Everyone knows that a picture is worth a thousand words. Everyone also knows that the more interesting the picture, the better it conveys your message. As a product design agency that also specializes in illustrations & designs, we’ve experienced the difference well-placed and thoughtful illustrations can make when showcasing your product to prospective users.
Bringing ideas to life
Words can accomplish a lot, but not everyone has the time or patience to read through your amazing copy every single time. Illustrations can capture abstract ideas while infusing a breath of new air into your designs, setting you apart from your competitors.
When we designed the banner illustration for Nerva, an app that helps people copy with IBS, we knew we were working with an abstract idea. The brain & the gut high-fiving isn’t something that can be photographed, after all. We chose to make this a bright and fun illustration, to celebrate the award Nerva had won but also informative enough so those who were interested could check out the app itself.
Another bonus to incorporating illustrations on your website or mobile app is how easily it can capture difficult-to-photograph scenes. Illustrations can not only bring them to life but also make them more interesting through the use of vibrant colours, lines, and typography.
Creating visual user journeys
Taking a prospective user through your product can be a tricky task. You want to accomplish the perfect balance of informative & interesting and this is where illustrations can help you out.
For instance, when we created narrative illustrations for Google’s Onduo, a virtual healthcare program which was targeted towards people with Type-2 diabetes, we wanted the user to feel comfortable and understood. That’s why our illustrations captured the real-life experiences of different customer personas, most of them who were living in urban areas. Going for a run or snapping a picture of your food to check the calories & sugar levels were a couple of the illustrations we designed.
Illustrations & branding
Illustrations bring to life ideas, experiences, and products in a very aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching manner. They’re more attractive than simple stock photography and help your customers remember your company, your team, and your product better.
Here’s an example of how this works:
We designed illustrations for Ordio Plan, a German time-tracking and shift-scheduling tool. Ordio wanted its illustrations to be personalized — this means we used photos of the team, including their mascot, TJ, a cute dachshund, to make innovative illustrations that captured their likeness!
Whether it’s a laptop being beamed into space as their Error 404 page or their developer wearing a superhero’s cape as he fixed problems, Ordio’s illustrations are playful, contemporary, and welcoming — everything the brand wants you to associate with it.
Stylistic & colour choices
We’ve come a long way since illustrations were only cartoony & juvenile. Today, you can play with different styles of illustrations and employ a variety of techniques to create elegant yet attractive designs. After all, sophisticated doesn’t necessarily mean boring!
Along with the illustration style, the colours you choose can make or break the design. Choosing colours that capture the essence of the brand is integral. You don’t want neon colours in a corporate logo — it draws too much unnecessary attention and can undermine the credibility of your product.
Playing with colours appropriate for your target audience results in illustrations that project your brand’s values. For instance, when we created illustrations for Groww, an investment platform, we kept in mind the maturity of the audience & the product. To catch the user’s eye and to make the process of investing a little more exciting and fun, we chose bright yet cool colours that were aligned with Groww’s branding.
Data visualisation & illustrations
When you’ve got a lot of data to share with your users and no way to make it interesting, choose an infographic. Visualising data through infographics that have attractive illustrations makes it more interesting and increases its reach. A little bit of creativity goes a long way when there’s a lot of data to sift through.
Illustrations offer a sense of uniformity in style — this allows your users to remember your product. The best-designed illustrations can capture your brand in the most unique way possible while still letting users relate to what your product has to offer. It takes users less than two-tenths of a second to form their first impression about your brand once they visit your website. You have an additional 2.6 seconds to then reinforce that first impression.
Well-designed websites and clean, attractive illustrations can be the reason a prospective user stays on your website instead of closing their tab.
Want to know more about our illustrations and web design services? Reach out to us at [email protected].
