Creative Direction
Decide it once, so everything after it agrees.
What is creative direction?
Creative direction is the decision layer above the artwork: what the campaign is actually about, how it should look and feel, what gets photographed and how, and which rules everything afterwards has to follow. It is the work that stops a brand looking like six different brands.
- Campaign concepts
- Moodboards
- Photography direction
- Visual systems
- Typography direction
- Content design guidelines
01Deliverables
What you get.
- 01Concept written down in a page, not a deck of adjectives
- 02Moodboard with the references it is actually built on
- 03Shot list and art direction notes for photography
- 04Visual system: colour, type, composition, treatment
- 05Content design guidelines for whoever produces day to day
02Specs & files
Sizes, media and files.
| Item | Typical spec | Files you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Concept | One page: the idea, the audience, the proof, the line | |
| Moodboard | Referenced and credited, grouped by decision not by vibe | |
| Shot list | Per shot: framing, light, props, orientation, intended crop | |
| Guidelines | Rules with worked examples of right and wrong |
Sizes vary by venue and vendor — specs are confirmed with your printer before artwork starts.
03Process
How it runs.
- 1
Frame
What the work has to achieve commercially, in plain language.
- 2
Concept
One idea, argued, with the reasons it beats the alternatives.
- 3
Direction
Moodboard, palette, type and treatment, tested on the hardest asset first.
- 4
Guidelines
Written down so a team can keep producing without me.
04Scope
Timing and terms.
Typical turnaround
1–3 weeks depending on how much photography is involved
Best fit
Brands running work across print, packaging, social and events at once
On set
Available to direct shoots in Lahore and nationwide
Handover
Concept, moodboard, shot list and guidelines as PDFs
Quotes are in PKR and depend on scope, sizes and deadline. Send the brief for a written quote within one business day.
05Proof
Where this has already shipped.
06FAQ
Common questions.
How is this different from just designing the assets?
Design makes one thing well. Direction decides what all the things have in common — the idea, the palette, the photography, the tone — so a campaign spread over months and many hands still looks deliberate.
Do you direct photography?
Yes. Shot list, framing, lighting notes and intended crops before the shoot, and direction on set. The Ghazzal product work is directed rather than sourced.
Is this worth it for a small brand?
If you are producing a handful of assets, no — buy design. If you are producing continuously, or several people are making work for you, direction is what stops it drifting.
Further reading
Guides for this service.
Resource · BriefsResource · 8 min read
How to Brief a Graphic Designer: What to Send, a WhatsApp Brief Template and How Revisions Work
Blog · PackagingBlog · 9 min read
Packaging That Sells: What Goes on the Front, and What the Back Has to Carry
Review · PhotoshopReview · 9 min read