The Art Director Lens
The self-review checklist that helps you critique your own work like a Senior Designer.
A practical, real-world checklist built from years of agency feedback — so you can refine your work and send stronger designs before anyone else sees them.
Why I Created This
If you’ve ever hit “send” on a design and immediately thought,
“Wait… maybe that spacing is off?”
“Why does this feel messy?”
“Is this going to print okay?”
“Something feels off, but I can’t tell what…”
This is for you.
When I worked under a great art director long enough, something shifted.
I started hearing her voice in my head:
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"Check your alignment"
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"Tighten the spacing"
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"Simplify your layout"
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"Why is that thing floating"
I began fixing the thing before she even mentioned it.
And my work got dramatically better.
But not everyone has access to that kind of feedback.
The Art Director Lens is your shortcut.
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How Does This Help?
The Art Director Lens is a structured self-review checklist built from my years of real-world feedback from art directors and the art direction I myself now give other designers — the common nuances, corrections, and thinking that elevate designs from “ok” to "the magic touch".
Instead of sending your work and hoping for vague feedback like “make it pop,” you’ll learn to check for:
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Strategic impact
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Hierarchy & eye flow
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Spacing
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Typography mastery
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Print production check
You’ll catch problems earlier.
Send stronger drafts.
Feel more confident.
And if something still feels off?
You’ll know what kind of feedback to ask for.
It's time to build the internal standards that great art directors naturally apply — so you can raise your level whether you work at an agency, freelance, or completely on your own.
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