Towards the end of 2022, I was brought on as a Junior Art Director for Manifest, an award winning content marketing agency. My job was simple - assist Art Directors, ACD's and the Creative Director with everything from magazine spreads to static social objects for the CDW team.
I very quickly found myself playing to my skills in the form of making animated social objects for each of the six segments. Utilizing my motion design skills and newfound video editing abilities, I was able to create engaging social objects that drove up online viewership on X (formerly Twitter), as well as directing potential customers to the CDW site.
Part of my responsibilities as a Junior Art Director was to take ownership of certain ongoing projects - whether it be event artwork, sponsored social objects, or artwork for influencer lists, I was the one who you went to if you wanted those done. However, one of more complex projects I had ownership over was something known as the This Issue video - where I took everything that was being discussed in any given quarter for a segments magazine, and distilled it into a 45 second to 2 minute video for social.
Another large responsibility of mine was hero art for the CDW website itself - something that would engage people and make them want to read the full article.
Finally, towards the end of my time at Manifest, I began working on magazine spreads - these three being ones that allowed me the most creative control. Working on spreads is a challenge, you have to have a deep understanding of typography, the grid, color theory, and spacing to create a spread that is effective and engaging.