How Illustrations Can Connect With Your Audience and Tell Better Stories

Storytelling has become an increasingly important tool in marketing and communication. Using visual storytelling, brands can establish a deeper (or stronger) emotional connection with their audience, communicate their values and personality, as well as stand out from competitors.

Illustrations are an integral aspect of storytelling as they help to bring the story to life and engage the audience on a deeper level. Additionally, illustrations can help to simplify complex ideas or concepts, making them more accessible and understandable to the audience.

In this article, we will explore the importance of illustrations in a brand's storytelling in establishing identity and recognition. We will also learn how to choose and use illustration in your brand’s storytelling.

The evolution of illustrations in digital design

Illustrations have been an essential part of digital design since the early days of print media. As technology progressed, so did the techniques and tools used to create illustrations. With the advent of digital design, the role of illustration has evolved significantly. Here are some key aspects of the evolution of illustrations in digital design:

• Digitization of traditional techniques: The earliest digital illustrations were created using tools such as Adobe Illustrator, which allowed designers to recreate the look and feel of traditional techniques like pen and ink, or watercolor in a digital format.
  
• 3D illustration: The development of 3D software, like Maya, Blender, and Cinema 4D, allowed designers to create more realistic and dynamic illustrations. 3D illustrations can be used in product design, animation, and even in virtual reality.
  
• Flat design Illustrations: Since the beginning of the year, flat design has gained popularity because of its simple shapes and bold colors. Flat design illustrations are often used in user interfaces and app design to create a clean, modern aesthetic.
  
• Hand-drawn illustration: Another trend, hand-drawn illustrations gave a more personal and authentic feel to a design.
  
• Motion graphics: With the rise of video and animation in digital media, motion graphics have become an important illustration part. Motion graphics combine design, animation, and sound to create engaging and interactive experiences. You can check out LottieFiles for lightweight, scalable animations as well as browse their library of ready-made motion graphics.

How can illustrations help connect with the audience?

Illustrations can help tell a story, whether a standalone image or part of a larger narrative. Using imagery can engage the audience and create an emotional connection to the characters and events in the story. Illustrations can convey emotions and feelings through the use of colors, shapes, and expressions.

Additionally, here are some other ways where illustrations help connect with the audience.

• Evoking empathy and relatability: Illustrations can be aesthetically pleasing, attractive to look at, or relatable, drawing the audience's attention and evoking empathy and interest. This can create a positive initial impression and set the tone for a positive emotional response. Illustrations can be used to create a personalized experience for the audience.
• Simplifying complex information: Illustrations can simplify complex information by breaking it into smaller, more digestible pieces. It can represent ideas, messages, and stories visually, making it easier for people to understand and remember. For example, visual aids such as diagrams can help demonstrate how ACD - which utilizes virtual cloud phone numbers - works. Meanwhile,  flowcharts can outline the various steps of a process for better comprehension.
• Adding visual interest to content: Eye-catching illustrations can be designed to capture the viewer's attention and draw them into the content. It can be used to break up long blocks of text, making it easier for readers to engage with the content. Demonstrative illustrations of the content can boost the content's appeal to your audiences by adding extra value.
• Retaining information for longer periods: When we see an image, our brains create a mental image that is easier to remember than a text block. By associating the information with visual cues, we create a stronger memory trace in our brains. For example, suppose we see an illustration of a leaf while learning about photosynthesis. In that case, we are more likely to remember the information about photosynthesis when we see a leaf in the future.
• Enhancing brand recall: Illustrations can help visualize information, making it easier to understand and remember. By illustrating your brand strategy, concept, or idea, you make it easier for viewers to understand how it relates to the world around them. This visualization enhances brand recall, as humans are likely to deeply pay attention to and process it. It also sets the tone for a brand or product.
• Providing feedback: Provide feedback to users. For example, an illustration of a completed (or filled-out) form could indicate to users that their submission was successful. Similarly, an illustration of an error message could assist users in understanding an issue and how to fix it.
• Creating a visual hierarchy: Create a visual hierarchy within a design. By using different sizes, colors, and styles of illustrations, designers can guide users' attention to specific areas of a design and help them understand the importance of different elements.

Additionally, illustrations can have a significant impact on brand identity and recognition. Using illustrations can help establish a unique visual identity, convey brand personality, enhance brand storytelling, support brand consistency, and increase brand awareness.

Best practices for using illustrations in storytelling

An illustration is a powerful storytelling tool when used effectively. But using them effectively to support the narrative and engage the audience is important.

Creating effective illustrations for storytelling requires careful planning, attention to detail, and a clear understanding of the intended message and audience. Following these tips, you can create engaging and memorable illustrations that enhance your storytelling.

Here are some best practices for using illustration in storytelling:

• Choose appropriate illustrations and use it to enhance the narrative: The illustrations you choose should match the tone and theme of your story. Highlight key points, clarify concepts, or add emotional depth to the story with your illustrations.
• Use consistent style and branding: Make sure your illustrations match your overall brand identity. Use consistent colors, fonts, and design elements to create a cohesive and professional look for your storytelling.
• Use high-quality illustrations: Ensure your storytelling looks polished and professional with high-resolution, clean lines and colors. Check out IconScout's library of illustrations to help you create awesome designs.
• Understand the story and target audience: Before you start creating illustrations, make sure you understand your story and the expectations of your target audience. It will help you create illustrations that support the narrative, convey the intended message, and engage with your audience.
• Use appropriate colors and style: The colors and style of your illustrations should match the tone and theme of your story and brand. For example, if you're telling your story (a serious one), you may want to use more muted colors and realistic illustrations. In contrast, a lighthearted story may benefit from bright colors and playful characters.

Common mistakes to avoid when using illustrations in storytelling

Using illustrations in storytelling requires careful consideration of relevance, quality, quantity, branding, cultural sensitivity, and complexity. Many amateurs do not take it seriously, which makes their design unprofessional and unappealing. You should avoid these common mistakes to create a visually appealing and effective story, communicating the intended message.

• Avoid using irrelevant illustrations that are not relevant to the story or message. It confuses the audience and detracts from the emotional impact of the story.
• Don't use low-quality illustrations since they make the design look unprofessional and off-putting.
• Avoid too many illustrations in a single design. It overwhelms the audience and doesn't deliver the intended message.
• Don't ignore branding in your illustrations; the design will look disjointed from the story's overall impact.
• Avoid using culturally insensitive or inappropriate illustrations, which can offend the audience and damage the brand's reputation.
• Avoid complex illustrations that are too complex; they can make the design look cluttered and confusing.

Examples of companies that have successfully incorporated illustrations into their digital design

Many companies have successfully incorporated illustrations into their digital design. Here are a few examples:

1. MailChimp's brand redesign

In 2018, Mailchimp underwent a major brand redesign, which included a new logo design, composition, and color palette. And they focused on illustration as a key element of its visual identity. They developed a unique illustration style for use across all its digital channels. Their brand redesign and illustration helped create a distinct and memorable visual identity that sets the company apart in a crowded market.

2. Duolingo's “The Unignorable Notification.”

Duolingo's "Unignorable Notification" campaign effectively shows how illustrations can create engaging and memorable digital content. The campaign's use of colorful illustrations, creative visual motifs, and motivational messaging helps to reinforce the central themes of the Duolingo app. The illustrations depicted a variety of scenarios, showcasing the benefits of language learning. Using drones to display notifications as visual motifs was the illustrative element's best use.  

3. Airbnb's "Live There" campaign

Airbnb's "Live There" marketing campaign in 2016 extensively used illustrations to create a distinctive visual style and convey a sense of playfulness and adventure. The illustrations complimented the campaign's messaging, emphasizing the idea of living like a local and experiencing memorable and genuine travel experiences. The playful and whimsical style of the illustrations highlighted the personal connections and sense of community that Airbnb's hosts could offer.

4.  Dropbox's "For All Things Work" Campaign

Dropbox's "For All Things Work" Campaign ran from 2019-2020. The campaign featured a series of colorful and playful illustrations that depicted different work scenarios. It conveyed the message that Dropbox serves as a comprehensive solution for work-related tasks, boosting productivity regardless of the user's location or the nature of their work.

Illustrations play an important role

Illustrations play a crucial role in storytelling by enhancing the overall consumer experience and engaging their imagination. Illustrations bring the story to life, enhance comprehension, add depth and nuance to the story, and make it more accessible.

Finally, the use of illustrations in a digital design project and storytelling is promising. The advances in technology and design continue to make it easier to create and incorporate high-quality illustrations into digital media. In addition, using illustrations in branding and marketing will likely continue to grow as companies seek to differentiate themselves and create more memorable and engaging visual identities.

And if you are looking for ready-made vector illustrations or 3D illustrations, you can browse IconScout’s library of design resources. With an IconScout All Access subscription, you can access tons of free design assets on IconScout. This subscription gives you access to the entire library of millions of vector icons, vector illustrations, 3D illustrations, and Lottie animations!

Author Bio:

Sienna Martin is the CMO and Co-founder of KrispCall. She has a wealth of computer, communications, and security experience. Through KrispCall, she aspires to make business communication safer, reliable, and more affordable.