Hot Job: By Robert Half October 26, 2016 at 4:00pm

A keen eye for detail along with a healthy mix of creative and technical know-how makes the
production artist an indispensable — and in-demand — part of the creative team.

While the earliest production artists performed paste-up duties for the advertising industry, the
position has evolved to include prepress work for both print and digital projects. Today’s production
artist assists design teams primarily in producing print, packaging, advertising, point-of-purchase and
digital graphics. The most common duty for a production artist is preflight formatting, in addition to
collecting, processing, checking and uploading files.

A successful production artist must possess a mix of both creative and technical skills. They must be
able to work quickly but also remain extremely detail-oriented.

Here’s a look at the production artist job description and average starting salary.

Production artist salary benchmarks

According to The Creative Group’s 2019 Salary Guide, the midpoint starting salary for a production
artist is $52,000. Use our Salary Calculator to find out what a production artist can make in your city.

Production artist duties and expectations

While an art director comes up with creative concepts and a graphic designer executes them, it’s the
production artist who brings them to life. That’s why strong typographic and layout skills, strict
attention to detail, and outstanding organizational, project management, file-organization and
archiving skills are a must.

The production artist job description often includes the ability to:

 Collaborate closely with art directors, designers and developers

 Prepare final press-ready files based on supplied specifications for
several types of printing
 Make various formats of supplied artwork production-ready and
resolve any artwork issues that arise during production
 Provide image retouching, clipping paths and additional image
manipulation
 Package and preflight files for release to printers or media partners
 Create PDFs for print and client review
 Conduct press checks
 Prepare images for online and mobile applications
 Catalog and reference art for future projects
 Follow a development timeline to ensure tasks are being completed
on time
 Troubleshoot problems as they arise with both the creative team and
the printer

Professional experience and skills

A bachelor’s degree in design or other related positions is preferred for the production artist position.
Significant course work in graphic design, print production, visual arts or a related field, along with an
outstanding portfolio and experience that demonstrates clear knowledge of print production and
design, may suffice in the absence of a degree.

A production artist must have a solid knowledge of printing processes and should be adept with
software applications such as FlightCheck, the Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office.

Experience with digital content such as websites, social media, online advertising and email
campaigns may be required, along with basic knowledge of HTML5, Adobe After Effects and web-
development software.

A production artist should have strong analytical skills, excellent verbal and written communication
skills, and the ability to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment. These creative
professionals should also be process-oriented self-starters. And they must stay up to date with new
production techniques and trends through research and education.

This post has been updated to reflect more current information.

HEAD OF DESIGN
JOB DESCRIPTION
We’re looking for someone with ambition who can lead and help take our growing integrated agency to the
next level. The successful individual will have the vision and drive necessary to develop and lead our design
department, both creatively and commercially. You’ll have a great eye for modern, beautiful design and
understand how this interacts with and supports successful campaign and brand messaging. With experience in
managing people, you will enjoy being involved in the day to day whilst maintaining the ability to consider the
bigger picture. You’ll have an agency background and either be waiting to step up or get back your enthusiasm
for helping a young agency compete with the bigger boys.
Role
The Head of Design is responsible for developing and managing all aspects of our design and creative output.
It's a leadership role, with accountability for online and offline design output and commercial success of the
design and creative department. You will ensure design and creative deliverables are aligned to client
expectations and executed within budget and timescales. It also involves working with internal and external
clients, pitching designs, and understanding client needs. At times, we require you to develop visual designs,
and at other times, be responsible for recruiting and managing multi-disciplinary third party suppliers as well
as internal design resources. It will involve you using your best practice toolkit to implement new processes
and practices to improve efficiency of the design and creative department.
Responsibilities
● Managing the design team and freelancers as required and helping develop our people
● Influencing design led thinking across the business
● Lead concept development in relation to design and creative outputs
● Take a lead role in managing the design and creative elements of projects and be point of contact for clients
brand and creative projects
● Develop creative programs and design concepts that meet the business objectives of the organisation and that
advance our brand and proposition strategy
● Commercial accountability through accurate scoping and quoting of work www.clients-first.co.uk | 0845 303
7788 | info@clients-first.co.uk
● Develop and manage productivity and to continuously improve the design team’s production capabilities
● Ensuring that design and creative projects are delivered on time and to budget ensuring commercial success
● Work with internal teams to generate ideas for pitching and proposals
● Provide quality control over design outputs and production
● Establishing and developing best practice with the design and creative team
● Working with other team members to deliver projects and activity to deliver against deadlines ●
Communicating with our audience, positioning of ClientsFirst’s design and creative capability ● Point of
contact for liaising with external suppliers, such as printers and on occasion photographers
Skills and competencies
● Excellent organisational and communication skills and the ability to manage multiple projects ● Knowledge
of layouts, graphic fundamentals, typography & limitations of online and offline design work
● The ability to storyboard or translate ideas to designers and others, influencing external and internal
stakeholders
● Attention to detail
● A strong working knowledge of online and offline design, brand development and the creative process
● Ability to lead design projects from concept to completion
● Ability to supervise and develop employees
● Experience with software including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign
● Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
Experience
● Previous experience in an agency environment is essential
● At least five years experience in a senior designer role including concept development and client contact
● Proven track record in creating excellent brand and design work from concept to production

Hours - Full time or part-time. It’s about finding the right person.
Salary - Based on experience.
Location - Macclesfield, Cheshire. Is it you? Drop us a line at opportunities@clients-first.co.uk www.clients-
first.co.uk | 0845 303 7788 | info@clients-first.co.uk

Digital Designer Job Description

In their primary role, digital designers combine their creativity and technical skills to produce digital
graphics for computer and electronic games, websites, movie special effects, and more. Some
digital designers might create graphics for brochures or fliers; some might create 2- or 3-D graphics;
still others might lend their skills to animating graphics for educational or corporate training videos.
Regardless of their field or media, digital designers work with artists and illustrators in the
conceptualization phase, create templates, produce mock-ups, improve the quality of existing
graphics, and run user testing on website and game features.

Digital designers can be employed by advertising firms, video game manufacturers, corporate
marketing departments, movie studios, or website design companies. The overall projected
employment growth rate for digital designers is 10 percent between 2016-2026, according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The continued demand for high-quality and realistic graphics for
games and special effects, as well as mobile devices, will be the biggest factor in this expected job
growth rate.

Digital Designer Duties and Responsibilities

To accomplish their daily tasks, digital designers must meet and satisfy various demands. After
taking a close look at various job listings for this profession, we have the found the following to be
among those responsibilities most commonly indicated for digital designers:

Conceptualize Art for Print and Digital Designs

 Digital designers work with artists and illustrators to produce digital animation for various projects,
such as websites, online magazines, advertisement materials, and videos. They are usually
responsible for creating templates and mock-ups to review with artists and management before
submitting the finished product.

Improve Existing Designs

While in many cases digital designers provide digital images for new orders, they also might be
assigned the task of improving existing graphics and images for websites or videos. Digital
designers make suggestions, provide updated images and implement approved changes as
instructed.

Perform Usability Tests

For digital designers who are involved in game or video production, it is usually their responsibility to
conduct usability tests on animated projects. At this stage, digital designers can spot any flaws or
issues in their designs and make corrections and improvements to enhance user experience.

Digital Designer Skills

To find success in this field, digital designers should display stronger than average creative,
organizational, and time management skills. They should be detail-oriented self-starters who can
easily multitask and who understand project management stages. Excellent presentation,
communication, and computer skills are essential. It is also important for digital designers to be team
players able handle criticism and implement suggestions to improve animated designs. In addition to
these abilities, it is crucial that digital designers possess the following skills:

 Generate high-quality graphics and computer animations

 Design and create prototypes and mock-ups
 Make necessary improvements to existing graphics
 Test designs for usability and quality

Digital Designer Tools of the Trade

Digital designers must be familiar with various tools used to complete their daily tasks. If you have
the desire to become a digital designer, you should have a strong understanding of the following:

 Programming languages – digital designers must be adept at using various language to design
web pages and applications, such as HTML and CSS
 Adobe Creative Suite software – from Dreamweaver to Photoshop, digital designers should be
adept at the various Adobe software that would help them in web development and graphic design
 Project management concepts – scheduling, cost, and time management are a few project
management phases that digital designers should be familiar with when working on various types of
projects
Digital Designer Education and Training

Most employers seek potential candidates for digital designer positions who hold a bachelor’s
degree, often in graphic design, computer animation, web design, or a related area. Courses in
computer science and art are helpful in preparing to become a digital designer. Many degree
programs contain internships that allow students to hone skills in a professional setting under the
tutelage of experienced designers.

Digital Designer Salary

As reported by the BLS, the median annual salary for digital designers is $65,300; those earning in
the 10th percentile realized a median salary of less than $38,520, while top earners were paid more
than $115,960. Those employed by software publishers and computer system design companies
tend to be paid the highest median annual wages in the industry. The highest mean annual wages
for this occupation are seen by those working in California ($82,680), Connecticut ($78,870), and
Massachusetts ($77,370).

Digital Designer Resources

Explore what it takes to become and work as a digital designer by following the links below. Review
books, blogs, and other resources that can help you decide if a career as a digital designer is for
you:

International Digital Media and Arts Association (IDMAa) – Founded in 2004, IDMAa offers
digital designers conferences and networking opportunities as well as a published journal with
articles focusing on the digital art profession.

Webydo – This blog, focusing on digital designers for websites, offers interviews, design tips,
dealing with clients, and so much more.

Tobias van Schneider – A professional digital designer gives personal insight into this profession,
with blogs focusing on job advice, working habits, using tools, and portfolio design.

InVision Blog – From template reviews to inspirational design quotes, this blog offers timely articles
about digital design practices and trends.

Digital Arts – An online publication offering digital designers information about visual trends, helpful
tools, illustration tips, tutorials, and more.

Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer: A Guide to Careers in Design – From best practices
to career options, this book offers a comprehensive look at what it takes to work successfully as a
digital designer. Professional tips, portfolio development, and design inspiration are just a few of the
details you will find in this volume.
Burn Your Portfolio: Stuff they don’t teach you in design school, but should – A professional
designer and artist takes you through a personal and behind-the-scenes look at being a digital
designer; filled with practical advice about client management, teamwork, and placing bids.

Graphic Multimedia Designer Responsibilities

Multimedia is a combination of different content forms like text, audio, photographs, animation,
video or other interactivity forms. These forms are used to produce programs or data through the use
of computer software and application. Multimedia works are presented by multimedia designers via
CDs, DVDs, television, websites and so on. These designers may work in various industries as
instructional designers, graphic designers, sound editors, programmers, etc., amongst many other
positions. Graphic multimedia designer responsibilities and duties are considered to be challenging
and important in the area of multimedia work. A graphic multimedia designer uses their knowledge
and technical skills to develop multimedia presentations with an aim of educating and entertaining
the target audience. Some of the products created by them are computer games, animations, 3D
models, advertising and marketing materials, etc.
A graphic multimedia designer produces designs that get their client's messages across with high
visual impact. The main responsibilities include preparing sketches, scale models, plans, and
drawings of the content to be developed. They work in a creative group to produce interactive
multimedia content in accordance to their client's need using computer-aided design packages.
If you aim to build your career in this field, you may work as a graphic multimedia designer in
private organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, marketing and advertising
companies, and entertainment and broadcasting firms. To get a detailed analysis of the
responsibilities and other requirements of a graphic multimedia designer, you may refer to the later
part of this article. Nevertheless, the requirements and details are given in a generalized manner and
may vary according to the area of specialization.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities of a Graphic Multimedia Designer

 Provide multimedia design support to the client's requirement

 Create an exciting, engaging, and interactive online experience
 Take brief from clients to prepare the design
 Create visual solutions through the use of specialized and latest technologies
 Brainstorm and mock-up design ideas with cross functional team (including artists, web
developers, animators, programmers, etc.)
 Present the framework design/s to the client with description of the idea meant to be
communicated
 Make necessary changes in line with the client�s demand and the project objectives
 Be flexible to make changes as required by the client or individual project objectives
 Proofread and check the quality of the graphic work before they go for final printing
 Complete the project successfully through independent as well as team effort
 Estimate the project budget and timeline
 Complete project keeping the deadline and budget in mind

Skills and Proficiencies

 Knowledge and skills in graphic and multimedia design and layout

 Ability to present ideas and solutions through effective communication
 Excellent in working with teams and independently
 Responsible and the ability to meet deadlines
 A strong visual and creative sense
  Ability to provide original work
 Capacity to handle more than one project simultaneously
 Excellent knowledge of computer and various software tools
 Confident and smart to deal with the clients
 Strong technical aptitude to learn new software and hardware
 Ability to pay attention to details and be well organized
 Knowledge of the industry and new technologies

Technical Skills
A graphic multimedia designer should have the knowledge of software programs like Photoshop,
Corel Draw, Abode creative suite, Firworks, Flash suite for designing, planning and other graphic
applications. Basic knowledge of other programs like Microsoft suite, Internet, Java, CSS, film or
video Editing, Web Page Design, and Abode Creative suite amongst many others will give a boost to
the the credentials of a job seeker.
Educational Qualifications
The minimum qualification required is a bachelor's degree in multimedia and graphic designing or
the related field like computer science, film making, web development, graphic and media design.
Diploma or certified courses in the relevant field will also prove to be beneficial for this position.
Earning Details
A multimedia designer can earn between $51,750 and $74,550 per year. The salary structure differs
on the overall experience and skills of a candidate or the location of job, current industry standard
and the relevant position obtained (senior/medium/junior).
Working Conditions
Graphic multimedia designers usually work 45 hours a week as regular official timing. However, this
work profile needs extra working hours to meet critical project deadlines. An employee may work in
an office, studio or from home. Many graphic multimedia designers are consultants or freelancers
and perform contracted/freelance work as and when required.
Graphic multimedia designer responsibilities can be easily carried out by a person who has a strong
interest in this field with equivalent combination of required qualifications, abilities and expertise.
More job opportunities are expected to open up with growing consumer demand for special effects
television, video games and 3D animated movies. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
employment in the field is expected to increase by 14 percent by the year 2018.