Intro

Copywriter’s log: It’s Thursday. Smack in the middle of it. I’m currently on a mission to reveal how creativity works in today’s advertising industry. And despite deadlines, three of the Mendoza Group’s finest are committed to answering a deceptively simple question:

What’s it like being an Art Director?

These are my findings.

Diplomacy & Other Dark Arts

A designer’s day isn’t all kerning and cropping. You have to collaborate, too: “So that’s actually a part of [being] an Art Director. Browsing production companies, finding styles that you want.”  
– Steven Graziano, Senior Art Director

Steven’s in the midst of meeting potential partners for a future campaign. Sure, he’s seeking like-minded people who pass the “vibe check.” But he’s also evaluating things like company size, specialties, and business philosophy. Just like any successful relationship, communication is the key to high-quality results.

“So that’s actually a part of [being] an Art Director. Browsing production companies, finding styles that you want.” 

Tech on Tap

Like any other warrior, an Art Designer chooses what to bring to battle. The Marine Corps Rifelman’s Creed comes to mind: “This is my Adobe Suite. There are many like it, but this one is mine.” It’s important that one’s arsenal is suited to personal preferences, especially when the workload calls for heavy lifting.

“I’ve definitely been having a tunnel vision day. Basically had my nose in After Effects all day doing video editing.”
– Bryan Wiggins, Art Director

“Art Director” doesn’t fully capture the scope of their wizardry. In addition to Bryan’s Adobe Suite prowess, his skillset expands to animation and illustration. And yet, even in 2025, his weapons of choice are a pen and paper. He believes jotting things down is more efficient than using a computer, especially in the early stages of the creative process when you’re roughing out concepts or scribbling loose ideas for later.

Erica Kolanowski, Graphic Designer, creates word clouds when concepting. She swears by it, in fact. It helps her organize all the different thoughts passing through, explore the ideas that don’t first come to mind, and review ideas so clichés are filtered out and clarity is filtered in.

“Hayao Miyazaki is like an 80-year-old man who spent his entire life developing an extremely loved body of work. And now people are just typing into a computer and it’s copying it and spitting it out.”

Eventually, an idea must reach its final form. The Mendoza visual artists agree that InDesign is the preferred software to complete its evolution. It’s a mighty tool that’s only become stronger since generative AI was added to its capabilities. And this is where the conversation shifted from efficiency to ethics, with Studio Ghibli as the key point. “Hayao Miyazaki is like an 80-year-old man who spent his entire life developing an extremely loved body of work. And now people are just typing into a computer and it’s copying it and spitting it out.” – Erica Kolanowski, Graphic Designer

The Human Touch

Today, it seems everyone is toying with text-to-image prompts, conversing with chatbots, or experimenting with some other time-saving solutions. Generative AI is undeniably resourceful, but does its productivity have a price? It’s developing faster than the laws that regulate it. It’s becoming harder to protect creative work, from source material to signature styles. But there’s a clear demand for more discussion to decide how this technology best applies to creative industries. Their concerns are justified, but what stood out the most was their resolve:

“I have a low-key conspiracy theory [that] AI and all this conversation around it is going to generate a sort of humanist art movement. I feel like people are going to keep pushing style and keep pushing innovation in traditional art spheres as kind of like a backlash to this. Because you’re right, it can’t create anything new. Everything it creates is derivative.” – Bryan Wiggins

I like the sound of that. Because if this chat taught me anything, it’s that power doesn’t derive from a tool, but the hands that hold them.

“I have a low-key conspiracy theory [that] AI and all this conversation around it is going to generate a sort of humanist art movement.”