Art Direction | Exercise
Melvin Yung Khun Yew | 0357241 | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Art Direction
Week 1 — Week 6
Analyzing Art Direction Practices in a Creative Company
These are the jump links to each part of this portfolio
Instructions
Mr Kamal, my lecturer for the Art Direction module for this April 2025 semester, gives us a heads-up on the upcoming tasks and requirements.
Work Process
In the first week of this Art Direction module exercise, our group began by dividing the research sections to better understand how our selected creative company operates. I was paired with my teammate, Guo Ying, and together we focused on the Production Structure & Pipeline section.
From the brief given by our lecturer, Mr. Kamal, our goal was to map how work flows inside a creative company — from the initial brief to the final delivery. We were required to identify key elements such as:
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The organizational structure or departments involved in a typical project (e.g., Creative, Art, Tech, Production, QA, Client Services).
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The step-by-step pipeline for a representative project, from concept to post-production.
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The tools and software that are commonly used in the workflow.
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The typical timeframe or milestones for each stage.
Initially, our interviewee was planned to be a representative from EDT (Experiential Design Team Malaysia). Guo Ying and I started drafting relevant and insightful interview questions to explore how creative companies manage their production structure and workflow. However, after some time, we were informed that the representative from EDT was unavailable.
To keep our progress moving, our group decided to reach out to another creative company — Bike Bear, a creative agency based in Selangor. We were fortunate that Mr. Ariel, a Senior Creative Director from Bike Bear, was open to having an interview session with us.
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| Bike Bear's Visual Identity |
Once Winnie successfully confirmed the interview appointment with Mr. Ariel, we prepared ourselves for the online session via Google Meet. During the interview, we introduced ourselves and began discussing the company’s internal structure, production process, tools, and collaboration workflow. The conversation was both insightful and professional, and it gave us a realistic understanding of how creative agencies in the industry operate from concept to completion.
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| Online Interview Session with Mr Ariel from Bike Bear |
After the session, we began transcribing and analyzing the interview data. From there, Guo Ying and I split our tasks — he focused on visualizing the organizational chart and production flow through flowcharts, while I worked on transforming the interview content into a concise written analysis that outlined Bike Bear’s production structure and project pipeline.
On my part, I also created a simplified production flow map to illustrate how a typical project moves within Bike Bear — starting from client kickoff and briefing, followed by internal brainstorming, concept development, client presentation, design production, development and testing, and finally delivery and post-project review.
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| Bike Bear's Simplified Production Flowmap |
We compiled our findings into a presentation slide using Canva, which visually summarized the company’s workflow and structure. This helped us communicate our understanding more clearly during the presentation.
Our Deliverables
About Bike Bear (Presentation Slide)
My reflections
Through this exercise, I gained a much deeper understanding of how art direction functions within a professional creative company. Interviewing an industry professional like Mr. Ariel gave me a behind-the-scenes look at how creative projects are managed — from the client’s initial idea all the way to final delivery.
One of the key takeaways for me was realizing the importance of a clear and structured pipeline in ensuring smooth collaboration across departments. Every stage — from conceptualization to production — requires both creative thinking and strong coordination.
I also learned how crucial communication is between the creative and client sides. The way Bike Bear manages feedback loops and maintains client relationships throughout the project cycle really stood out to me. It taught me that good art direction isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about aligning creativity with strategy and teamwork.
This experience also prepared me mentally for the realities of working in the creative industry. I now have a clearer idea of how to adapt my workflow, use professional tools efficiently, and approach future projects with a balance of creativity and organization.
Overall, this assignment not only strengthened my understanding of production structure and pipelines but also helped me appreciate the collaborative and strategic nature of art direction in real-world creative practice.
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