Illustrations are more than an art medium.
Imagine Apple without its iconic apple illustration or Google without its commemorative doodles.
Illustrations are central to branding identities. These identities extend to user experience design.
Top brands use website illustrations to create outstanding digital experiences. They’re also critical for in-person customer experiences. You’ll learn more about integrative experiences in this article.
Enjoy a crash course on website illustrations and how to use them effectively.
Table of Contents
Website Logo Design
Illustration skills can turn a wallflower logo into a timeless symbol.
Illustrators make famous logos look easy. However, there’s considerable planning behind the simplest ideas.
Effective logos follow a set of design principles:
- Original
- Scalable
- Versatile
- Harmonious
- Simple
- Timeless
Following principles doesn’t mean your logo has to be boring, generic, or formulaic. On the contrary, these parameters help you think more creatively and critically. Creativity and problem-solving are essential for logo design.
Now let’s dig into a few of these principles!
How to Be Original
Being original is easier said than done. You have over a century’s worth of logos out there. What hasn’t been done?
This problem is a fantastic starting point.
For example, look at Trader Joe’s. The grocery chain took vintage illustrations from the public domain and incorporated them into its branding identity. This marketing strategy communicates effectively offline and online.
Vintage-inspired web illustrations are just the beginning. You could keep it simple and focus squarely on font, like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Amazon.
Don’t be fooled. Text-based logos may seem easy, but they follow the same set of principles as any other logo.
What makes McDonald’s logo original isn’t just the stand-out, one-letter font. The logo skillfully uses red and yellow to stimulate hunger, a reaction proven by color theory studies.
McDonald’s iconic golden arches stand out from miles away. They act as a beacon for hungry travelers and students just getting out of school.
When designing an original logo illustration, think about hypothetical situations. If the logo looks great on the website, how does it connect without people offline?
Original illustrations make a connection.
How Does the Logo Look at Various Sizes?
This next principle can be a bit tricky. A logo illustration may look great but not translate well when minimized or blown up.
If you’re struggling with scalability, try eliminating certain elements from your illustration. You may have too many design elements.
Symmetry is another issue. Asymmetrical logos may look amazing on certain materials but lose their relevance.
Symmetrical logos look better at scale. Plus, consumers respond more positively to symmetrical designs. Nature is full of symmetry too.
If you’re still having trouble, there may be an issue with the image quality.
The Importance of Versatility
Scalability and versatility are closely related. Scalable illustrations are more versatile.
It’s important to test out your illustrations on various prototypes.
Your logo should look phenomenal across the following marketing channels:
- Social media pages
- Websites and Apps
- Brochures and pamphlets
- Envelopes and stationery
- Notepads and letterhead
- Direct mailers
- Stakeholder reports (paper and digital)
- Infographics
- Videos
- Promotional products
- Product design
Versatility is another reason why simple logos are so effective. You can easily shrink the Target bullseye down for branded pens, pencils, and crayons.
Simplicity Is Everything
You’ve heard a lot about simplicity. It’s the common thread tying these principles together.
All you have to do is look at world-famous brands to see the value of simple illustrations.
Before designing, jot down a list of symbols relevant to your industry. You can think abstractly, just so long as the symbol is relevant.
For example, the Target bullseye is the perfect symbol for the chain. Plus, the word target represents decisiveness, accuracy, and reliability.
Think about different emotions and colors associated with your industry. If you want to open a spa, you’ll need a logo that inspires relaxation. Purples, greens, and soft pinks also inspire relaxation.
Are these principles inspiring more illustration ideas? These principles also apply to designs outside of logo design, like UX illustrations.
Using Website Illustrations to Enhance User Experiences
Logo design can teach you a lot about UX design. UX simply stands for user experience. UX applies to everything from product design to web design.
Like logo design, UX illustrations should be original, simple, balanced, and scalable (to a degree.) You only have to scale your UX illustrations down to icon size. Versatility is a factor but only for digital products, like websites and apps.
UX illustrations don’t have to be timeless, but they still have to connect. You should update website illustrations over time to stay relevant.
Balance is critical. Since you want to engage visitors, you must leverage the right color combinations, shapes, and proportions. Dig into your color theory toolbox to find relevant color palettes.
Brands use UX illustrations to guide visitors through their websites. They’re especially helpful for courses, sign-up processes, tutorials, and software. In fact, web visitors retain more information when its paired with visuals.
How Illustrations Benefit Employer Branding
You’re used to marketing to consumers, but what about future employees?
Employer marketing is frequently overlooked, but it’s a game-changer. Companies that invest in employer marketing save more money on turnover. They’re more likely to attract rockstar talent.
Remember, you’re also competing with other companies for great employees.
What does employer branding have to do with website illustration?
It matters more than you think.
Job-seekers dissect company websites to learn about companies on their radars. One of the first pages they visit is the “about” page. This page could also be a “meet the team” page.
If job-seekers aren’t impressed by your company’s about page, they’re likely to move on to the next prospect.
Professionalism matters to you, but it also matters to job-seekers. An unprofessional about page doesn’t inspire trust.
Instead, invest in quality web copy, high-quality office photos, and employee perks.
Headshots and employee avatars are also important. Read more here to discover which format works best for your employer branding.
Leverage Illustration in Your Marketing
Website illustrations open up a world of marketing possibilities.
Logos and UX illustrations are only the beginning. Think about the impact illustrations could have on your entire branding identity.
Remember to take design inspiration from everything. Keep reading to discover more illustration ideas.
