Visuals like graphic design and illustration are key components to your branding. With these, you can establish a strong brand and get recognition on different platforms or mediums. Although there’s no standard for when to use these visuals, which is an ideal asset for each medium or platform?
Websites
You can use a mix of graphic design or illustration assets on your website. For instance, you can showcase your brand illustrations on your landing page. If you want to strengthen branding on your website, you can add more illustrations to every page. However, you can mix it up with graphic design. For instance, you can use graphic design on your blog pages if available.
Social Media
Social media is a great place to mix up content. You’ll see more graphic design work since it’s easier to digest on the platform. Plus, your target audience and followers would engage in well-designed and eye-catching graphics. Illustrations are also a great idea but could be posted as a header or banner image. Plus, designers can integrate illustrations into your graphic design to keep it consistent across various platforms.
Email
Email design is considered graphic design since layout and organization are involved. You can add illustrations and other visual elements to design custom email templates for your branding. Make sure to use brand colors and fonts to strengthen your branding.
Advertising
Graphic design takes center stage in advertising. An expert and professional graphic designer knows how to create ad design that attracts attention through imagery and typography. However, your illustrations can also be part of your advertising campaigns. Graphic designers will incorporate illustrations to catch your target audience’s eyes.
Packaging
Illustrations are the best visual aids in your packaging. These could introduce your brand to buyers or reinforce it for repeat customers. Graphic designers can also work on creating a beautiful packaging design using visual elements.
Where to Find Graphic Designers and Illustrators?
If you want both visuals on various mediums or platforms, here’s where you can find the best graphic designers or illustrators!
1. Penji
One of the best places to find graphic designers AND illustrators is an unlimited graphic design service. It’s because of their subscription-based model where you can request designs or illustrations with a flat monthly fee. Plus, unlimited graphic design services have vetted designers, so you don’t have to hire anybody. And you can cancel anytime!
Penji is one of the top graphic design services that helps businesses with their graphic design and illustration work. You could subscribe to Penji and submit your requests. Once submitted, their AI will match you with the best project, and they’ll submit a draft within 1 to 2 days. If it’s an intricate illustration project, it could take more than two days to accomplish. After the designer submits their draft, you can review their work and point out any revisions. Or, if you’re satisfied with the work, you can download it!
Pricing:
- Starter - $499/mo
- Marketer - $995/mo
- Agency - $1497/mo
2. Kimp
Kimp is another unlimited graphic design service to consider for your graphic design and illustration projects. You can opt to subscribe to their graphics plan only if graphics and illustrations are what you need. However, if you need a video, they also offer that to potential subscribers.
Pricing:
- Graphics - $599/mo
- Graphics + Video - $995/mo
3. Fiverr
Fiverr is a freelance site to hire graphic designers and illustrators. This site is ideal for short-term or gig work. As such, you can work with a freelance graphic designer to get visual assets for various platforms. Additionally, you can partner with a freelance illustrator for your branding. That said, if you need to work with a freelancer again, you’ll have to hire a new one for your project, and the new one should follow the branding provided by the previous designer.
Pricing: Starts at $5
4. Twine
If you want another place to browse vetted freelance designers, Twine is a great option to check out! And if you’re ready to hire a designer, you need to post a project so designers can view it. This site helps you build a team, and you can post a job ad for free! However, if you don’t have time to manage hiring, Twine has a managed service option and will help you with billing.
Pricing:
- Job post - free
- Business - $139.99/project
5. Dribbble
Dribbble is a graphic design portfolio site for hiring graphic designers and illustrators. It’s a great starting point to browse your preferred graphic design and illustration style. From there, you can contact a freelancer or hire one from their job board. You can post a job or find talent via the hiring suite, allowing you to message freelancers anytime without limits.
Pricing:
- Job board - $99/mo
- Hiring suite - $199/mo
6. Behance
Behance is a Dribbble alternative where you can find graphic design and illustration portfolios before hiring freelancers. You can hire full-time or freelance graphic designers or illustrations. One advantage of Behance is that payment options are safe with the platform since they use Stripe. Plus, before you hire your full-time or freelance designer or illustrator, you can already share files with Behance.
Pricing: Depending on how much the freelancer charges, with platform/hiring fees ranging from 3% to 10%.
7. 99Designs
99Designs offers two options for finding a graphic designer or illustrator. First, you can start a design contest where graphic designers or illustrators can submit their version of your design brief. Meanwhile, you can also hire freelancers with the Marketplace option.
Pricing:
- Graphic design contest - starts at $169
- Illustration design contest - starts at $299
- Graphic design and illustration freelancer - depends on their rate
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Difference between Graphic Design and Illustration?
Graphic design is a visual that edits still images or illustrations with text or other visual elements into one cohesive design. Meanwhile, an illustration is a drawing to explain certain elements.
Why is Illustration Important in Graphic Design?
Illustrations can be a primary component in editing a graphic design work. Illustrations provide an explanation or representation of abstract concepts.
