Topic Project - Rich Illustration

The aim of an illustration is to elucidate or decorate a story, poem or piece of information providing visual representation of something described in the text. Illustrations can be executed in different techniques, like watercolor, gouache, ink, oil, charcoal chalk or woodcut.

Speaking about current web design, illustrations are created with the help of digital means like Photoshop or a combination of both manual and digital techniques.

But let’s come back to the history of illustration. Since medieval times they played an utterly important role in explaining authors’ thoughts and viewpoints to the reader. First woodcut illustrated books became available in 15th century. During 16th and 17th centuries main processes used for reproduction of illustrations were engraving and etching. But by the end of the 18th century, lithography technique allowed even better reproduction of illustrations. Early to mid-19th century, illustrations were widely used in satirical and straight-fiction magazines. Illustrators of that time were mostly busy drawing caricature characters who symbolized social types and classes. Gradually, in 20th century, these comic illustrations turned into sophisticated topical observations.

The so-called “golden age of illustration” lasted from the 1880s until shortly after World War I. Newspapers, magazines, and illustrated books had become the dominant media of public consumption. Improvements in printing technology allowed illustrators to experiment with color and new rendering techniques. Those days, a gifted group of illustrators became really rich and famous.

If you are a mature web designer, you certainly remember the times when illustration was an integral part of quality, professional web page. It was not so long ago, at the dawn of web design, in 20th century. At that time, illustrations were combined with typography and image-making and everybody was satisfied with the result. Illustrated websites were highly appreciated like the form of art done by master’s hand. Illustrations in graphic design were aimed to convey messages with personal creative attitude and interpretation. Illustrations rendered personality and individual, unique style of website owner and designer, similar to the pure art.

With technological breakthrough in 1990s, illustration lost its preferred position. So, unique, individual appearance of a website has been changed for practical, business-oriented strategies, branding and commercial messages. It became absolutely obvious that advanced graphic design, focused on particular purpose is much more appropriate than dreamy visual elements of illustration, no matter how beautiful they are.

Nevertheless, the increased competition with digital photography motivated illustrators to be more creative and conquer the new heights. As a standalone art, illustration has more chances to be captivating than a photograph because it is not restricted by reality. An artist can express anything he/she wishes in a drawing and we will be fascinated by the scenery.

Diversity will rear its head in 2016 with the incorporation of handmade artwork on websites. Whereas stock photography and high-quality images have held a lot of sway in the past, more sites will rely on hand drawn art than graphics for their visual appeal in 2016. Unique hand drawn websites offer a stunning depth of originality and warmth that simply can’t be matched by flat designs, which seem sterile in comparison. Moreover, they add an element of distinction to a design. Soon websites and their brands will be associated with the artwork style they contain.

Egyptian Hieroglyphics

Wood Cut Block Illustration

The Golden Age of Illustration

Ad Illustration of the Mid 1900's

Web Page Illustration

What can Rich Illustration do for a Web Design?

When you build a website, you want the look and feel of the design to be an extension of your business. Whether this means incorporating an already existing logo into the design or creating a memorable experience, the site needs to fit your brand.

When visitors fall into your site, you also want to make sure it leaves a lasting impact. By this, I mean that you want them to remember your site.

Illustrations help a lot with making a site memorable because with an eye-catching graphic scene or vector artwork, the page jumps out and has a visual element that’s unique just to that site. This is what helps your brand stick like fresh sap out of a maple tree!

Users eat creativity up; it shows that you really care about your brand and your site to go through the trouble of incorporating illustrations, which are difficult to conceptualize and pull off effectively in the context of websites.

Pros to using Rich Illustions.

1. It’s unique and customized

How many times have you landed on a new website and instantly recognized the images staring back at you? The fake handshakes? The fake business meetings? We’ve all seen them. Is that really how you want to represent your brand?

One benefit of illustration is that it’s customized and personalized for your brand. It allows you to combine your message, your service, and your people with a fresh, one-of-a-kind image that renders your brand unmistakable. If your branding is designed to use the same images everyone else is using, you’re doing branding wrong.

2. It’s more fun

Have you taken a look at some of the illustration work out there? It’s giving brands license to represent themselves, their services, and their message in fun, attention-grabbing ways.

3. It engages

Whereas stock photos leave consumers bored to tears, well-craft illustration grabs eyeballs every time. At Overit, we’re even fond of going one step further and making illustration interactive. We’ve found the combination of illustrated imagery and motion entices customers to stay on a website and dig deeper into what you have to offer. And, of course, blow their socks off with that interactive infographic, map or character and they may even send the link to their buddies.

4. It’s inviting

Illustration can break a lot of barriers. The first being reality. You can distort perspective or do away with it altogether. You can make the sky yellow. Combine photography with line drawing. Your brand can be,its own place. Its own planet. its own reality. When you combine this with your logo, typography and most importantly, your message- your brand will stand apart like it never could with stock photography.

5. More focused messaging

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and that’s certainly true when it comes to good illustration. The right image can help brands simplify and fine tune their messaging. From charts, diagrams, maps and more, a good illustrator can clarify your message and make it clean and engaging for someone to understand.

Cons to using Rich Illustrations.

1. Photos

Photos are much better at invoking emotions, the goal of every marketer. Photos can feel a lot more personal and photos can help in establishing credibility (think C-level head shots and corporate building photos), another priority of marketers.

Thematic illustration

The first approach to illustration that I want to cover here is the use of this style to produce an overall thematic approach. In this situation illustrations are put to work to establish an overall theme. Are we climbing mountains, visiting a space station or exploring a company’s office?

While this approach doesn’t have to take us to a location, it quite often does. In other situations the style simply establishes an overall motif that the site follows.

The reason we are interested in it here though is that it is being used to drive the overall design in a radical way. The illustration is not some small supporting element. Instead, it is the most prominent design element and control the entire layout.

Mascots

How could I possible cover the idea of using illustrations without reviewing one of the most obvious: mascots? With this visual element the designers tend to personify the site, its product, or purpose with a character. Not only does the implementation of such an element vary, but the power and reasoning behind it does as well.

Illustrated decoration

The next type of usage I would like to consider is what I refer to as thematic decoration. This is when illustration is put to work in a decorative way that doesn’t really provide a specific physical reference. For example, most often illustration includes pictures of people, animals, objects, or places. But in this case the illustration doesn’t so much represent anything real, but rather, it simply provides decoration to beautify the design in a way only illustration can. As always, let’s clarify this through some samples.

Illustrated text

Hand rendering text is one popular variation of illustrated text, and a great solution for many creatives. For one, it is a great way to put all that hands-on art school training to work. Secondly, it’s a great way to produce something unique. After all, if you hand render some text it will be 100% unique. Even if you sketch over an existing typeface, it will still become a distinct creation.

Informative Illustration

By the very definition of illustration, one of its purposes is to clarify and explain. So it is only fitting that we find some examples where the illustrations do this in with extraordinary clarity.

Technological Antidote

With the last example (The Activate site) we stepped into what I want to consider next, the use of illustration to break with the technology oriented feel of things. Sometimes it is necessary to disconnect from the web’s technological underpinnings and demonstrate a very organic feel. Illustration is one of the most powerful tools for accomplishing such an idea.

The Evolution of Illustration

Why Use Rich Illustration?