What encapsulates digital illustration is ever expanding. The term ‘illustration’ can be somewhat misleading. While your first thought might consider it to involve creative rendering, such as cartooning or painting, there are a number of functional and interactive applications that make use of the process too. This article explores how digital illustration software is inherent to design today and lists some of the best tools to get the job done.
Digital illustration: Creative, functional, interactive
When I think of uses for illustration software, I visualize vector objects like logos, icons, typography, and diagrams. There are a number of other trending applications, though, that rely on the power of digital illustration. Consider the following:
• Idea mapping: Quickly getting ideas flowing during the initial stage of a design process
• Infographics: Illustrating information-heavy topics to help people quickly visualize data
• User interfaces: Designing the look and feel of operating systems, apps, and websites
• 3D design: Modelling objects for applications like animation and 3D printing
With new input devices, new automation tools, and new web services, digital illustration processes are becoming highly sophisticated, more collaborative, and easier to employ. Read on to learn more about them!
Inputting your ideas
Idea mapping is often the first step in most design processes. There are a number of ways to digitize your ideas; changing your approach once in a while may add a new element of creativity to your designs.
As I’m sure you’re aware, keyboard and mouse are not the only ways to create digitally. Tablets, stylus pens, and motion sensing devices are giving us more ways to draw pixels. The number of apps available to help you capture your drawings is growing, too. Adobe Ideas, Paper by FiftyThree, and SketchbookExpress by Autodesk are all examples of free doodling and sketching apps for iPad. For the desktop, Alchemy is an example of an open source drawing program focused on exploring how we can sketch, draw, and create on computers in new ways. Its sketching environment is experimental, in that it lets you brainstorm visually without the complexities of robust illustration programs. Learn more at http://al.chemy.org/.
Illustration for modern applications
Infographics and user interfaces are two examples of modern digital illustration design processes. Infographics are more and more popular for illustrating data-heavy topics in intuitive and visually appealing ways. Business cases and industry analyses, for example, are often communicated through infographics, and they can be more persuasive using this medium. Check out http://infogr.am/ for an example to see how easy it is to build and share infographics for any project you’re working on!
User interfaces define how we interact with computer programs. Developing one is a long process, as it involves many stakeholders, functional requirements, and usability tests. Illustrating the look and feel of UIs is a multi-step process. After requirements have been listed, rough outlines (a.k.a. wireframes) are the start, before they’re mocked-up graphically, and then optimized for their final medium (e.g. websites, desktop programs, mobile apps, kiosks, etc.). A number of tools can help you streamline your designs. One I’ve had a good experience with is a web app called Balsamiq; try it for free at http://balsamiq.com/.
3D illustration for the masses
Gone are the days when 3D modelling was limited to expensive CAD machines and highly trained engineers. New cross-platform solutions, built with ordinary people in mind, are making it possible to concept, design, and output 3D parts and prototypes quickly and intuitively. And it’s not just for tinkering and fun—practicality is at the forefront.
Many are calling it the era of mass customization; anyone with access to a 3D printing device can cost-effectively customize products down to the last drop of molten plastic. Think customized phone cases, toys, lampshades, handles, holders, caps, and watch straps. Think replacement parts for your appliances. Think chocolate cake with your face engraved on it. People are even toying with the idea of printed clothing. Instead of needle and thread, 3D printers are able to output seamless meshes made with materials like Nylon 12. The process introduces new attributes like perfect-fit sizing, using body-scanning technology.
So how are all of these products made? The list of 3D illustration programs and printing devices is also growing rapidly. They range from beginner to expert – your desired output will help tailor your selection. Beginner solutions will often use just one type of material to print (e.g. ABS plastic), limiting the practicality of printed pieces. More advanced solutions can print with materials like brass, bronze, ceramics, sandstone, silver, steel, and a variety of plastics.
A neat app I’ve come across is 123D Catch from Autodesk. It can turn a series of 2D pictures into 3D models with its object analysis and meshing tools. You can capture and create places, people and things in 3D using an iOS device, or a regular camera and their web app. Once the models are complete, you can export 3D files for use in other software, to print on a 3D printer, or to order 3D prints online if you don’t have access to a printer.
Don’t forget about pen and paper!
While designing with digital tools is now a ubiquitous process, we shouldn’t discount how valuable pen and paper really are when it comes to innovating. I’ve been on a number of project teams responsible for developing user interfaces for digital solutions. We’ve found that stakeholders can confuse the looks of the interface we’ve outlined with the design actually being “done”. In the initial planning phase, we never want to give the impression that designs are final; they should be rough and expandable. When we use simple pen and paper sketches to communicate ideas, we find we’re better able to define a project before it moves to the execution stage.
Computers demand order—formatting, linear flow, file types, and structured workspaces. There are distractions too, like email and social sites. On paper, it’s easier to map things out—to circle things, cross things out, doodle, and sketch. It’s a freeform process and often faster for getting rough ideas flowing. Computers are great for refining ideas and publishing them into the wild, but paper is your best bet for conceptualizing them.
Illustration today
