Photography & Illustration

Photography and illustrations can be powerful design elements that evoke emotions in the viewer. When used inappropriately they can also have a negative effect— images that look too “stock” can feel insincere and erode brand trust. Image selection can be challenging.

Photography

Photography should be used to help the viewer feel comfortable and included in the material. Whether the image demonstrates problems that may be addressed in a program, or the desired positive outcome, the goal should be to help the viewer relate to the content.

A few considerations when choosing photography from stock resources are:

Candid. Choose photos that feel more natural and candid in the composition and arrangement of people.
Environment. Choose photos that have natural-looking environments and avoid photos that have a solid colour or white background. These tend to feel more like a staged studio photoshoot and feel less sincere.
Diversity. It is important to choose photos that cover a wide range of diverse family and individual lifestyles. When choosing photos consider the groups being represented and if that aligns with the values and goals of SFI and the program in particular.
Colour and Tone. Consider the overall tone of the image, are the colours warm and comforting, or cool and sterile? Depending on the program, choose images that complement the goal of the program. Warm, positive energy can be great for children, while cooler tones that calm may be most appropriate for adult programs dealing with feelings of anxiety.

Photograph example using natural environment, dynamic motion and positive energy.

Photograph example of positive emotions and a more candid situation.

Natural feeling photograph example with diversity that is not overtly forced and the people feel real and relatable.

Consistency can be difficult to achieve when using photographs from stock photo sources. One option is to apply a consistent colour effect to images, particularly useful for social media platforms such as Instagram. Examples below:

Example of colour treatment to emphasize emotion. The left is unedited and the right is edited with a soft-light colour layer of brand blue evoking feelings of sadness and anxiety.

Example of colour treatment to emphasize emotion. The left is unedited and the right is edited with a soft-light colour layer of warm yellow evoking feelings of warmth and comfort.

Example of colour treatment to align with brand. The left is unedited and the right is edited with a colour layer using a gradient of brand blue to green.

Illustration

Illustrations are incredibly useful to communicate more complex or abstract topics—for example, illustrations can show thoughts and feeling that are impossible to communicate through traditional photography.

A few considerations when choosing illustrations to complement a design:

Consistency. Consistency in style is important to help establish the brand. Where possible avoid using illustrations from multiple artists or sources in the same material to ensure the illustration style is the same.
Colour. Leveraging brand colours in the illustrations can strengthen the brand.
Audience. Consider the audience for the illustrations. Avoid childish or ‘cartoony’ illustrations for serious topics and when communicating with adults. Youth do not require all images be illustrations; consider using a mix of photographs and illustrations.