the world. We create immersive stories, campaigns, and content with a focus on craft and conversation.

For over 15 years, we've been dedicated to the details, thoughtful design and copy, and an ongoing search for ideas that spark discussion. We strive to break the conventions of our industry, our tools, and our platforms in order for our work to be more noticed, valued, and discussed.

Our work spans across AV, digital, social, print, experiential, and OOH for brands like A24, Amazon, Disney, FX, Mattel, WB, and more.

Watson is independently-driven, creatively-led, and minority-owned.