I have spent a large amount of my working life working on graphic design and branding projects and I've found that having a solid grasp of those design principles has made art directing animated projects a comfortable fit. Desiging a coherent, consistent, consise visual identity for a company can be a very similar task to art directing animation with many overlapping priorites.
Having a good eye for specific details and likewise for the overall vision is key. But just as important as quality control, is keeping productions following along and not getting overly caught on little snags that won't actually matter in the long term.
Projects that I have art directed have ranged from vibrant kid's Youtube content and educational products to drier material such as internal company instructional films.