Tired of using fun stock photography to bring “life” to your brand? Simplified may have the right solution for you! So, how exactly do you take away the monotony of typography in your brand projects without relevant photos to go along? The answer is simple: with some illustration inspiration using graphic design! It may be older than the invention of photography but is timeless nonetheless.
Moreover, including brand colors and style in your illustrations can add an extension to your overall aesthetic. Characters, animals, vectors, patterns, etc – whatever you wish to visually communicate, the design options are just unlimited!
Need some inspiration? We’ve got you! In this blog, we bring you 10 unique examples of brand illustrations to give you branding inspiration and get your creative juices flowing. So let’s get started!
The importance of illustration in branding
(Source: Sofya Pinsker) Illustration Inspiration: A refreshing (non-alcoholic) meat drink for dogs would be pretty incomplete without adorable characters!
“It takes about 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) for people to form an opinion about your website” – 8ways, 2019
Think of any branding project you come across: package design, brochures, official websites, social media infographics, or even your very logo. Without any illustrative design relief and a lot of brand copy, your viewers will soon feel an information overload.
In addition to that, branding illustrations are excellent in relaying your brand voice through the language graphics! Why is it so important? Because with the ever-shortening attention spans and the surplus availability of other options offering the same thing, first impressions may as well be your last. With motivational illustrations, you can tell your brand’s story without words!
Related: The 10 Best AI Graphic Design Tools You Need To Know About
10 stunning examples for some illustration inspiration!
In this list, we’ve gathered 10 of the most creative examples to get you started with your own projects. Here are five gorgeous website illustrations, followed by five other examples of branding inspiration you should check out!
#1. Headspace
(Source: Headspace)
With a brand identity focused on mindfulness, Headspace has designed peaceful characters in pastel color tones to all their platforms!
#2. Mailchimp
(Source: Mailchimp)
A motivational illustration is one that encourages you to get work done. And, this is exactly what happens with Mailchimp’s web design!
#3. Notion
(Source: Notion)
Who doesn’t love simple black and white doodles? Notion’s emphasis on minimalist illustration definitely got the memo!
#4. Duolingo
(Source: Duolingo)
Apart from the memes circling the internet, the Duolingo owl illustration has perfectly embodied a brand mascot position. What used to be an illustration inspiration, is now a powerful success story for any brand to take notes from!
#5. Slack
(Source: Slack)
Slack’s brand mission is to bring people together and get work done efficiently. So how do you depict it in illustrations in a way that’s representative for all? By appropriately making use of diversity and inclusion!
#6. Absurda
(Source: HUMAN) Archetypes meet beverages in a perfect blend of psychology and packaging design with Absurda’s beer cans
#7. Deers
(Source: Song Yee Paek) When it comes to avatar illustrations for branding, there’s no match to digital sketches and graphics!
Related: The Importance of Photography In Graphic Design
#8. Yandex Praktikum
(Source: Setters Agency) For any language learner, motivational illustrations can really make the difference from difficult words to applicable meanings!
#9. Wild Soul
(Source: Big Horror Athens) Who said branding design has to be heavily detailed? Using minimalist illustrations in your iconography can really make a difference in packaging!
#10. Arina Pramudita
(Source: Arina Pramudita) Personal branding inspiration: While a photo of your face is the obvious choice to make, a graphic illustration/caricature will definitely add a fun element to your identity!
Final words…
Did you know you can create stunning graphics for all your branding projects right from Simplified? Character avatars, icons, callouts, stickers and so much more – right from your workspace! Now you don’t need to be an expert graphic designer to make your designs stand out. So get designing now!
