Wondering how to refresh your marketing and website with design that is uniquely you? An illustration is an image or design element that has been created from scratch; it includes cartoons, avatars, comics, infographics, charts, maps, video storyboarding and much more.  Illustrators are often fine artists and can create designs using digital tools or traditional mediums such as paint or pencils; sometimes multiple art forms are even combined in the one project. 

Check out these five reasons why illustrations will give your business a creative edge and oomph to your brand that your customers will love. 

1. BE UNIQUELY YOU 

1. BE UNIQUELY YOU 

As illustrations are designed from scratch, the sky really is the limit! 

A graphic designer is responsible for arranging visual elements including logos, imagery and text. In contrast, when you work with an illustrator, you can influence creative decisions such as the hair colour, facial expression and clothing design of an avatar or person. Need a map that shows directions to your business? An illustration can highlight a particular landmark in a clear and personalised way.

Similarly, your illustrator can create icons and infographics completely unique to your business and brand.

2. A PICTURE TELLS A THOUSAND WORDS

2. A PICTURE TELLS A THOUSAND WORDS
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It’s no secret that the human brain can process an image way faster than text – 60,000 times faster in fact! Illustrations can help your customers understand and connect with your brand and business quickly. Think about what elements on your website or marketing material could be communicated with an image instead of text. For example, could an idea, product or package be represented with a concise icon instead? 

3. BREAK UP YOUR PAGE CONTENT

3. BREAK UP YOUR PAGE CONTENT

Websites and landing pages which use large paragraphs of text can be overwhelming to a customer and hard to digest. Diversify the way that you share information about your business by switching between sections of text and illustrations; show as well as tell.

Instead of listing the benefits of your business in a written list, add icons and imagery to demonstrate your offering. 

4. SHARE DATA CLEARLY

4. SHARE DATA CLEARLY

We all know that sharing data or statistics in marketing can become dry and a little boring. The catch is, sharing stats on how you’ve helped your clients helps you to celebrate your wins and attract new clients. For example, if 55 KNOTS helped Sally’s freediving business grow by 150% since starting work with 55 KNOTs in 2019, we can explore the use of illustrations to express this great result.

It might be a bar chart or an illustrated drawing of Sally underwater in a snorkel and mask, smiling giving a turtle a high five with 150% written in bubbles etc. Share your wins and keep data interesting with the help of an illustrator! 

5. ADD CHARACTER QUICKLY

5. ADD CHARACTER QUICKLY

Communicating subtle mood, emotion and personality in your marketing is made easy with illustration. We know that using human faces in marketing and design creates an instant sense of warmth, connection and authenticity for your brand. Showcasing a clear positive mood or excited expression in character or avatar face, although small, can have a huge impact on the effectiveness of your digital marketing.