Tanya de Jongh, Integrated Creative Director and Head of Design at RAPT Creative, says it’s long overdue that we start recognising the distinctiveness of design and doing better by the discipline. By understanding the unique contributions that designers bring to the table, we can elevate the role and celebrate the deep thinking and skill required to craft truly impactful design work.
In our industry, the terms ‘design’ and ‘art direction’ are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion and, more importantly, an undervaluation of the design discipline. While both roles are essential in shaping visual communication, they differ in their purpose, process, and the thinking behind them. Unfortunately, the industry’s tendency to blur these lines has led to a diminished respect for design as a craft.
The Role Of Design Vs. Art Direction
At its core, design is about problem-solving. It is the practice of taking a set of constraints — whether they be functional, aesthetic, or strategic — and crafting solutions that meet both the practical needs and the creative vision of a project. Design requires a balance of analytical thinking and creative execution. It is detail-oriented, iterative and hands-on.
Art direction, on the other hand, is broader in scope. Art directors are tasked with defining the overall visual direction or aesthetic strategy of a project. They conceptualise the big picture, establish a unified visual tone, and oversee the creative process to ensure that all elements — photography, typography, illustration, and more — are working harmoniously to serve the brand or narrative. Art direction is more about guiding teams and shaping ideas than it is about executing the design itself.
While art direction provides vision, it’s the designer who brings that vision to life through the nitty-gritty of craft. Whether it’s selecting typefaces, creating grids, or ensuring the design responds to user behaviour, designers are responsible for translating ideas into functional, visually compelling solutions.
The Undervaluation Of Design
Despite the essential role that design plays in making a project successful, the industry often treats it as a second-tier discipline, overshadowed by the more glamorous role of art direction. This is reflected in everything from budget allocation to the visibility of designers within agencies. Too often, design is seen as a mere execution of art direction — as if design is only about making things ‘look good’ after the art director has made the important decisions.
This mentality undervalues the strategic thinking and expertise that design requires. Designers don’t just make things pretty; we craft strategic solutions that improve the end user’s experiences, tell compelling stories, and ultimately drive business outcomes. Whether it’s designing an intuitive user interface or creating a brand system that communicates identity, design has a profound impact on how a brand or product is perceived and experienced. Yet, these contributions are frequently minimised or overlooked.
The Craft Of Design: More Than Execution
Design isn’t just a series of steps toward execution — it’s a form of critical thinking. Designers are problem-solvers who consider functionality, accessibility, hierarchy, and emotion in every decision they make. A well-designed interface, for example, isn’t just visually appealing — it’s intuitive, ensuring that users can navigate effortlessly. A well-designed brand system isn’t just a logo and a colour palette; it’s distinctive and modular, ensuring coherence across diverse mediums while leaving room for evolution.
To treat design merely as decoration is dismissing the depth of knowledge and skill involved in the craft. A designer must understand colour theory, typography, composition, psychology, and, increasingly, technology. We have to balance client needs, brand business objectives with user needs, marrying aesthetic considerations with functional ones. This level of expertise takes years to develop, and yet, it’s often undervalued in creative teams.
Respecting Design: A Call To The Industry
As an industry, we all need to do better in respecting design by recognising its role as a strategic asset, not just a cosmetic one. That means involving designers earlier in the creative process, giving them a seat at the table when decisions are being made, and acknowledging that their insights are as valuable as those of art directors or other stakeholders.
Budgets should reflect the time and expertise required for good design, and designers should be given the space to push back when decisions are made that undermine the integrity of the work. Additionally, creative teams and agencies need to invest in the continuous education and growth of designers, as their work is increasingly tied to evolving technologies and consumer behaviours.
Design should be elevated to the same level of strategic importance as art direction, copywriting, or strategy. By respecting the thinking behind design, the craft, and the intellectual rigour requires, we open the door to more innovative, effective, and cohesive creative solutions.
Design and art direction are both integral to the creative process, but they serve different roles. Art direction provides the vision, while design brings that vision to life through thoughtful, crafted execution. Yet, all too often, the industry fails to respect design as a discipline, treating it as a subordinate to art direction rather than as a strategic, problem-solving practice.
To move forward, we must acknowledge the intellectual and technical precision of design, give designers the respect they deserve, and recognise that great creative work relies as much on the excellence of design as it does on the vision of art direction. It’s time to elevate design, honour the craft, and, in doing so, push the industry forward.
RAPT CREATIVE
https://raptcreative.com/
