No layovers: Why illustration is the fastest route to brand identity
A lot has changed since we were first introduced to editorial illustration - where art began to coexist with information over a century ago. And the use and placement of illustrated work has heavily evolved from the printed pages to being the DNA of the most successful brands out there.
You may think that illustration is having a moment, but this isn’t the case: illustration is having responsibility. We’re not just embellishing products, we are building and helping solidify brand’s identities and when done properly the result is almost synesthetic - you think of a brand and colors, shapes and characters just pop into your brain.
We can test this right now:
Duolingo…
Headspace…
Mailchimp…
It worked, right?
But what is the difference between illustrated ads or key visuals from a visual language?
A visual system is not selling or advertising a product, a visual system is part of the brand - it tells you a lot about the brand.
Whenever we work on a rebrand the first and most important aspect is to truly understand the tone of the brand and truthfully portray this through an illustration toolkit. It all starts with a brainstorming session with the client where we take them through a series of questions to find out who they are at their core, or in some cases, who they want to be in their next step: friendly, relaxed, approachable, trustworthy, sharp, experienced, and so on.
Another key aspect of developing an illustration system is that you’re creating a language, a tool that needs to be ready to use and re-used endlessly and intuitively by a design team. This tool, this language will be used by lots of different people for a period of time and its consistency is absolutely key - and our responsibility. So along with every package delivered, a little “how to use” manual should come. Another quality that sets visual identities apart from single illustrations.
So what’s the advantage of using illustration over photography?
The first word that comes to my mind is: identity. Through illustration, brands have endless possibilities to create their own, bespoke world which is something that can’t be achieved through photos. A well crafted identity needs to be memorable - with so much going on out there our goal is to create illustration systems that are owned, distinctive, and undeniably theirs.
Last words of advice?
Keep it modular, very very modular if you can.
When every app wants to feel like a game, illustration becomes the thing teaching us how to play. The brands that get it right aren’t just fun — they’re familiar. And familiarity is what keeps us coming back.