As the saying goes, “A picture is worth 1000 words.” For as long as design has existed, illustration has proved an excellent tool for conveying the meaning of supporting text. Not only do illustrations capture the attention of your viewers, but they also increase the retention of information and enable an easier understanding of written instructions or abstract/complex ideas. Sometimes illustrations are imaginative and playful, but often they are used as flexible assets to our design work, which can be adapted into a number of styles to communicate the value of your brand, products, and services to your customers.
The following are five different examples of our team’s recent illustrative work and how the artwork conveys the message of our clients’ brand, each in their own unique way.
Illustrations for a line of orthopedic products
Silipos came to OtherWisz looking for an update to their product packaging and a need for a cohesive set of illustrations and icons to communicate the function of their products for their customers. Beginning with a solid foundation, the illustrations were drawn from reference photos taken in-house to ensure the anatomy of the foot is represented correctly. Accompanying the instructions on the back of the packaging, these greyscale illustrations depict the Silipos products in-use. This realistic illustration style is appropriate as the function of the rendering is purely demonstrative – the intent is to help the customer understand how to properly use their products with an in-context visual.
Joe’s Deli’s Illustrated Logomark is Delicious
The beloved Buffalo, NY sandwich restaurant, Joe’s Deli, flaunts a highly detailed illustrated logo that symbolizes their famous (and delicious) deli sandwiches. The mark itself is a hand drawn illustration based on a photo of their classic turkey club, known as the I Love Lucy. In this case, the line art was rendered without gradation in shade; hard-edged black and white lines give contrast to read successfully as part of the logomark. The realism of the illustration presents a classic ideal of their popular sandwiches, wraps and soups, but it can be sized and manipulated in ways that a photo cannot.
Other illustrated graphics were created to accompany the Joe’s Deli brand and have been used for social media, interior signage and posters, and a whimsical column wrap designed and installed at their location in Oishei Children’s Hospital in Downtown Buffalo.
Read the full Joe’s Deli case study here
Literacy Buffalo Niagara’s Illustrations are Bright and Positive
The Literacy Buffalo Niagara brand relies on the communicative function of their illustrations – created as part of their recent website redesign – to support the content on their website. This more playful illustrative style conveys the brand message as bright and positive, and provides an uplifting visual for the often hard-to-picture outcome of acquiring literacy skills. Another function of these illustrations is to offer an alternative to photography; LBN’s students often do not wish to be photographed and prefer to remain anonymous. Illustration is an imaginative way to convey they organization’s primary brand message: that learning how to read and write will open doors and with Literacy Buffalo Niagara, you too can help your student grow and become successful.
Read the full LBN case study here
A Fully Illustrated Event Marketing Campaign for an Online Fundraising Event
Expanding upon the illustrations created for the Literacy Buffalo Niagara brand, OtherWisz developed the visuals and digital assets for the organization’s 2020 fundraising campaign, taking the annual event online. The resulting campaign was anchored by a collection of original illustrations – designed by the talented OtherWisz team – that capture the energy and spirit of the event, an important fundraising opportunity that helps sustain LBN’s work. Our main goal throughout the design of the Booked for the Evening brand was to create excitement over their newly-digital programming format. In the process of developing this campaign, we created social media graphics that celebrate relaxing interior spaces and fun interactive assets that encourage participation from the audience.
bookedfortheevening.org
Read the Booked for the Evening case study here
Blog and Social Media Illustrations Give OtherWisz Creative Its Own Unique Visual Aesthetic
OtherWisz Creative is an agency that is focused on our clients’ needs; however, we have created space to inject a sense of fun and whimsy within our own brand. Our blog and social media posts have recently become the place for more creative expression, often using colorful, fun and imaginative imagery. Our illustrations typically stick to the brand colors of our website, but in this format we tend to take some more visual risks and push ourselves, especially if that means we’re creating animations to enhance the reading experience. Breaking away from the day-to-day client-focused nature of our work, we want our designs to speak with their own voice, and whenever possible, have a little fun creating custom illustrations.
Though not applicable for all media, custom illustrations can give your promotional messaging a unique visual style that cannot be achieved using royalty-free stock art or photos. Custom artwork can help your company to stand out as these illustrations become synonymous with your brand, the same way that your logo, tagline or colors can.
Ready for a fresh and unique look to your company’s marketing or brand? OtherWisz can help. Email or call us today to inquire on your next project.
