Give the idea a visual language
Custom Illustration and Visual Storytelling
Illustration can give a brand a recognisable character, explain an unfamiliar idea or bring a story to life. The useful starting point is the message and the audience, then the visual style that will connect them. We create custom illustrations, infographics, icons and visual assets for use across brand communications, websites, presentations and print.
At a glance
A clear starting point
A strong illustration does more than fill a space. It gives the viewer something relevant to understand or remember, while fitting the tone, format and wider identity of the business.
- Start with the message Define what the illustration needs to explain, express or help people recognise.
- Build a coherent style Connect colour, line, composition and character across a single artwork or a complete set.
- Design for its destination Consider size, cropping and detail in the places the artwork will actually appear.
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Our approach
What we do
Brand illustration and visual character
Custom illustration can extend an identity beyond the logo and typography. We explore a visual approach that fits the brand’s personality and the people it wants to reach. A playful campaign, a calm service explanation and a detailed editorial image each call for a different balance of colour, shape and detail.
Illustration sets and repeatable systems
A series needs to feel connected without repeating the same composition. Shared rules for line, colour, proportions and background treatment help the images work together. We plan the range of subjects and likely applications early, making space for the set to support several services, stages or messages.
Information graphics and explanatory visuals
Some information is easier to follow when its relationships are visible. Diagrams, icons and illustrated sequences can help explain a process or group related ideas. We work from approved information and a clear message, keeping labels, reading order and the level of detail appropriate to the audience.
Campaign, editorial and product applications
Illustrations can sit within a campaign, a publication, packaging or a presentation. Those contexts affect the composition: where text will appear, how the image will be cropped and what remains recognisable at a smaller size. Planning the surrounding design helps the artwork feel integrated rather than added at the end.
Artwork preparation and useful outputs
The final files need to suit the chosen applications. We establish required dimensions, colour treatment, file formats and any need for separate elements before production. Print and digital uses may need different outputs, and a finished image should be reviewed in its actual layout as well as on its own.
Clear steps. Direct collaboration.
How we work
01
Define the subject and use
Explain the audience, message and places the artwork will appear. Share brand material and visual references, noting what appeals to you about each example rather than asking for another artist’s work to be reproduced.
02
Explore the visual direction
Develop the concept, composition and style around the brief. Early review focuses on the idea and visual language, so important decisions can be made before detailed artwork production.
03
Develop the artwork
Refine the selected direction and apply the shared visual rules across the required pieces. Review consistency, legibility and the relationship between artwork and supporting text, with feedback collected through one approval route.
04
Prepare the applications
Check the artwork at the intended sizes and in representative layouts. Prepare the specified files and confirm how the images or separate elements will be used by your design, web or production team.
See the work
Experience you can explore
Explore custom illustration work
The illustration portfolio includes character sets, brand visuals and event artwork. Look at how colour and composition change with the subject, and identify examples that relate to the tone of your own brief.
Tea and the Gang packaging
Characters reflecting tea flavours and their origins form part of the Tea and the Gang packaging and mock-ups. It is a useful example of illustration working within a product’s visual presentation.
Make the first conversation useful
What to bring to your brief
- The message, subject and intended audience.
- A list of illustrations or topics, including any text labels.
- Brand guidelines and references with notes about the desired style.
- The actual applications, dimensions and expected crops.
- Approved source information, usage requirements and the review contact.
Useful resources
Plan the next step
Illustration brief guide
Clarify the subject, style, applications and outputs for custom artwork.
Branding guide
Consider how illustration fits the wider identity and brand communications.
Meet the team behind the work and see how we collaborate with clients in South Africa and internationally.
Before you start
Your questions, answered
Yes. Share the identity guidelines, current illustrations and examples of the material they will support. We can explore a compatible visual approach or develop a new illustration direction that still feels connected to the wider brand.
Yes. A set benefits from a complete subject list and an understanding of how the images will appear together. We establish shared visual rules, then vary the compositions to communicate each subject clearly.
Often, but those uses should be included in the brief. The required sizes, colour specifications and file formats affect how the artwork is produced. Tell us about the full range of applications before the direction is finalised.
Supply the approved information, data sources, labels and the main point the reader should understand. Identify the intended audience and format. We can help organise the visual story, while the person responsible for the source information approves its accuracy.
Your next step
Tell us what the illustration needs to say
Share the subject, audience and where the artwork will appear, together with a few useful references. We can discuss a visual direction and the pieces needed to bring it to life.