Images and illustrations are an integral part of visual design. In her book Graphic Design for Everyone, Cath Caldwell points out that “anyone can snap a photo, but getting the most from photography takes forward thinking.” (Caldwell, 2019) However, what does that even mean? Luckily, the book goes on to provide examples and cover the finer points of capturing images for impact. Oliver Laurent, editor for TIME LightBox online blog, also wanted to know why images were so important. He interviewed thirteen of his colleagues to answer “Why do they do it?” There were several reasons surrounding the question. Some similar, some different. However, Sarah Leen’s answer about time struck a chord with me, as I had recently been thinking about my parents, who passed away several years ago. Ms. Leen stated, “Photography can defeat time. Images can keep the memory of a loved one alive, hold a moment in history for future generations, be a witness to tragedy or joy.” This was especially true with my daughter celebrating her Junior year of High School with her Ring Mass and Prom this week. I couldn’t help but pull out old photographs of my parents and talk to them, saying, “You’d be proud of your granddaughter, especially now.” I got emotional just typing that, so imagine what an image for a brand or in an eLearning can do if done properly. That’s only images.
Another key component of graphic design is illustrations. Images are powerful when you get the right composition, lighting, and perspective, but illustrations can help show how to do a task, such as tying a knot in a rope, or provide context for a period of time that predates the availability of photographs. These are not the only uses for illustrations. Perhaps you need something whimsical, such as for a children’s book or to highlight a location on a simplified map. It’s clear, however, that both of these media are important in graphic design work.
Finding the Right Mood
So, remember, just a bit ago, I mentioned that I was thinking of my parents. Well, that was while eating my salad (with Oil and Vinegar) from Panera’s. Additionally, my daughter is going to visit Southern Italy this Summer. While there, she’ll visit an olive oil farm, among other farms. Because of all this, I decided to focus on creating assets for the Three Figs Olive Oil company in my dad’s hometown of Cosenza, Calabria, Italy. I began by considering what the company would offer. Then the first one hit me, “Duh, it has to be Fig-infused Olive Oil, Tony! It’s in their name after all.” Now that I had the first one figured out, what were the other two infusions? Then I decided to honor our surname I would have Rose Petals and the last one Ginger is a nod to my martial arts ties. Wait, Tony, what sort of mood would each of these have? Have no fear, with the help of Envato Elements, I was able to quickly find photographs that helped to set the mood for each of the infusions. Each image was carefully selected to tie in with what I associate with each infusion used in the olive oil. Have a look!
Label it again, Sam
Okay. I had my three moods, which incorporated the purple of the figs, the pink of the Damask rose, and the tan from things like porridge, couscous, and scented candles. However, what should the label look like? What should the typeface be? Will it have a color illustration or a sketch outline? Where will each of the elements on the label go? What type of bottle is being used (tall cylinder or square metal can, or something else)? To get a good sense of the illustration and label design, I needed to try and answer these. I did a rough sketch of the label with callouts to the elements. As you will see from my rough sketch and the finished labels, the design evolved.
Would you like one of our brochures?
With the labels made, I was feeling good. I thought “WOW! I’m almost there.” Then it hit me. How would I incorporate my images and my illustrations into a cohesive brochure? Well, it wasn’t easy, but thankfully, during the label-making process, I remembered to place the labels on some sample product. I just needed some additional images to use. Since this was a nod to my dad’s hometown, I started with an old image of my grandparents from when they were back in their homeland. It was black and white. I brought it into Photoshop and colorized it. From there, I placed it on the inset of the brochure and let the olive color bleed through to give it the look of being shot that way. In addition to using personal imagery and creating a product, I incorporated images of olives and an olive oil farm to tie everything together. I placed the 3 product lines within a farm shot. Then, that image was spread across the lower front of the brochure to remind you of what the brochure was about, and it continued to the back, where the call to action (CTA) was located. Well, thanks for taking this journey with me. I hope you enjoyed the ride and gained something new from this blog.
Citations
Hearn, J. S., & Caldwell, C. (2019). Building Blocks. In Graphic Design For Everyone (pp. 91–123). essay, DK Publishing.
Laurent, O. (2017, June 30). Why we do it: Photographers on the passion that drives them. Time. https://time.com/4839246/photographers-passion/