What is illustration in design in simple words and why is it needed?

It seems that the visual generation has won: social networks, websites, presentations now consist of pictures and visuals. Texts are scrolled if they take up more than a couple of lines, Midjourney, ChatGPT and Gemini generate tons of content per minute and anyone can now conduct a photo shoot for themselves at home, make a logo, poster or hero for the metaverse. The question is - why then designers? 

In this parade of pixels, the main thing is lost - the meaning. An illustration cannot be created by chance; it differs from a picture in that it tells a story. And this story is created by a person: he knows what the picture should convey, what reaction to evoke and what triggers to follow. It also embeds it in the context of a brand, product or text. In this article we’ll tell you how cool illustrations are made, what formats there are, and why designers are valued even more in the era of AI.

What is illustration

This is a visual decoration, explanation or interpretation - most often of text, but an idea can be illustrated, for example, “time is money” can be shown in the form of a man with an hourglass from which coins are pouring out. Such works are perceived as metaphorical maps; everyone sees something different in them, so they are better remembered. They are often used by brands, startups and publishers.

Illustrations help show the process: they are clearer than text, are easier to understand, and do not require translation into other languages. These are, for example, images of how a virus enters the body, a diagram of how an electric car works, or infographics about plastic recycling. NASA makes beautiful illustrations to explain cosmic phenomena.

Problems that the illustration solves:

• explain the information;

• set the desired direction;

• evoke an emotion;

• push to action.

The word illustratio comes from the Latin illustrare - “to illuminate”, “to make clear”. Once it meant spiritual enlightenment, now it means visual enlightenment. Today, illustrations are used in print and digital media: books, magazines, posters, interfaces, training courses, video games, animation. Even the emojis that we put in the chat are mini-illustrations that add emotion to the letters on the screen. 

A little history

The first illustrations were born long before books - in Egypt, where hieroglyphs already combined text and image. Medieval craftsmen created “illuminations” - hand-painted pages of codices. Gutenberg's printing press brought illustration to the masses in the 15th century: books with woodcuts and later etchings and lithographs were distributed throughout Europe. In the 17th century, Japan gave the world ukiyo-e - a “floating world” with expressive lines and interesting plots, for example: Hokusai and his “The Great Wave off Kanagawa”. 

In the 18th–19th centuries, illustration became the language of newspapers and magazines. William Blake made etchings as philosophical manifestos, George Cruikshank and John Tenniel created visual humor, and the English magazine Punch turned caricature into a pop genre.

By the end of the 19th century, the golden age of illustration began: America discovered its heroes - Norman Rockwell, Howard Pyle, J. C. Leyendecker, Jesse Willcox Smith. Their drawings sold magazines better than their texts. Illustration has become the engine of popular culture.

Then came cameras, then Photoshop, then AI, and each time illustrators panicked that their profession would die. Spoiler: she didn't die. Many of the artists literally changed history, for example, J. C. Leyendecker, the author of the covers of The Saturday Evening Post, created advertising archetypes of the 20th century: Christmas angels, established the visual image of Santa Claus, the image of the ideal American gentleman: well-groomed, fit, with a white-toothed smile, and so on. 100 years later, Malika Favre will show a different illustration in the covers of The New Yorker - each image is like a nesting doll, hiding several meanings. The irony of our time is that the more pictures AI makes, the more those who know how to put meaning into their work are valued. 

Types of illustrations

By purpose they are distinguished:

• Editorial - accompany texts in magazines, blogs, and news sites. Their task is to give mood and add meaning.

• Commercial - for advertising, packaging, presentations and brand identity. They help sell goods and services and increase brand awareness.

• Technical - show how the product works: diagrams, interfaces, guides, instructions.

• Scientific - this is how they explain, for example, formulas in physics, cellular structures, etc.

• Book and children's - help stories and characters come to life.

• Gaming and animation - used in game development, cinema and advertising, they make the viewer a participant in the plot. 

If we talk about the form and technique of illustrations, there are too many of them to list in one article. Let's talk about the ones we use ourselves.  

1. Vector illustrations are universal digital classics. Clean lines, scalability, quick adaptation to the brand guide. You can stretch it onto a billboard or compress it into a favicon, and the intent will remain recognizable and the pixels will not float. They are used in identity, interfaces, presentations and content media.

2. Raster images are the choice when you need character: textures, light, depth. Ideal for advertising campaigns, editorial, packaging and 3D scenes where emotion and atmosphere are important.

3. Flat design and 3D graphics are two poles that coexist today. Flat remains the workhorse of UI and infographics, while 3D is gaining ground in brand content, videos and immersive formats. Especially in combination with animation and neural network rendering.

There is growing interest on the market in hybrid illustrations, where 2D is combined with 3D, and live drawing is complemented by generative textures. Agencies are experimenting with AI tools, but the main trend is to preserve human design combined with machine speed and artificial intelligence capabilities. 

Where is the illustration used?

In general, wherever you want to add meaning and emotion. For example:

• in advertising - on flyers, banners, posters and in presentations;

• in logos and characters (mascots) - so that your brand is easy to find, difficult to lose and impossible to forget;

• in infographics - instead of a thousand words, show the results of the year in the form of diagrams and graphs on one screen;

• on packaging and media - so that boxes are not thrown away, and branded socks are enjoyed on February 23 and March 8. 

How are illustrations different from other images?

In short: any image can become an illustration, it all depends on the context. You post a photo of a cat warming itself on a radiator on a social network: it’s just a photo. The same cat you posted in your article about heating problems is turned into an illustration. A picture in a children's fairy tale is an illustration; if you cut it out and hang it on the wall, it becomes a piece of furniture. 

We have compiled a short cheat sheet for you:

1. A frog sits by a pond, reflected in the water, greenery all around, the sun shining: drawing. 

2. A frog drawn in pencil on a napkin during dinner: sketch.

3. The image shows five frogs in different poses and clothes, one has a katana, the other has a cape: concept art.

4. Anthropomorphic frog Pepe, who flies away to a friend in messenger: an Internet meme. 

5. A frog of acid colors with eyes on the back and legs on the back of the head: modern art. 

6. Empty aquarium with a sign that says "A Frog Was Here": Conceptual Art.

7. A frog runs along the road with a suitcase, a swamp behind him, big city lights ahead, the caption “When Aviasales don’t work”: illustration.

We we develop illustrationsthat speak louder than words. We break the mold, go beyond the boundaries and fundamentally do not use waste products. Do you want the same? The whole team is waiting for your brief.