How to get a degree in "Creative Direction"

OK. True confession. My headline is link-bait... 

As far as I know, there aren't any degree programs that crank out ready-for-hire creative directors. 

You can, of course, get an individual degree in virtually every discipline where a creative director might need to be excellent:

Copywriting, graphic design, interactive design, coding, photography, video, advertising, marketing, the list goes on and on.

So, where is "creative direction 101?"

I think one of the reasons for this is that there are as many different types of creative direction as there are companies that require it.

For example, to be a successful creative director at a company that specializes in package design would require very different experience than a creative director in a digital services firm.

Additionally, the many different types of skills that report to and provide services to a creative director would require different types of leadership from that creative director.

In other words, it seems to be a necessity that creative directors must be grown through osmosis. Only through significant exposure to the many different layers, stakeholders, and business processes of various industries can a person with excellent foundational creative skills become a creative director.

So, you're a killer copywriter. You understand how to pack content that is rich with SEO keywords. Or, you are a well heeled visual designer who is masterful with the Adobe creative suite. Clients request you by name, and your account team partners trust that you understand what's written between the lines on a creative brief.

Here are four areas to wrap your head around if you want to start positioning your career for creative direction.

BEING GREAT AT YOUR DISCIPLINE ISNT ENOUGH

As much as it pains me to admit it, the era of craft is over. Being an excellent (fill in the blank here) simply will not be enough to get you into a managerial hub position like creative director.

The first thing for you to do is to determine if that's what you want. If you are a visual creative, you might have no intention of managing copywriters. There are many creative people who have gone on to achieve incredible things while remaining dedicated to their core discipline. If, however, you have an affinity for the entire creative process and product, stepping beyond your present responsibilities is something you will want to target. Speak to your current supervisors about ways to achieve this.

STOP THINKING "creative." START THINKING "business."

Regardless of the type of industry you serve, the role of creative director is actually one of "synthesizer." The clients desires and needs, the account team and company you work for, and the specific needs and desires of the end customer must all be brought together in harmony by your efforts.

As the person who is in the confluence of all these disparate forces, you must become a student of the industry you serve. You must understand the competitive landscape, how the economy affects it, cultural trends that affect the various major players, any regulatory constraints that control what can and cannot be said, and what media is best employed.

Begin to make friends among your company's best account directors. Become as engaged as possible during client presentations. Seek to get as much information from your clients as you give when presenting.

YOUR COMPASS POINT. YOUR POV. YOUR VOICE.

All of the best marketing communications companies, advertising agencies, and interactive studios have one thing in common: a specific point of view. They have a philosophy on what makes great work great. They have a process that they call their own. In short, they have their own specific style. That style becomes their brand.

In many ways, this characteristic of great communications companies is what ties them to great artists of the past. All great writers, musicians, architects, photographers, and creative thinkers in other disciplines have developed their own distinct voice or style.

You must do the same. Your voice or style may be specific to your industry, or it might be specific to your management style. It is not enough that your voice or style be specific to your core creative discipline. It must embrace the entire orchestra of creative activity that relates to your profession and desired position.

RESEARCH BASIC MANAGEMENT FUNDAMENTALS

You not only need to be an excellent copywriter, you need to be an excellent copy manager. You not only need to be a great designer, you need to be able to get excellent designs out of your peers. You must learn how to communicate to creative people of different skills and levels and temperaments, and be able to translate to them the specific business needs they are to solve when they present their solutions to you. One of my favorite resources for instruction is www.lynda.com. You'll find much more than instruction for software packages, there. You will also find business, marketing, and communications courses, as well.

Creative direction, ultimately, it's about standing in the gap. More than that, it is leading multiple disciplines to achieve communications harmony.