How to Choose Illustrations That Fit Your Brand
An illustration can look great in a preview and feel completely out of place on your website.
The colours might match. The subject might be relevant. But put it beside your headline, product images and buttons, and something feels off.
Choosing illustrations means looking at how they work with the rest of your brand. The right set supports your message and gives your pages a consistent personality. Here’s what to consider before downloading a pack or commissioning an artist.
Start with the impression you want to make
Before browsing, decide how your brand should feel to the people you’re trying to reach.
Choose a few specific qualities. “Friendly, practical and straightforward” gives you more direction than “modern.” “Thoughtful, calm and precise” suggests a different approach.
Then connect those qualities to visual choices. Rounded shapes and expressive characters can support an approachable tone. Restrained compositions and quieter colours may suit a more measured identity.
These are starting points rather than fixed rules. Put the artwork next to your actual branding and judge the combination.
Give the illustration a job
What should the image help someone understand?
An onboarding illustration might explain the next step. A blog header might introduce a topic. A product illustration might make an unfamiliar process easier to grasp.
If the only reason for adding it is that the page looks empty, revisit the layout first.
For example, a guide to collaboration could show people contributing to a shared workspace. That says more about the subject than a generic character sitting beside a laptop.
Write a short brief for each image: its purpose, the message it supports and where it will appear. The same brief works if you generate artwork with AI; see How to Make AI Designs Less Generic.
Choose a consistent visual language
Illustrations can share a colour palette and still look unrelated.
Line weight, proportions, texture, perspective and shading all affect how a set feels. A detailed, textured drawing may sit awkwardly beside a simple flat character, even after both are recoloured.
When comparing resources, look for consistency across:
- Outlines: bold, delicate or absent.
- Shapes: geometric, rounded or irregular.
- Depth: flat, layered or three-dimensional.
- Characters: proportions, expressions and level of detail.
- Texture: smooth fills, grain or visible brushwork.
Using one illustration family is a practical way to keep these choices aligned. Hold your icons to the same standard: a single set such as our 50 Duotone Web & SaaS Icons keeps line weight and style consistent across every page. If you combine sources, test them together before committing.
Match the tone to the moment
Your brand’s personality should leave room for context.
A playful character might work well on a welcome page. The same character celebrating beside a failed payment message could feel careless.
Think about what the visitor is experiencing. Are they exploring, learning, making an important decision or trying to resolve a problem?
Choose subjects and expressions that suit that moment. A consistent illustration style can still communicate different moods.
Use colour with restraint
You don’t need to put every brand colour into every image.
Choose a dominant colour, a supporting colour and a small number of accents. Neutral areas can help the illustration sit comfortably beside the content.
Check the artwork on the backgrounds where it will actually appear. A delicate outline might disappear on a dark section. A bright accent might pull attention away from the main button.
If you’re buying a pack, check whether the colours are editable and whether the available file formats suit your workflow.
Preview it in the real layout
An illustration’s preview image rarely tells the whole story.
Place a sample beside your real headline, copy and navigation. Check it at desktop size, then on a phone. Test the crops you’ll need for blog cards, social posts or email.
Look for a few practical things:
- The subject is still recognisable at smaller sizes.
- Important details survive the crop.
- The image has enough breathing room beside the text.
- The visual emphasis supports the page’s main message.
An intricate scene may make an excellent hero image and a poor thumbnail. Choose artwork for the space it needs to occupy.
Check whether the collection can grow with you
A handful of attractive images may cover your homepage but leave you struggling when you add services, articles or product features.
Review the collection for relevant subjects, flexible compositions and useful variations. If you’re commissioning custom work, ask how future illustrations can be created in the same style.
Check the licence for your intended use, including client projects, modifications and attribution. For our own resources, everything is set out in our Digital Product License & Usage Policy. Keep the licence information with the files so it’s easy to find later.
Build a small illustration guide
Once you’ve chosen a direction, record the decisions.
A simple guide can include approved colours, example artwork, preferred backgrounds, cropping guidance and notes on where illustrations should be used. It gives future contributors something concrete to follow, and it slots neatly into a wider design system.
Start by testing a few images on your most important pages. If they support the content and feel comfortable beside the rest of your identity, expand the collection.
The aim is a recognisable visual language that helps people understand your brand. Choose illustrations for their role in that language, as well as their individual appeal.
