Wednesday, 3 June 2020
Custom illustration in web design is fast becoming an important aspect of the design process. In this article, we will cover the basics of how custom illustration can be used for web design and utlised to promote your business.
At ID Studio London we have seen a massive uptake in this form of visual concept creation, it is an art form that we enjoy creating and have seen tangible improvements in UX and UI when implemented correctly.
There seems to be a lot of confusion between graphic design and illustration, some people see it is the same thing and others as completely separate. It is true that they are both visual arts, however, how they are trying to communicate with the end-user utilise different methods.
We will all have different interpretations, although, personally I believe custom illustration is a visual explanation of a concept or idea, a visualisation to show the end-user a meaning or notion. It communicates a concept and allows for the larger interpretation of a message. To me, graphic design is more traditional, static, using graphics, images and text. An illustration allows for a greater understanding and comprehension of that message. Custom illustration is exactly what it says, custom, something built specifically for exact requirements. Therefore, they take longer than just adding images or photos, however, it can help businesses achieve a lot more such as generating a better understanding and interest of their product or services.
There are a number of different illustration styles, some of the main ones are outlined below:
There are two main techniques that can be used for a digital custom illustration:
One of the great assets of vector files is that they can be increased in size without pixelation (without loss of quality to the image).
*A vector file is the source file, file types include.ai .eps .pdf. svg. using RGB colour values. They are often created using Adobe illustrator and/or other vector-based software. Most web graphics are ‘jpg .gif .png .svg and print-based files include print .pdf and .tiff files type using CMYK colour values.
At ID Studio we use illustrations predominately in web design, however, there are many other mediums such as:
By integrating custom illustration within your web design, you can create a design that is unique to your business and helps distinguish you from the competition. It can help your business create a message that is completely tailored, enforcing your brand, business ethos and core business objectives. It can make your website stand out from the competition.
Having said all this, this is not to take away from the effectiveness of photography and images on websites, as they can also be very powerful.
By creating a custom and tailored illustration, you can help engage and interact with your potential customers. It can be used to help encourage your website visitors to complete contact forms, add their contact details, view critical information and to better understand your product or service.
In addition, it can help your website audience better understand your business, creating a visual representation further enhancing the understanding and memorability of your brand and business.
If you would like to learn more about custom illustration services at ID Studio, contact Michael on 020 8948 5808. We would love to hear from you and discuss how we can apply our creative thinking to identify and achieve your website core objectives. Keep scrolling for more examples of our work.
In our family the art gene is strong, here is my thirteen year old illustrating the popular game play interface for Among us, The Skeld. The Skeld is the spaceship by the way (just in case you did not know), the gameplay interface is a very popular 2D map as you see sketched by hand below:
Michael Macneil