A picture is worth a thousand words. Since the beginning of time, people know that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image.
Lascaux, France. A panel from the world-famous cave gallery painted 17,000 years ago. Image: subarcticmike
A big part of our brain is devoted for visual processing. Some researchers even claim that over 90% of the information people process is visual.
In this article, I want to talk about one specific type of visuals — illustrations. Similar to any other element of UI, illustration should be a functional element of the user interface — it should serve a specific purpose. That’s why if you plan to use illustrations in your UI you need to clearly understand when and why you should use it.
Below are 3 typical examples of when illustrations can bring benefits to user experience: