Become an Art Director in 30 days
A 4-week bootcamp where you’ll learn to think conceptually and craft a creative campaign as an art director.
01
Learn to feel
Find the insight that makes an idea worth making.
02
Learn to think
Turn insights into BIG ideas that scale.
03
Learn to see
Define a visual language that's impossible to ignore.
04
Learn to lead
Execute your vision across teams & channels.
-
The core of NEXT is built around a set of principles used by great working art directors. How to develop a point of view. How to find an insight. How to build a big idea and think across a campaign. How to see the world with the visual taste and creative vision that makes your work unmistakable.
-
4x 90-minute classes over Zoom, plus 4x 30-minute group office hour sessions. All sessions recorded so you never miss a thing.
-
You leave with a campaign-level project built on a repeatable process used by the top creative agencies and brands. Put in the work, and in 30 days, you’ll have a project that can either pivot your existing creative portfolio or establish your new one.
-
Personal critique on your art direction concepts & assignments, plus live Q&A. Not generic advice, feedback on your actual work.
-
A private Slack community with your cohort, a jobs board, and alumni channel. Ask questions, share work, and stay connected with other art directors making the same leap.
-
Every guest speaker session is recorded and yours to keep. Past speakers have come from OpenAI, Amazon, Droga5, and Wieden+Kennedy.
This is for you if…
You're a designer, photographer, editor, content creator or current art director ready to level up into art direction.
You're a creative who wants to think and lead, not just execute.
You have the craft skills and want to go deeper on the conceptual side, including current art directors.
You're ready to build a standout portfolio project to take your career to the next level.
This is NOT for you if
You're looking for a shortcut. This will require work.
You have zero making skills or software knowledge.
Worth knowing
This course focuses on conceptual art direction, not software or design basics.
The curriculum is built specifically for art direction roles in advertising and brand creative departments. We’ll briefly touch on a few other industries.
Why now?
Execution alone isn’t enough anymore.
Anyone can design. Anyone can edit. Anyone can push pixels or cut a timeline.
What’s rare now is someone who can think.
If you want to lead creative campaigns and projects in this next chapter of the industry, you need to think conceptually. You need to understand the idea behind the work, not just the work itself.
You need to think bigger about your role and your career.
I will teach you the skills of modern art direction and how to think like an art director so you can stop executing someone else's ideas and start shaping the ideas yourself.
Your Mentors
Jason Murray
Jason is a Canadian creative director, art director and creator based in Southern California. Blending traditional agency experience with a first-hand creator perspective, he’s worked at companies like Amazon’s Brand Innovation Lab, OK COOL, BBDO, and Huge, leading creative teams and campaigns for brands like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Lululemon, Brooks Running, Kraft Heinz, Mars-Wrigley, and Adobe.
Cole Davis
Cole is an art director and creator who combines strong agency experience with a passion for teaching and mentorship. He’s worked at leading agencies on campaigns for major global brands like Mercedes, HBO MAX and Lululemon. And has taught at Miami Ad School, one of the leading advertising portfolio programs.
OpenAI
/
Amazon
/
Wieden+Kennedy
/
Nike
/
Lululemon
/
AKQA
/
72andsunny
/
OpenAI / Amazon / Wieden+Kennedy / Nike / Lululemon / AKQA / 72andsunny /
Past Guest Speakers
Aisha Hakim
Aisha is a Creative Director and Art Director widely known for creating The Art of Deckmaking and her writing on advertising and creativity. Her work has appeared in Times Square, the Super Bowl, and the Olympics. She’s been featured in Communication Arts, selected for Medium’s Staff Picks, and named one of Business Insider’s 30 Most Creative Women in Advertising, as well as a One Show Next Creative Leader.
Jason Gold
Jason is a Creative Director and brand builder whose work spans campaigns, identities, and storytelling. He’s led creative at OpenAI and Amazon’s Brand Innovation Lab, with past roles at Droga5 and R/GA. His work includes brands like Meta, Lululemon, Hennessy, Volvo, Samsung, and Chase, and has been recognized by Cannes Lions, One Show, D&AD, and the Webby Awards.
Brad Hall
Brad is an experience and entertainment Creative Director who's built campaigns for Apple, Disney, Netflix, Nintendo, Nike, and Prime Video. Named one of "30 Under 30 Most Creative People in Advertising," his work pairs technical complexity with whimsical execution, driving blockbuster franchise success and worldwide press. He's been recognized by Emmys, Cannes Lions, D&AD, and the Webby Awards.
What the students are saying
“NEXT Art Director gave me a semester’s worth of advertising school in 30 days. It completely changed how I approach ideas. I left with a clear process, a strong portfolio piece, and the confidence to seriously pursue art direction.”
★★★★★ — Chelsea Perry, Photographer
“NEXT Art Director was by far the best online course I’ve ever taken. I loved the combination of live classes, weekly homework, and direct feedback on projects. I went from someone with no art direction experience to having a complete project for my portfolio. Jason did a great job breaking down the subjects clearly and made the content fun! Overall it is 100% worth the price of admission.”
★★★★★ — Boris Hope, Product Line Manager
“NEXT Art Director gave me the confidence to launch into a career that can sometimes seem impossible to break into. Jason is a great teacher, providing detailed and thoughtful feedback that you can't get anywhere else.”
★★★★★ — Stephanie Morales, Graphic Designer
“Jason completely demystifies Art Direction. The course is comprehensive while remaining condensed so you learn everything you need to know to get started right away. Not to mention Jason is super generous with his time and knowledge.”
★★★★★ — Jason Gonzales, Creative Director
By Kristin Massa
By Kristin Massa
By Kristin Massa
By Kristin Massa
By Kristin Massa
By Jason Gonzales
By Jason Gonzales
By Jason Gonzales
By Chelsea Perry
By Chelsea Perry
By Chelsea Perry
By Chelsea Perry
By Chelsea Perry
By Carlo Dionisio
By Carlo Dionisio
By Carlo Dionisio
By Carlo Dionisio
The Curriculum
-
The art direction role across industries
How art direction fits inside creative teams and brands
The creative pipeline
How to identify and leverage insights & human truths
Mining for insights
+Homework
-
The concept & ideation phase
How to think conceptually & leverage insights
BIG ideas: scaling your ideas to a campaign-level
How to stretch your ideas to build tension
How to articulate and present your early concepts
+Homework
-
How art directors think across channels and formats
How to structure a 360 campaign or brand platform
How to make clean, convincing comps using the tools you already know
How to turn ideas into scroll-stopping executions
+Homework
-
How to refine and present your campaign
How to format it for your portfolio
How to turn your project into content
How to pitch yourself in the creator-led era
+Homework
ENROLLMENT
Early Bird Special: $599 $499
NEXT Art Director:
The Course
Learn to become an Art Director with the on-demand course you can watch & re-watch at your own pace.
On-demand video lessons covering the full curriculum
Companion templates, worksheets, & assignments
Lifetime access. Watch and rewatch at your own pace
Apply the cost toward enrollment in The Bootcamp
Does not include live classes, guests, or private community.
$1,199
NEXT Art Director:
The Bootcamp
Includes all of The Course content, PLUS:
4× 60-minutes classes over Zoom
All classes are recorded for scheduling and timezone flexibility. You can join live or watch later.
4× 30-minute Q&A workshop sessions
Private peer cohort community for personal feedback, guidance, & building your network
Alumni community
Jobs channel
Guest speaker + all previous recordings
Full 300+ page slide deck
Direct access to Jason throughout the cohort
September Cohort
Timing & Enrollment: TBD
Not ready to enroll?
Join the Waitlist
Add your email to the waitlist and you’ll be the first to know when enrollment is live for future sessions.
Past Students
★★★★★I knew I needed a portfolio to unblock a new path, I had absolutely no idea what to do, and i decided to trust my intuition and enrol on the first cohort of a bootcamp in my second language at 10pm. I have NO regrets, the BEST bootcamp for unleashing creativity. No matter what you do at the end, you will end up being a better creative.
~ Rocío ~
★★★★★NEXT Art Director helped guide me, step-by-step, on how to create a 360 campaign from the basic how to come up with an insight all the way to creating my final project in 4 weeks! This course and the way Jason shows up for you with guidance throughout the class have helped me pivot to a different career altogether and take brave actions towards my future! I'm so grateful that this program exists and all that it has done for me as a creative!
~ Ankitha Donepudi ~
★★★★★Before NEXT Art Director, I really didn't know what art direction was, let alone that it would be something I'd want to pivot my career toward. Jason presents art direction in a way that's easy to grasp, and most importantly, fun to engage with. I have a clear vision for my creative career now because of this course!
~ JonCarlo Curiale ~
★★★★★NEXT Art Director had me diving into a completely new territory after being a creative professional for over 10 years. Jason was very generous in sharing knowledge, experience, and real work processes and tools. During the course duration, I learnt how to think deeper before even approaching the work, and how to translate thoughts, data, and observations into a campaign via his detailed process.
~ Maria Deligiorgi ~
★★★★★The program gave me the vocabulary and clarity I needed to confidently pitch myself as an Art Director in the rooms that matter. Jason brought immense insight into both the role and the craft—and because the program is so specialized, you walk away feeling truly inspired and understood by people who speak the same creative language!
~ Abhinav ~
★★★★★I really enjoyed my time in NEXT Art Director. Being surrounded by other aspiring art directors helped me level up creatively, and the exercises strengthened how I approach ideas in general. Even though I’m a UI/UX designer, the principles transferred directly into how I market and position my own app in the App Store.
~ Hamza ~
★★★★★Next AD was a such a well thought out and rewarding class. I learned how to see advertising differently, how to find the real insight behind an ad. The toolbox is an incredible resource and I loved that the course ends with a finished piece that can go right in your portfolio. Jason was amazing, very generous with his time and knowledge, gave very thoughtful feedback and truly invested in helping everyone grow.
~ Cynthia Membreno ~
★★★★★The Next Art Director course was perfect for me, helping me reshape my art direction identity and refine the skills I already have. It delivered knowledge in a clear, structured way, with practical steps for growth and real-world application. The experience reinforced my ability as an art director and showed me that there is a space for me in this field. Most importantly, it confirmed that my way of thinking is on the right track and taught me how to communicate my ideas clearly to others.
~ Fiyin Olayide ~
★★★★★I took NEXT Art Director coming from medicine and health tech, and it completely changed the way I think about creative direction. The course connected so many dots for me between storytelling, branding, and insights. Jason is a world class expert in art direction and SUCH a skilled teacher to boot. It’s truly been one of the most valuable courses and creative trainings I've taken. Recommend one thousand percent.
~David Hindin ~
★★★★★NEXT Art Director was a fantastic experience that helped me both sharpen existing skills and develop new ones. The 4-week course offers a deep dive into every stage of art direction — from uncovering insights to developing ideas to executing a finished project. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up, it’s a valuable, hands-on introduction (or reintroduction) to the art direction field. I walked away with not just a stronger creative process, but also a clearer sense of direction for my work.
~ Ryan Causey ~
FAQ
-
Classes will be recorded. Office hours are also provided for timezone flexibility. We've had multiple students join at 2am! Others just watch the recorded classes and then utilize the earlier Office Hours time for Q&A.
-
-
Yes, but I expect you to already have some level of “making skills” or the ambition to figure it out as you go. I won’t be teaching you specific software. Art direction is about thinking conceptually and figuring out the execution whether or not you know how.
-
Then LFG! A lot of art directors struggle with insights & big ideas. Let’s get you to the next level! I think this will still be worthwhile.
-
No. But if you show up to everything and put in the work, and still didn’t get any value from the experience, I’ll give you your money back.
-
Yes, all prices are in USD. I completely understand that currency conversions to other countries might not make this program accessible to everyone. I designed it to provide a more accessible program than what is available in the US market specifically. But I do my best to share as much free content as possible. Do not feel obligated to purchase the program. Feel free to follow learn from my content on YouTube and Instagram.
-
Please email help@modernartdirection.com if you have any questions.