Who does what in a design agency?

In a very successful design agency, it is incredibly important to keep in mind that marketing positions do not follow the same recruitment requirements as the in-house recruitment strategy. There usually isn’t just one person dealing with clients but rather a few individuals with different specialities would need to manage a variety of clients and address their needs.

When one imagines a design agency, you might have pictures of a creative environment – a space where a group of talented, cool, creative hipsters produce innovative solutions. These solutions are what produce leads for your business, which is ultimately the aim of partnering with an agency.

To understand how vital this all is, we need to have a good idea of how this type of agency works.

Who is a creative director in a design agency?

To start with, you need a head honcho. This is a person who has been there, done that and received the massive 27” iMac (with the quickest processor). This individual is accountable for the quality of work that is produced and managing a team of creatives.  It takes numerous years of experience to achieve this position. This great person, who can also be pretty intimidating at times, is known as the Creative Director.

It may seem that the Creative Director falls victim to making rash decisions at times, but they recognise the value of following other’s instincts. This person can identify the root of a problem and understand unique perspectives. They are an inspiration for those around them and are well admired by people they work with.

To get into the position of Creative Director (or CD for short), you would be expected to have a bachelor’s degree and/or relevant work experience.

Who is the Chief Technology Officer?

A chief technology officer, who is also called the CTO and is at times referred to as a chief technical officer. This is an executive-level position in an organisation or other entity. The CTO is focused on scientific and technological issues within an organisation.

He or she is also accountable for administering all technical aspects of the organisation. Utilising an active practical approach, a CTO shall direct all employees in the IT and IO division to attain the company’s strategic goals which are established in the company’s tactical plans.

In the position of CTO, you would be required to have attained these skills and qualifications:

• Advanced IT Knowledge
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Motivational Skills
• Technological Analysis
• Website Development
• Research, Business and Computational Skills
• Excellent Written and Oral Communication Skills
• Public Speaking and Presentation Skills
• Team Building Skills
• Industry Knowledge
• IT Terminology
• Client Management Skills

Who’s going to be the head of department in a design agency?

The term ‘Head of Department’ relates to chosen post holders who have responsibility for a department.

The head of department is supposed to lead, manage as well as develop the department to ensure it reaches the ultimate standards of excellence in all its activities. In addition, they will have:

• The ability to engage constructively with people
• Excellent communication skills
• Very good ambassadorial and diplomatic skills
• The ability to manage a number of vying demands

All heads of department are expected to implement leadership, demonstrate vision as well as empowering others in order to deliver on the agreed departmental strategy within the company.

Agency roles can be remarkably difficult to pin down. While you may have a clear division into individual departments – creative, management, sales, and support – the particular roles in them can vary significantly across agencies.

Creative agencies are also infamous for creating new titles to supplant more traditional ones. Thus, you could have a “director of innovation” in place of a creative director. Or a “VP of client happiness” in place of a client services director.

Regardless of the title, the actual responsibilities of these roles remain essentially the same. An account manager, no matter what he/she is called, is still the person responsible for dealing with clients and their needs.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

If you want to discover more about the world of advertising, then you need to do our National Certificate of Advertising. For more information, please follow this link.