30 Creative Examples of Illustrations in Web Design
Adding illustrative elements to a web design can take it to a whole new level. Illustrations add a uniqueness and character to a design, giving it the ability to make it truly stand out from the crowd. Designers and artists use them in various parts of a design: as backgrounds, as part of a captivating header, or as an accent within the content area.
In this article, you’ll be able to set your eyes on some of the best examples of websites that have chosen to use illustrated elements as part of the design.
1. The Great Bearded Reef
2. iwit.nl
3. MailChimp
4. Erguvan Platin Evleri
5. Artgeex
6. Octwelve
7. meomi cloud house
8. the Octonauts
9. Stuff and Nonsense
10. Antiphrasis
11. Richard Stelmach
12. volll
13. Navigant Consulting
14. Dean Oakley
15. DivVoted
16. Ian Wharton
17. Pointless Ramblings
18. The Alamo Basement
19. UGSMAG
20. Deborah Cavenaugh
21. JESUS RODRIGUEZ VELASCO
22. Silverback
23. Yes Insurance
24. Miki Mottes
25. We Are not Freelancers
26. Mike Poss’ Rock Guitar Blog
27. Happy Webbies
28. Next2Friends
29. TAKE A BENYLIN® DAY™
30. Neweracaptalk
What’re you thinking?
What do you think about illustrative elements in web design? What are the benefits and what are the downsides? What types of websites should and shouldn’t have illustration? Sound off in the comments!
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38 Comments
Chris Wallace
March 21st, 2009
Very cool, Jacob. I love Ian Wharton’s.
Matt
March 21st, 2009
I think illustration really provides a great professional affect. But I prefer to use it in bits rather than the whole site because it tends to lock you into that illustrated/cartoonish look. Which for some sites is a good thing.
Kayla
March 21st, 2009
I love illustration in web design. Wish I had my own scanner so I could do more of this stuff on my own sites.
Andrew Houle
March 21st, 2009
Nice compilation, inspiring choices!
Richard
March 21st, 2009
They all look the same. The internet is making us boring as hell.
EngineHere
March 21st, 2009
Very nice. Wish I could draw like this..
jack
March 21st, 2009
I know you’re trying to be fresh, but you gotta include some of the twitter stuff! They do a good job with their 400 pages and busy pages and etc. Anyway, thanks man!
Bob
March 21st, 2009
What do you think of ours?
Tyler Norris
March 21st, 2009
We just recently launched this site for a University in Wichita, KS. It’s made of illustrations, but with a grunge look to give it an edge that the client needed for the site. I think the grunge keeps it from looking cartoony, while still using all illustrations. But I was the designer, so I may be a bit bias ;)
http://www.freethecamels.com
Great article though!
loswl
March 21st, 2009
Very cool illustrations, I love all the different effects and styles displayed here ;0)
Two Socks
March 21st, 2009
Nice round up thanks!
Soh
March 21st, 2009
Very cool!
tnomeralc design
March 22nd, 2009
hi,
nice to know you, now days many people like to creat animated pages but they don’t have a creative thougth, so do I. I usually just mix some related pics in my photoshop template then put them in my blogs. some illustration blogs can illustrated me too.
Ellie
March 22nd, 2009
A great selection of web designs here. I agree, adding illustration to a website adds a personal touch that sometimes seems to be missing.
James Martin
March 22nd, 2009
Check out rittenhousepet.com as well!
Alex Vorn
March 22nd, 2009
Yeap, very nice collection. Thanks and keep the great work.
jack
March 22nd, 2009
@Bob – love the illustration style! however it loses energy and becomes a bit repetitive though.
N_Lite
March 22nd, 2009
Pretty Illustrations! :)
Patternhead
March 22nd, 2009
Some great original work here, nice collection
Paul
March 22nd, 2009
Thanks for the great examples.
Charles
March 22nd, 2009
I love the illustrated and animated header on the top of this British site:
http://www.bestmortgagedeals.co.uk/
Jacob Gube
March 22nd, 2009
@Charles: I normally hate animated GIF’s, but that actually wasn’t bad. Great find!
Claire
March 23rd, 2009
I love illustration, i am not particularly good at it myself, and a lot of the web designs i do, don’t really require me to be that creative. I have attempted a few and, yes they look pretty good actually, but creating characters – i cannot do!! I would like to know how those guys create such amazing illustrations, and how long it takes them!!
Lee Munroe
March 24th, 2009
Nice post, I love illustrated characters in web design like MailChimp and Silverback.
Ofer
March 24th, 2009
Have to say : WOW!!!!
It looks very good, complete and artistic.
svsen
March 24th, 2009
Very Nice Kamal
sivas
March 25th, 2009
very good, thank you
Mason S.
March 26th, 2009
#3, #12, and #22 are probably my favorite illustrations on websites.
Leena Ajwani
March 29th, 2009
Cool. can see lots of efforts put in these websites and design.
Callum Chapman
April 2nd, 2009
great stuff, some real creative illustrations there! I love the octonauts is amazing, and ian whartons portfolio is unbelievably good! cheers!
z.Yleo77
April 9th, 2009
great stuff。。。 tnx。。。 beatuiful
Don Anthony Murray
April 12th, 2009
Amazing work, loving the Mail chimp!!
evan
May 19th, 2009
I love vectors although it takes a lot of time just for 1 :/
Dino
July 13th, 2009
Sweet!!!
Ashely Adams
September 10th, 2009
Wow….some real great illustrations. I really love characters like MailChimp, and Ian Wharton. Next2Friends and Deborah Cavenaugh are also good. Keep up the good work.
Zulu
September 22nd, 2009
very good exaples, thank you
Cara Dixon
October 20th, 2009
I love the ‘Jesus Rodriguez Velaso’ illustration! Its really creative and intricate! Love the ‘Mail Chimp’ too! Thanks for sharing!
C P
January 19th, 2010
These are great, please show some more. Any photography related illustrations?
CP
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