One side of visible id design (part of—however not the identical as—the broader self-discipline of brand name id design) I get requested about so much is imagery. Or, extra particularly, images.
My reply is all the time the identical: in the end, in case your model utilises images as part of your visible language, then it’s best to fee the best photographer to take the best photographs and licence them accordingly (utilization rights solely lengthen to sure purposes or durations, so be sure you speak to your photographer upfront about what you’ll want).
Photoshoots take time, require a transparent transient and want sturdy artwork course, however—when completed properly—they may present a deep properly of images to make use of throughout your model’s touchpoints. Better of all, they’ll be ownable. Distinctive to your model. This offers you the most effective probability of each standing out and being remembered.
Nevertheless, it’s not the one choice – and a dialog about how your model handles imagery must occur as your visible id is being crafted, as a result of that id must be designed holistically, and images—or a scarcity of it—can affect issues in an enormous means.
Inventory images
Inventory images all the time will get eyes rolling, and it’s comprehensible as to why—the standard obtainable is mostly poor, and I can’t assist however wince each time I recognise a inventory mannequin from one model’s web site to the following. It’s, nevertheless, completely viable as long as you continue to lean on sturdy artwork course. This implies curating a mode and tone that also feels just like the constant output of a singular model. It would additionally doubtless imply that any inventory images will want picture therapy, with a view to align them as a part of your visible language. This may be so simple as colour-grading photographs to make them seem like a part of the identical output, or it could actually imply creating a particular aesthetic that your entire inventory images might want to share.
What about generative AI?
I are inclined to warn shoppers away from this selection. There are moral and authorized causes which can be but to be correctly resolved round how generative AI photographs can/needs to be used—however except for that, the standard simply isn’t there.
Most GenAI instruments nonetheless “hallucinate” pretty commonly, and though you’ll be able to tweak and twist your prompts to engineer a reasonably constant fashion, the output nonetheless feels like GenAI. And if the barrier to entry has been lowered, you’ll be able to assume that quite a lot of manufacturers may flip to AI as an answer for his or her photographs. So that you run the chance of trying like a number of different manufacturers.
It’s additionally much more time-consuming than you may assume, and even then you’ll doubtless want quite a lot of professional therapy after the very fact, simply to provide a single picture. On this regard, AI is extra of a instrument for skilled designers to utilise reasonably than a one-stop store to your model’s imagery. Added to that—at a sure level you’ll need to run a value/profit evaluation of commissioning that photographer in spite of everything.
Do you even want images?
I’m all the time cautious with my terminology after I speak about imagery and visible language – as a result of I don’t need to lead conversations in direction of a specific medium earlier than we truly perceive if it’s the best one or not. All manufacturers might profit from images, nevertheless it’s not a prerequisite for achievement – simply ask Duolingo and their suite of illustrated characters.
So if images isn’t essentially the best method to go, what different choices do you may have?
Illustrations
As I’ve simply talked about, some manufacturers depend on illustration to fulfil their want for imagery, or storytelling. You’ll nonetheless have to develop a selected fashion although, and that can doubtless imply commissioning an illustrator reasonably than a photographer (keep in mind to speak utilization and licensing early on!)
Within the long-run, this strategy may provide you with larger flexibility, because it’s a lot simpler to fee extra illustrative work than to organise whole photoshoots. They each require equal quantities of experience and onerous work, however the logistics of the previous are merely extra simple.
Illustrations may lend themselves to animation, which supplies you with an alternative choice to video whenever you need to produce one thing for a transferring picture format. And when you actually need to discover one thing completely different, you possibly can all the time take a look at pairing an illustrative fashion with images. Or possibly your picture therapy might contain illustration not directly? There are countless prospects, relying on what’s proper to your model.
Typography and messaging
Ok.I.S.S proper? By no means underestimate the ability of your messaging. Generally an excessive amount of visible litter can simply find yourself being noise and can truly detract from the factor you truly need folks to remove out of your engagement. Simply as an image can say a thousand phrases, so can a handful of higher phrases.
Messages will be visible, too. Intelligent use of typography may help give your message further that means or evoke a specific response. Selecting a typeface—or typefaces—to your model is rarely a trivial factor, and a few manufacturers depend on them virtually completely. With the best mixture of messaging and typography, your model could not want to fret about imagery in any respect.
Graphic visible language
What I like to recommend most frequently is the event of a graphic visible language. That is completely different from illustration as a result of the latter must be commissioned and delivered by the identical particular person or studio. A graphic visible language, although, is one thing that may be leveraged by virtually any designer or artwork employee—supplied that they’re given the required course to deploy it successfully. You may even be capable to construct bespoke instruments that may help your wider group with creating the visible language with little or no formal coaching.
It would imply a collection of shapes and marks, or model patterns, or possibly using a specific gradient or texture—or some mixture of all of this stuff. A graphic visible language might be an inherent a part of any visible id anyway, as it’s the coming collectively of the assorted visible parts of a model. When you’re struggling to include images into it then possibly the required final result is to lean tougher into the graphic gadgets themselves.
Visible communication will not be all about images. Although it’s the medium that most individuals consider once we speak about visuals, it isn’t the solely medium, and a very powerful factor is that you simply devise a visible language that matches your model.
Is your model a insurgent? Do you need to keep near your roots? Possibly your images ought to really feel advert hoc, chaotic and low-fidelity. Or possibly you want a hand-rendered visible language, utilizing mark-making, illustration and even collage. Does your model cater to a high-end, luxurious crowd? Then possibly your images must be slick, with excessive manufacturing values and crafted with consummate care. Or possibly the best typeface and intelligent colors—paired with some killer copywriting—will do the job alone.
When you don’t have entry to your individual images, don’t panic. Decide what visible language greatest represents your model, then set about creating it.