{"id":3485,"date":"2019-04-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-02T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/trending-in-email-design-custom-illustrations\/"},"modified":"2024-01-08T09:42:37","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T14:42:37","slug":"trending-in-email-design-custom-illustrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/trending-in-email-design-custom-illustrations","title":{"rendered":"Trending in Email Design: Custom Illustrations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each year, we see new design trends shaping digital marketing\u2014from the use of color and imagery to typography trends, interactivity, and more. In our <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>Trending in Email Design<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/i> series, we look at the hottest digital design trends\u2014and dive into how they translate into email marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Custom made illustrations: The digital design trend of the year<\/span><\/h2>\n

So far in 2019, we have seen a number of design trends hit our inboxes, and none more so than custom made illustrations. Voted the <\/span>design trend of the year by Behance<\/span><\/a>, custom made illustrations are dominating all areas of marketing design\u2014from print design to digital branding and packaging design.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2018, a <\/span>survey by Venngage<\/span><\/a> showed that the use of visual content across marketing channels was on the rise, with custom graphics\u2014such as infographics and illustrations\u2014outperforming other formats and driving the highest engagement:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Custom<\/figure>\n

Why are custom illustrations a trend?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Customers are seeking authenticity in their relationships with brands, and custom illustrations can catch your audience\u2019s attention by showing a more playful, human side, bringing your brand\u2019s unique personality to life. <\/span><\/p>\n

Eye tracking studies suggest that readers can spend a considerable amount of time looking at images when they are relevant, whereas generic imagery can be completely ignored. A reliance on stock imagery can run the risk of a competing company using the same images as you, which could negatively impact trust in your product or service\u2014and harm the unique quality of your brand.<\/span><\/p>\n

Custom illustrations in email marketing<\/span><\/h2>\n

As a channel designed to build relationships and personal connections with your audience, it\u2019s no surprise that email marketers are utilizing the power of custom illustrations to enhance their messaging. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few brands that use custom illustrations in their email campaigns:<\/span><\/p>\n

Bulb <\/span><\/h3>\n

Since 2015 UK energy supplier Bulb has offered a renewable energy solution which <\/span>aims to help its members reduce their bills and carbon impact.<\/span> Bulb\u2019s bold <\/span>brand identity<\/span><\/a> was developed by agency <\/span>Ragged Edge<\/span><\/a>, who created a brand that would talk directly to millennials. Since they were born into a digital world, the attention of a young target audience is not easy to grab, but Bulb\u2019s cohesive and quirky illustrative style has resonated with its customers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Custom<\/figure>\n

To create their unique imagery, Bulb employed an in-house illustrator to capture the spirit of their brand. <\/span>Aurelia Lange<\/span><\/a> creates each image with pen and ink, digitizing and editing within Photoshop. Each Bulb email includes an illustrated and animated hero image which often supports key messaging. As a Bulb customer (aka a Bulberino), I always look forward to receiving the next email to see how they brought their content to life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bulberinos have proven to be big fans of the illustrations\u2014they often share them on social media\u2014especially imagery found in Bulb\u2019s annual <\/span>Green Impact Report<\/span>. This highly personalized email shows how you, the customer, have made a positive impact via renewable energy. By combining statistics with the characteristic illustrations, Bulb has created a highly engaging email that celebrates its customers and the difference they have made.  Let\u2019s face it, who doesn\u2019t want to be a climate change hero!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Trending<\/a><\/figure>\n

You can see more examples of Bulb\u2019s illustrative work on <\/span>Dribbble<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mailchimp<\/span><\/h3>\n

In 2017, Mailchimp launched a new <\/span>brand identity and design system<\/span><\/a>\u2014and with it came a more playful approach to imagery. Already known for their use of illustration, Mailchimp decided to adopt a fluid and somewhat abstract style with which they hope to inspire their customers to be bold and creative with their own brands.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Custom<\/figure>\n

Simple pictures for complex things: Our new illustration style allows us to communicate about complex tools and marketing practices in a simpler and more human way.<\/p>\n

Crafting Mailchimp’s New Look<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To create their new identity, they worked with a number of different illustrators around the world\u2014as well as their internal design team\u2014to create a framework of expressive elements to use in conjunction with structural elements such as their logo, color palette, and typography, which keep everything consistent and grounded.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, as email experts, it\u2019s no surprise that their playful illustrations translate beautifully into their email designs:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Custom<\/a><\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n

You can see more examples of Mailchimp\u2019s illustrative work on <\/span>Dribbble<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

But\u2026 there\u2019s more!<\/span><\/h3>\n

Allbirds<\/span><\/a> is combining hand-drawn illustrations with photography, making the imagery in their emails truly special:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Custom<\/a>
Source: Really Good Emails<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n

With the <\/span>recent revamp of their brand<\/span><\/a>, Help Scout<\/a> is relying heavily on custom illustrations to give their communications a human, playful touch:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Custom<\/a><\/figure>\n

The beautiful illustration in the header of <\/span>Airbnb\u2019s<\/span><\/a> Superhost email caught our eye as well:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Custom<\/a>
Source: Really Good Emails<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We also love this email from <\/span>Asana<\/span><\/a>, using an animated illustration to catch their subscribers\u2019 attention:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Custom<\/a>
Source: Really Good Emails<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What other brands make great use of custom illustrations in email?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Do you have more great examples of custom illustrations in your inbox? We\u2019d love to see them. Just let us know in the comments below.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Each year, we see new design trends shaping digital marketing\u2014from the use of color and imagery to typography trends, interactivity, and more. In our \u201cTrending in Email Design\u201d series, we look at the hottest digital design trends\u2014and dive into how they translate into email marketing.<\/p>\n

So far in 2019, we have seen a number of design trends hit our inboxes, and none more so than custom made illustrations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3486,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[478,468],"blog_category":[53],"class_list":["post-3485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-design","tag-images","blog_category-tips-resources"],"yoast_head":"\nTrending in Email Design: Custom Illustrations - Litmus<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Each year, we see new design trends shaping digital marketing\u2014from the use of color and imagery to typography trends, interactivity, and more. In our \u201cTrending in Email Design\u201d series, we look at the hottest digital design trends\u2014and dive into how they translate into email marketing. 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