How to Make Illustration Project

• Looking to write a project brief with the help of essential free and paid tools? Check out this article for basic information and guidance.

Overview

Commercial illustrations are used to sell products or promote a brand, while nonprofit illustrations are used to raise awareness and educate the public about a cause. Both types of illustrations are important for communicating information and influencing public opinion, but have different goals. Commercial illustrations aim to persuade people to buy something, while nonprofit illustrations aim to inform and educate. Both types of illustrations require the ability to create visually appealing images that effectively convey a message.

Before starting to design any illustration, an illustrator should have a clear understanding of the following information from the customer:

• The purpose of the illustration: What message or idea is the illustration meant to convey? How will it be used (e.g. print, digital, packaging)?
• The target audience: Who is the illustration intended for? What are their demographics, interests, and preferences?
• The style and tone of the illustration: What type of illustration is the customer looking for? (e.g. vector, raster, hand-drawn, 3D, etc.) What is the desired mood or tone of the illustration (e.g. serious, playful, whimsical, etc.)
• The design direction: Does the customer have any specific design elements or concepts in mind? Are there any examples of existing illustrations that they like or dislike?
• The color scheme and composition: what are the main colors that the customer wants the illustration to have, and how the composition should be.
• The format and size: what format and size the illustration should be.
• The deadline: When does the customer need the illustration completed? Are there any specific milestones that need to be met along the way?
• The usage rights: How will the illustration be used, and for how long, who will own the rights of the illustration, and what are the terms of the contract.
• The budget: What is the budget for the illustration and what are the terms of payment.

There are many types of illustrations that can be found on the internet, including:

1. Vector illustrations - created using software such as Adobe Illustrator, these illustrations use mathematical equations to create scalable graphics.
2. Raster illustrations - created using software such as Adobe Photoshop, these illustrations use pixels to create images.
3. Hand-drawn illustrations - created using traditional mediums such as pencils and paint, these illustrations can be scanned and uploaded to the internet.
4. 3D illustrations - created using software such as Autodesk Maya or Blender, these illustrations use mathematical models to create three-dimensional graphics.

dALL-E is a free AI tool for creating unique illustrations and designs. It is powered by OpenAI's state-of-the-art language model, and allows users to generate illustrations by simply describing them in natural language. With dALL-E, anyone can create professional-looking illustrations without any design experience.

Google rank: 9.0

Midjourney is a free AI tool for creating unique illustrations and designs. It uses advanced Artificial Intelligence algorithms to generate illustrations and designs, and allows users to simply input a text or a concept to create professional-looking illustrations without any design experience. With Midjourney, anyone can create professional-looking illustrations quickly and easily.

Google rank: 8.7

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Goals and Objectives

Do you have any specific elements in mind for your illustration? If you aren't clear here, the illustrator will be able to interpret the brief however they see fit, which may not be what you had in mind for the final output. In this case, my element description read as follows: "The book must have a strong African and South African focus and speak to both oral and written story-telling traditions. Additionally, it needs to include various media formats like books and tablets. Reading ought to be portrayed as a social activity."
You often don't get the dimensions from people. Include here any text that has to be on the illustration, any bleed requirements for printing, and whether or not the illustration will be printed in CMYK (best printing) or RGB (best for computer display). For the aforementioned example, my memo stated: "The book is 170 x 245 in size. Portrait. The title, subtitle, and author names often need to be placed within a third of the front cover. To contain all of these components, the graphic designer might need to crop or otherwise alter the cover image. The graphic designer and the publishing house will decide this at their discretion. Format: CMYK ink will be used to print the cover."

Monday.com is a cloud-based platform that allows users to create their own applications and work management software. The product was launched in 2014 and in July 2019, the company raised $150 million, based on a $1.9 billion valuation. The company went public in June 2021 and is based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Google rank: 4.4

Trello is a web-based, Kanban-style, list-making application and is developed by Trello Enterprise, a subsidiary of Atlassian. Created in 2011 by Fog Creek Software, it was spun out to form the basis of a separate company in New York City in 2014 and sold to Atlassian in January 2017.

Google rank: 6.4

Asana is a web and mobile work management platform designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work. It is produced by the San Francisco based company of the same name. The company was founded in 2008 by Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein. The product launched commercially in April 2012.

Google rank: 9.4

Measurable Result

When writing a creative brief for an illustration project, it is important to establish measurable results that align with the project's triple constraint of scope, time, and cost. These results should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Examples of measurable results for an illustration project include:

• Increasing website traffic by x% within a certain period of time through the use of the illustration on the website, while adhering to the budget and project deadline
• Achieving a certain number of social media shares or engagement within a specific period of time through the use of the illustration on social media, while meeting the project's scope and budget
• Improving brand awareness by x% as measured by a survey before and after the introduction of the illustration, within the time frame and budget of the project
• Increasing sales by x% within a certain period of time through the use of the illustration on packaging or in advertising, while staying within the project's scope, time and budget constraints
• Improving customer satisfaction as measured by a survey before and after the introduction of the illustration, while adhering to the project's scope, time and budget limits

By including measurable results in the creative brief that align with the project's triple constraint of scope, time, and cost, the illustrator and the customer can have a clear understanding of the goals and objectives of the illustration project, and the success of the illustration can be evaluated based on these results.

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References

When crafting a creative brief for an illustration project, it's essential to provide references for the illustrator to use as inspiration and guidance. These references can include examples of existing illustrations, artwork, or visual styles that align with the desired look and feel of the project. Providing references allows the illustrator to gain a deeper understanding of the customer's vision and expectations for the project, and can help to ensure that the final product meets those expectations. It's also important to note that all new ideas are often built on the foundation of existing ones, or by combining and modifying existing concepts. By providing references, the illustrator can better understand the customer's desired direction and create an illustration that aligns with that vision.

The closer the customer's and illustrator's ideas for the project match, the greater the chance that the project will be completed successfully. By providing clear and relevant references in the creative brief, the customer can help the illustrator to understand their vision and create an illustration that exceeds expectations.

Best websites with illustration references

Behance is a social media platform owned by Adobe whose main focus is to showcase and discover creative work. Behance was founded by Matias Corea and Scott Belsky in November 2005. It was acquired by Adobe in December 2012. As of October 2020, Behance had over 24 million members.

Google rank: 4.4

Pinterest is an image sharing and social media service designed to enable saving and discovery of information on the internet using images, and on a smaller scale, animated GIFs and videos, in the form of pinboards.

Google rank: 6.4

Dribbble is a self-promotion and social networking platform for digital designers and creatives. It serves as a design portfolio platform, jobs and recruiting site and is one of the largest platforms for designers to share their work online.

Google rank: 9.4

Budget

Setting up a budget early on will help you truly manage your money and direct your decision-making. Make sure to record precise figures and, when possible, include expenditures. It will be beneficial to conduct some brief research beforehand. Are there any strategies to reduce your expenses? You'll keep your boss happy if you allow yourself some time to fiddle with the figures before you even start the work!

There are two main ways to form a budget for an illustration project: using a fixed price or an hourly rate.

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Target Audience

Who are the final customers? Actually, this is crucial. Whom does this example need to communicate with and make sense to? Who will view and utilize it? And what should it convey to that person when they view it? My memo stated "Students studying to become teachers of children between the ages of 6 and 15 make up the captive market. Parents of children in this age group as well as pre-service teachers ought to find the image to be very appealing. The intention is for them to voluntarily choose to pick up and purchase the book."

Messaging and Tone

Is the client upscale, supportive, amiable, tech-savvy, or down to earth? Do they want to come across as brash and powerful or approachable?
Learn more about: What shades does the customer prefer or dislike? Maybe they want to stand out from the competition, who may utilize blue and green. It's a good idea to be aware of this information beforehand because the CEO can also detest the color purple. You could wish to find out which fonts they prefer.
Think about using various serif, san serif, and script fonts. Does the customer like formal fonts that convey seriousness? Or do they like scripty, handwritten ones that convey playfulness and friendliness? Is the photography they're utilizing artistic or professional? This will assist you in determining the tone of the
Learn more about: What shades does the customer prefer or dislike? Maybe they want to stand out from the competition, who may utilize blue and green. It's a good idea to be aware of this information beforehand because the CEO can also detest the color purple. You could wish to find out which fonts they prefer.
Making a mood board is the proper approach. Although Pinterest makes it incredibly simple, you may also design a mood board on a cork or bulletin board. Grab magazine cutouts, paint store color samples, and anything else that inspires you, including scraps of cloth or postcards. Typefaces or other type treatments should be added after a color. Look for images that depict the ideal customer. Just like styling a place or putting together an outfit.

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating successful illustration projects requires careful consideration and attention to various factors. By understanding the purpose, target audience, style, and design direction, illustrators can effectively convey the intended message. Additionally, establishing measurable results aligned with scope, time, and cost ensures project success. Providing references for inspiration fosters a shared vision between the customer and illustrator. Budgeting, whether through a fixed price or hourly rate approach, enables effective financial management. Lastly, considering the target audience and crafting the right messaging and tone through mood boards contributes to the overall success of the project. By implementing these strategies, illustrators can deliver illustrations that exceed expectations and leave a lasting impact.

If you're looking to delve deeper into specific areas of work such as graphic design, video production, audio engineering, programming, copywriting, or marketing, you should check out the Project Briefs Categories on this website.

By exploring these categories, you'll find comprehensive briefs that provide detailed insights on approaching each type of work. They offer valuable information on recommended tools, techniques, and practical tips to excel in your chosen field. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a beginner, these briefs serve as a valuable resource, helping you enhance your skills and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices.