brochure art direction
 

ith market research, brand history, goals and inspirational direction from the creative director, now it is the art director's turn. Writing decisions are also on the table and everyone is working closely to agree on a general outline that covers both visual and copy expectations. While this is only the rough pencil stage, it is the vital process that inevitably produces the concept. That first word and image combination that will either spur people on to read the entire message or toss it into the wastebasket.
Typically, an art director will note headline thoughts while organizing page breaks, deciding on size and visualizing how content should be pictorialized. Conversely, with a focus on copy, the writer is similarily occupied. As notes are prepared, both views will eventually come together in the form of a simple line layout. Just enough for the creative director to understand. The beauty of such basic renderings is that the cosmetics of a very tight, nearly finished work, aren't allowed to supercede the idea. Black line thumbnails don't lie. Whether the idea is good or not comes through loud and clear.
Upon approval from the creative director and client, the art director can contract the necessary images and proceed to camera ready art.