Research - Illustrated Products

What is it?
Product illustration is an intricate part of product design, mostly used to provide a human element to user experience by communicating ideas in simplified, attractive ways. Its aim is to make a product even better and to have a useful purpose as well as looking beautiful. If either one lacks, the product will lack and not be as successful. They are a great way to express one’s unique voice through function and design.

Illustration is a universal way of communicating and it does this amazingly by visually showing you something whereas words can only tell you. Illustrations capture complex ideas, feelings and emotions, showing inside the mind of someone visually by building on an idea and amplifying the message to your consumer. Using illustrations in connection to products can help solve several issues. Some being, too much text where it might become confusing and hard to read or not being able to get across what you want to say in a clean, attractive manner, and illustration can solve that perfectly. Allowing you to speak directly to the user, it stands out and captivates your audience. Seeming more personal and detailed allowing you to communicate with your audience effectively, making them feel good because they understand everything you are trying to say. This could even be a form of congratulating the user when they have reached a goal, all these points show that illustration can be used to clearly and effectively communicate messages from one another. It provides context, adding information and providing clarity, leading the user to their next step.

Where is it found?
Illustrated products can be seen all around us and many of our everyday items we use are illustrated products. They can be a range of homeware from cushions, towels, blankets, tableware and rugs to useful stationary products like pencil cases, planners, stickers, mouse matts and rubbers. It can even be used in apps and web designs, creating an appealing but functional interface for the user. The possibility is endless as they are always pushing for new ideas and functions meaning there are so many different types and styles.

What is its history?
As we have established before, the main goal of an illustration in the advertising and products world is to clarify text and direct the viewers eye, creating a lasting impression. The goal of the visuals are to enhance the message of the text and help the viewer to understand the ideas behind it. The first form of advertising art with this purpose was during 1880, where wood engraving in black and white became a popular form of displaying illustration. This would include cutting away areas of the wooden block so they will not print. Ink is applied to the raised areas and pressure is applied creating a transfer on the paper. By 1900’s, photo engraving and printing advanced into full colour art which introduced art as a new form of advertising. With the understanding that one picture can say a thousand words, art directors started hiring the best-known artists to produce eye catching, effective art to advertise many products. Magazines took full advantage of the new ability to print in colour and photo engraving and started to product high quality images to gain people’s attention. This was the very beginning of the use of illustration pushing the sale of a product.

Some of the most influential and popular advertising artwork was created during the Golden Age of Illustration. This was a time period between 1850 and 1925 where illustrated magazines and book gained popularity, providing the public with a new, rich sources of entertainment and information. Illustrators were elevated during this time, leading to success by some of the most popular illustrators of the time, one of them being Coles Phillips who produced paintings and drawings for advertisement purposes.

Cole Philips was an American artist, part of the ‘golden age of American illustration’. An illustrator who is known for his stylish images of woman and his signature use of negative space. He created painting for the covers of popular magazines and advertisements in the 1900’s. Ee attended Keyon College where his drawing become extremely popular and featured in the pages of the college newspaper and yearbook. He soon left Kenyon to peruse his career in illustration, moving to New York city where he worked for American Radiator which he left after a few years and continued to move around, struggling to make a living. In 1908, he created a design called ‘The Fadeaway Girl’ which took the illustration world by storm with his work soon appearing on books, calendars and postcards which were sold internationally. The main distinguishing feature of his work was design and his radical techniques that set him apart from other illustrators. He wanted to grow his work away from the world of women however art directors were not interested in the animals he painted to try to achieve this breakaway.

How is it practised today?
Today, in the 21st century, illustrators need to be well equipped and knowledgeable with the understanding of both technology and many computer software programs as well as traditional illustration drawing methods. These two skills go hand in hand in today’s world of creating illustrated products that are successful enough to reach the high demand held by consumers today. in this age, we can find illustrated products on websites In web banners and mobile applications as well as taking the form of actual physical products that can be found around the house and used by consumers on a daily basis.

What is needed to be successful in it?
Illustration today has evolved dramatically from decades ago and can be partnered with many different media sources and companies which are looking for the best illustrators to help visualise their big ideas. Examples of these would be –
advertising agencies, posters, storyboards, press
publishers, magazines, book
record labels
greeting card companies
stock image houses
private selling in galleries, agencies
editorial, magazines, comics, newspapers
fashion, forecasting
merchandise, greeting cards, t-shirts, calendars, ceramics
multimedia, TV, film, computer games, websites, apps, animation

it is really important that as an illustrator there needs be knowledge of some key skills as this will excel them further into your career helping them to be more successful. These would include knowing pricing and being able to negotiate this fairly with a client so you are not under paid or overpaid leading to an unhappy client. Being able to manage deadlines and complete work to a good standard on time is key as it could gain you bad publicity and a decrease of work if not managed right. This could be keeping to tight deadlines and working long hours weekends and evenings to deliver a brief as maintenance of reputation of circuital. Knowledge of appropriate styles helps you reach a wider range of clients and allows you to cater to their wants and needs easily which is key to having happy customers. Knowing the importance of creating personal, original pieces for your own self-promotion is important too.

This leads me to researching the importance of social media and the impacts it has on a business. Having a platform like Instagram when you are following the creative path is so important as you can post these original pieces I mentioned before, to a large audience and be seen for you own style and originality. Part of this audience could be protentional clients of customers and puts your work or product out into the professional art community, helping to raise brand awareness.

Social media is not just for the big brands as people don’t often want to see big commercial brands as much a new and upcoming smaller brand that post their processes and products as they feel more personal to the follower. They are more inclined to allowing questions and answers about the business and products they offer and share more about their interest and life which helps small businesses to create a more personal connection with and audience and in turn the audience becomes more loyal. Another positive of using social media is that with the introduction to ads, powered by platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you can easily target you direct audience and get your content right in front of them with and easily click. The use of links connected directly to your page or products means they can access the opportunity to buy from you in under seconds which turns in to a higher conversation rate, helping massively with the success of illustrated product businesses.