What happens when your coworker puts a thick, multi-colored drop shadow on a headline? Will you tell her she needs to change it? What if she disagrees? What if she becomes argumentative or develops a passive-aggressive attitude about you telling her what to do? No matter how your boss or HR department sees it, it’s a position that requires management skills.
Maybe agonizing is the wrong word, but you’ve dealt with a months-long run-around that’s clearly frustrating you.
You say he’s “losing steam” about your proposal and doesn’t get it, yet you suspect he wants you to be the art director or senior designer. Why would he want you to take on the responsibility when he doesn’t understand its need?
Let’s say you’re right, though, and there’s no budget for a wage bump, but he still wants you to lead the design team. If that’s the case, TAKE THE JOB. Think carefully about turning down extra responsibility — the money will come later when you prove your worth, whether at this company or another. Use the leverage of not getting a pay bump to argue for a higher title. Down the road, what you learn in this new position and the title that comes with it will serve you well.
Just to be clear, I’m not trying to argue with you. I’m trying to challenge you to think through a nagging and frustrating situation with fresh eyes. I’ve been almost everything from a design intern to creative director to marketing and communication director for ad agencies, private companies, government agencies, and a big university. Of course, I don’t know your exact situation — only you know that — but it sounds familiar because I’ve dealt with it in one way or another a dozen times.