In several situations, illustrations are much more effective than photographs and videos. The right illustration can convey the right idea in the most simple and clear manner. And with the help of drawings and images, you can improve the idea of any content. Moreover, illustrations play a significant role in advertising or promoting products where the illustrator creates the images of the products in the most attractive way to the target audience.
When you need to decide between photography and illustration in your design work, the right option is not always clear. They both have their benefits, vary in the costs, and can communicate your message in different ways, whether conceptual or abstract. In this post, you will know and learn why it is important to use a good quality illustration.
1. Express something abstract
The nature of the concept or idea you are trying to express will determine whether the illustration is the right option. Topics or abstract themes where certain visuals don’t come in mind will usually lead to an illustrative treatment. Moreover, a piece about strategy could be much better illustrated, as they could bring a possibly dry content to life as well as visualize several different abstract ideas.
Sometimes, photography is required to ground a certain claim in reality, thus making it more accessible. But if you are trying to reach more abstract brand values like innovation or playfulness, the illustration could be the right option to get that across.
2. Education
Illustrations have been used for education purpose from the very beginning. Besides this, illustrations are used to educate kids and develop their imagination. That is one of the reasons why it is important that children’s books have a great illustration. Also, illustrations can help children associate words with objects and sentences with illustrated actions. Moreover, illustrations are ingeniously developed and designed to fascinate children with reading.
Illustrating key events or story settings prompt kids to visualize a scene or imagine what it looks like from a particular viewpoint. An illustration is like a drama that allows kids to enter the world of the story and offer support for writing. Furthermore, illustrations are broadly utilized for teaching people of all ages, particularly when it comes to the presentation of complex scientific, engineering concepts, foreign languages, and more.
3. An alternative to stock assets
If you have no story to tell or decent photography, stock photography is usually a valuable resource. Most of all, these vectors and photographs have been tremendously overused and have no exclusivity. Custom illustrations can be the ideal alternative because you can get the result that is tailored to the needs of your projects.
It is also worth mentioning the stress you have to go through to use stock photography. You may be asked about size, where you will be using the image, the target audience, for how long, and more. An important benefit of getting a custom illustration is that it is all yours, once you have paid for it.
4. You want to tell a story
Though storytelling has become a buzzword in advertising and branding, the fact remains that a fascinating narrative can have a significant effect when it comes to getting across a brand’s personality and engaging consumers. An illustration is an idea for taking people on a journey, no matter if they are literally walking viewers through a brand story using illustrated characters or scenes or creating a subtle narrative across your brand touchpoints.
Mascots or characters don’t have to be childish or twee. They can be a great way to represent the stance of a brand in a way that is tangible and easily relatable. Furthermore, an illustration can also deliver certain processes or important issues that are vital to a brand – educational initiatives or eco-friendly credentials.
5. Ability to visualize some data
Infographics are becoming increasingly popular in the last decade, with visual sharing platforms like Instagram and Pinterest helping to spread the most thought-provoking and engaging content far and wide. At their fundamental, infographics are more about making complex information easier to understand and digest by converting them into a visual form.
And now, illustration steps up in the way that photography couldn’t, as it provides a touch of creativity, a list of facts and figures or wearying spreadsheets can become a treat for the eyes. Whether it is providing a new perspective or visualizing statistics for an annual report, infographics are definitely here to stay.
6. Stand out from the crowd
Everyone these days has an HD camera, which they carry with them everywhere they go and the ability to capture postcard-esque pictures. So, everyone is becoming used to viewing lovely photography. There are a lot of attractive sites that consist of incredibly beautiful background pictures accompanied by certain white sans-serif text. A good quality illustration allows you to do something that can help you stand out from the crowd, creating a more refreshing and unique experience for your audience.
7. An exact style is required
The most professional photographers may have a unique approach and trademark style to their subject, but cameras don’t lie. A well-directed photographic campaign will never be as distinctive as an exact style of illustration, which can fuse design and completely transform its look, mood, and feel. This is where choosing the right style is important, whether you are researching stock assets or commissioning bespoke illustration.
Ambitious subject
Sometimes your images may need to be limited, but this shouldn’t apply to your practical logistics of the things you can shoot, how, and where or the budget. The beauty of illustration is that you can literally portray anything you like. Fantastical scenes, surreal, and futuristic scenes are all possible in theory with photography, but this could cost you a small fortune.
If you require some degree of realism, consider collage or photomontage illustration, where stock assets could prove useful. Choose the right illustration style, and you will have no boundaries to the kind of world you can create.