Art Direction / Exercise

on
24.09.2025 - 28.10.2025 (Week 1 - Week 6)
Ng Kar Yee / 0367743
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Art Direction / Exercise

INTRODUCTION

EXERCISE⇒ ANALYZING ART DIRECTION PRACTICES IN CREATIVE COMPANY

For our exercise, Mr Kamal introduced Analyzing Art Direction Practices In Creative Company to us where we need to practice analysing how art direction operates inside real creative company and apply industry vocabulary for example, production pipeline, department responsibilities, art director role. Therefore we may scope to improve our teamwork, research, presentation and written communication skills.

For this project, we are required to form a group and selects one creative company whose art department aligns with your programme specialisation areas (Graphic Design, UI/UX, Digital Animation, Entertainment Design, Immersive Design). The group will research and present a cohesive company profile addressing four sections. Each member takes one section and becomes the subject-matter lead for that part.

EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS

WEEK 1

After receiving a brief overview of the exercise from Mr. Kamal, we proceeded to form our groups in Week 1. My friends, Winnie, Si Yan, Hui Yi, Melvin, Guo Ying and I came together to form a team of six. As our group have a mix of UIUX and Immersive specialise students (me :)), we decided to source for creative company whose art department aligns with both of our specialise. Following this, we conducted initial research to identify suitable companies and began exploring their backgrounds to ensure alignment with the scope of our study. Therefore, our first choice company was Experimental Design Team (EDT). They are an Interactive Entertainment Company that focuses on creations of virtual characters & spaces for brands, organisations to plug into the meta-world.

Figure 1.0 EDT's website

​Experimental Design Team (EDT)'s company website

​Experimental Design Team (EDT)'s company Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/company/weareedt/?originalSubdomain=my

WEEK 2

After sourcing a few more company, our team moved forward by drafting a structured set of interview questions to investigate how art direction fits within the production pipeline of creative companies. Alongside this, Winnie developed a professional interview request email template to initiate communication with industry professionals. I played a role in co-developing the interview questions for student C section with Hui Yi while beginning to structure early management documentation.

WEEK 3

After drafting the interview questions, we reviewed the drafted interview questions with Mr. Kamal, received feedback, and gained approval to proceed with contacting companies. Our initial email was sent to EDT, but after receiving no response and recognizing the time constraints, we broadened our outreach to multiple companies, including Bike Bear, Webby Group, TrueXR, and VTF. 

Several companies responded, and after internal evaluation, we selected Bike Bear as our final choice due to their emphasis on website design and branding, which closely aligned with our research direction. We then refine the interview questions to target or to meet the company's direction.

Figure 1.1 Bike Bear's website
Bike Bear's company website
Bike Bear's company Linkedin

FINAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS SET & INTERVIEW REQUEST TEMPLATE

WEEK 4

In Week 4, we focused on preparing for the upcoming interview by reviewing the finalized question set and assigning speaking roles. We monitored email responses while confirming availability with Bike Bear. Additionally, we began outlining our sections for the written report in anticipation of the insights we would gain from the interview.

WEEK 5

Week 5 marked a major milestone as we successfully conducted the interview with Mr. Ariel, the Art Director and Founder of Bike Bear. This session provided valuable insights into their collaborative workflow, the role of art direction in shaping visual identity and decision-making dynamics within creative projects. It was a anxious moment for me as it was my first time speaking to an actual industry profesional.

Figure 1.2 Team Interview Section With Mr Ariel

Following the interview, I completed the Gantt chart based on confirmed timelines and team responsibilities. Each member began drafting their assigned sections of the report, and we collectively started developing the presentation slide deck. I also continued updating and finalizing the Weekly Project Management Report.

Figure 1.3 My Part In Written Report

Figure 1.4 Gantt Chart In Progress

Figure 1.5 Weekly Project Management Report In Progress

Figure 1.6 Student C Section Of The Presentation Deck

WEEK 6

In Week 6, we focused on refining and finalizing our deliverables. The written report was edited for clarity and cohesion, the slide deck was polished visually and structurally, and all documentation, including the Gantt chart and Weekly Project Management Report was finalized. 

FINAL WRITTEN REPORT




FINAL WEEKLY PROJECT MANAGEMENT REPORT

GANTT CHART

FINAL PRESENTATION DECK

Bike Bear Art Director Report by Winnie Ho

LINK TO GOOGLE DRIVE SUBMISSION (DOC / PDF)

FEEDBACK

WEEK 3

  • Overall interview questions and email templates look fine

REFLECTION

Throughout the exercise journey, I gained a deeper understanding of project flow, industry practices and the importance of structured teamwork. Working collaboratively with my group allowed me to enhance my communication and coordination skills as we consistently aligned individual responsibilities with shared objectives. Taking responsibility for the project management report and Gantt chart helped me strengthen my organisational and scheduling abilities, as I had to track progress and ensure that tasks aligned with deadlines. Participating in the interview preparation and reviewing insights from the art director further expanded my knowledge of team-based decision-making within professional creative pipelines. The experience also enhanced my critical thinking and adaptability, especially when making adjustments to timelines and roles under time pressure. Overall, this exercise allowed me to build stronger teamwork, documentation, planning, and analytical skills while better understanding how real-world production structures operate through art direction.

CHALLENGES FACED AND ACTION PLAN TO RESOLVE

One major challenge the team encountered was the lack of responses from our initial target companies for the interview, which created uncertainty and delayed our progression. Additionally, the tight project timeline intensified the pressure to secure an interviewee and proceed with essential components such as the written report and presentation. 

To address this, the team expanded our outreach by contacting multiple additional companies to increase the likelihood of receiving a confirmation. This strategy proved successful when Bike Bear responded and agreed to be interviewed. In response to the tight schedule, we also reinforced our time management approach by prioritising urgent tasks, setting internal checkpoints, and improving communication flow to ensure consistent progress toward our milestones.

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