Mastering Visual Identity: Crafting a Unique Aesthetic for Brand Victory
Chatting with Illustration Whiz, Adam Ho
Hey there! I'm a graphic design wizard, roaming in the realms of brand identities, web design, and interaction design. Ever since I stumbled upon those mind-blowing, digitally intricate NASA Graphics Standards Manual and New York MTA notebooks, creating systems has had a special hold over me.
Into the System Building Game
Back when I worked on a freelance project for The Verge at Vox Media, they unexpectedly requested a system based on my original concepts. It was an eye-opening experience; developing these systems makes it so much easier for designers to stay 'on brand' when designing signage, napkins, billboards, you name it.
Designing for The Verge's Conferences
Take a peek at some of the visual identity work I did for the remarkable team at Vox Media and The Verge at their recent CES event. More visuals can be found at my website.
Designing for Zendesk
I also happen to have been a part of the brand design team at Zendesk for a few years. Guess what task helped us scale our design processes? Yup, designing systems! Picking font sizes and hues had already been decided, so we had more time for solving business problems and brainstorming fresh art concepts. We even created a public set of guidelines that gave us the opportunity to educate the entire company on our work across multiple areas.
Zendesk Brandland
Art direction + props by Lizzie Oh.
Check it out on Dribbble.
What's an Illustration System?
Design systems and illustrations might seem like new trends, but they've been around for quite some time. It's all about transparency and openness in the design world, which has definitely added to their popularity.
Illustration systems are a collection of standards and guidelines that help produce artwork in a specific style. They include various elements such as colors, icons, shapes, props, brush weight, perspective, and composition. Talented illustrators like Alice Lee and Ryan Putnam have done an incredible job revealing their processes these past few years.
Credit to Ryan Putnam for the Credit Karma Illustration Guide.
How they Aid Brands
Brands flourish with an illustration system as it visually supports their stories and messaging, both within their products and in terms of branding.
Designers find an invaluable guidebook in these systems for creating artwork that fits their brand style. Other stakeholders within the company can also benefit by better communicating and collaborating with designers. It introduces a new shared language.
Brands have faced criticism for resembling others due to popular design and illustration trends. This controversy is constantly debated, but it's essential to keep the company's goals in mind, respect the origin of certain illustration styles, and remember that there's always room for innovation.
The Perfect Start
When planning an illustration system, the following guidelines can help set you on the right path:
- Define common visual metaphors
- Pinpoint key colors
- Determine common shapes and forms
- Lay out usage guidelines
Anything can be a guideline! For instance, "Don't use these two colors together" or "Use only 2px strokes for designing at this size."
A Glimpse Inside Bitly's Illustration System
Bitly crafted their illustration system to complement their growing content pipeline and serve as the new style for their marketing site. This system was a bit rigid, providing shapes, props, devices, and color usages. Being a data-focused company, elements and guidelines were designed specifically for the brand, making them less applicable for others.
Diving into the Abstract
Abstract caters to a different audience, giving us some room for experimentation. We created an illustration system that integrated textures, grit, saturated colors, and quirky concepts for the larger brand identity project we were working on. Great job by Devin Jacoviello and Heather Phillips on evolving this system over the past couple of years!
Last Thoughts
Design systems are a valuable asset for you and your team, especially if they're designed to be flexible and engaging. They help to create dynamic and interesting work. Though I try to make these systems adaptable and not a bore to use, they ultimately serve as a starting point—a starter kit rather than an end-all-be-all.
A Few Recommendations
- The Branding Package Checklist & Pricing Guide
- How to Start in Product Illustration
- 5 Habits of a Great Illustrator
- Choosing the Right Colors for Your Illustrations
Look for more engaging stories on our blog Courtside. Have an idea to share? Contact stories@our website.
Illustration systems strengthen a brand's visual narrative by fostering consistency, emotional connections, flexibility, and brand differentiation through a systematic, yet versatile approach. Here are the major areas in which illustration systems contribute to a brand's visual identity:
- Consistency and Recognition: Consistent illustrations contribute to a cohesive brand image and help create a recognizable visual identity[3][5].
- Storytelling and Emotional Connection: Illustrations aid in communicating complex ideas and emotions through engaging and memorable visuals[5].
- Flexibility and Scalability: Designing systems allow for adaptability and enable brands to evolve with their visual narrative while maintaining consistency[1][2].
- Brand Differentiation: Illustration systems cultivate unique and distinctive visuals that reflect a brand's values and mission[1][4].
Technology plays a significant role in the creation and implementation of illustration systems. For instance, the software and hardware technology enables designers to digitally create and manipulate various elements such as colors, shapes, and textures that are essential components in an illustration system.
Moreover, technology facilitates collaboration and communication among team members, making it easier to share and implement the guidelines in various projects, ensuring a consistent and cohesive visual identity for the brand.
