Content is king but without a well-executed website design, it is just an elegant wrapping. The overall website and user experience design adds a more informative and emotional appeal to the content no matter what your goals are. This is why having access to resources that have free vector illustrations always comes handy.
Illustrations serve as a tool to convey messages more effectively. For most people, they relate illustrators as people who create the backdrops and characters of children’s books. Although this is technically correct, there are endless possibilities of using illustrations, more than sparking imaginary worlds. Especially in this digital age, the utilization of illustrations is so diverse.
In the business industry, for example, illustrations are used to enhance the consumers’ shopping experience. They can be seen in websites, labels, social media posts, print ads, and many more.
Illustrations as Functional Art
When it comes to web design, illustrations are considered to be as functional elements rather than decoration. Designers add illustrations with the purpose of having easier and clearer message delivery and user interaction. You can usually see illustrations as part of the design for hero and theme images, blog feature images, marketing banners, infographics, notification and system messages, and many other types of visual content.
If you are wondering why illustrations are gaining popularity in the field of interface design, then it is a must that you learn why they are essential in this field.
5 Reasons Why Illustrations are Important in Web Design
1. They Establish Originality and Artistic Harmony in Content.
The ability to stand out is vital in any industry that has a fierce competition. People are more likely to get interested and would want to understand the benefits of products if the images used are appealing to them. This is the reason why most companies have illustrations for their landing pages. They want to instantly capture attention by fine-tuning the artworks, taking into consideration the preferences of the audience.
Another good thing about illustrations is that they can also be created in such a way that they match the business goals or ideals of a company. This makes it easier to have a harmonious content that is specifically intended to solidify a thought or a message.
2. They Serve as Visual Triggers.
It has long been established that images are perceived faster than words. This fact is used by designers to increase the visual performance of their designs. Because people are more perceptive with visual marks, illustrations are effective when used to support a message. They quickly enlighten the users about the message or create strong visual associations that are necessary to remember and process more information.
3. Sets the Emotional Appeal of the Message.
The audiences are all emotional creatures. This is why designers have to be careful in what elements they add in their designs. The lines, colors, shapes, and facial expressions of illustrations all contribute to igniting emotions. It is for this reason why illustrations are used to connect emotions to user experiences by customizing the elements of the design concept.
4. They are Memorable and Catchy.
Images tend to stick better in memory than plain text. It is helpful to add informative images that are designed according to the audience’s preferences. It must also be consistent with the whole context of the layout. This makes illustrations handy in branding efforts. The audiences are able to visualize the products better so they tend to patronize them instead of the competition.
5. They Make Interactions Simpler and Faster.
Illustrations are highly engaging. They are essential in making the audience decode the message faster so they can react accordingly. When supported with textual prompts illustrations become more effective at helping the audience to deal with content easily. Illustrations are like visual signs that will guide the consumers to their purchasing journey.
In the aspect of graphics design, you have to ensure that you are able to satisfy the audience, both in the aesthetics and the manner of delivering the message. Visual data, like illustrations, are proven to heighten human cognitive abilities. They make the audience see more than a beautiful layout but also understand better the concept behind it.
20+ Sites to Download Free Vector Illustrations
Here, we have listed down a few of the most excellent illustration resources where you can download free vector illustrations for inspiration.
1. Customize your own illustrations freely – If you need quality vector graphics software, DesignStripe is a great choice as it can be used to produce professional-quality results. It is so powerful and flexible to use so it does not matter if you are a newbie or a pro in vector art creation. Its application is endless, from graphic design to social media and even marketing. What you create can be exported in various formats like PNG, AI, PS, SVG, and JPG. (designstripe.com)
2. Free Vector Illustrations for Your Website – Icons8 is a wonderful source where you can download illustrations free. The creators ensure that every asset is made in high-quality graphics. Although you can download any asset for free, you can fully enjoy high resolution downloads from its paid plans. You can enjoy the full set with all assets and plugins at only $29 a month. There are also plans that are based on your current needs, such as the Subscription plan at $13 per month and the Single Illustration at $9 for every download. Take note, though, that having the free plan would mean that you need to put a link to Icons8 in the illustration. (icons8.com)
3. DrawKit - Beautiful vector illustrations. Handmade and high-quality illustrations are what make Drawkit a great source of free stock illustrations. There are hundreds of free illustrations that you can use in a variety of applications. Their free collection is categorized according to industries. You can find plenty of illustrations for digital marketing, economy & finance, health & medical, and even for holidays, such as Christmas and thanksgiving. Apart from the free collection, they also offer premium illustration packs for as low as $15. They even have an exclusive bundle offer where you get access to over 200 assets in SVG, PNG, Fig, and Ai file formats. (drawkit.com)
4. Download Free Vector Art, Stock Photos & Stock Video Footage – Aside from free vector illustrations, Vecteezy has millions of stunning photos and videos that you can download for both personal and commercial use. They have a wide network of contributors who always add fresh content. You only need to provide attribution if you are a free user. For Pro or paying members, however, a whole new level of experience awaits as it means browsing through an ad-free site, unlocking premium resources, and having full commercial rights of the assets that are downloaded. (vecteezy.com)
5. unDraw - Open source illustrations for any idea – unDraw is an open-source community that simply offers free images and illustrations that you can use in any type of design projects. Every asset is completely free and can be used even without attribution. You can even modify the colors in order to make the images fit into your current design. This community includes designers, developers, content creators, and other artists who work together to keep the site up and running and help other individuals create better designs. (undraw.co)
6. Free Vector Art & Graphics – As a creative source for designers, Free Vector offers high-quality vector graphics, including illustrations, for free. You only need to sign up for membership if you want to download any asset from their site. Only paying members, however, are allowed to use the files for commercial use. If you are an artist who wish to help the community, you can also upload your files and be part of a growing international network of graphic designers, illustrators, and other creative enthusiasts that are passionate about vector art. (freevector.com)
7. Enjoy these Illustrations Vectors for Free – Thousands of high-quality images are within your reach from Freepik, even without paying for anything. The content is regularly updated and it also guarantees ad-free browsing. This is great when you want to focus on finding the best image for your next project. There is also an option to get access on premium content, like exclusive illustrations, stock photos, and PSD files. (freepik.com)
8. 500+ Free Vector Illustrations & Animations – Pixel True has weekly updates for their stunning SVG illustrations plus Lottie animations that come in 12 distinct styles. You can search for the best illustrations from their massive library or have one specially created for you by their superb design team. You seriously need to consider signing up for their lifetime access offer so you can get your hands on thousands (and growing) of resources which you can enjoy to create breathtaking projects. (pixeltrue.com)
9. Stock Vector Images, Graphics and Royalty-Free Vectors – High-quality vector graphics aids the designer in creating one-of-a-kind projects. Get inspired to create with Adobe Stock’s royalty- free vectors. There are different categories to choose from so that you will have the best vector graphics that will suit your needs. Knowing about Adobe’s reputation in the industry, you are assured of having stunning vectors for your project. (stock.adobe.com)
10. 110,000+ Free Vector Stock Art Images, Hand Selected – Pixabay is consist of a massive pool of talented artists that contribute over 110,000 free vector art images on their site. This group of vibrant creatives is united to provide copyright-free images, videos, and music for aspiring graphic artists. The resources can be downloaded for free and you can use them for both personal and commercial use. You may also join their creative force and have your work be shared with people on a global platform. . (pixabay.com)
11. Vectr - Free Online Vector Graphics Editor – A graphics editor is a nifty tool to have when you are working with vector images. Vectr has a simple but very powerful tool that can help you create stunning designs like a pro. It is so simple to use in both online and offline platforms. The intuitive tool’s features allow even those who do not have any background in design to create and edit their designs with ease. It is AI powered which explains why this tool is simple, fast, and powerful. (vectr.com)
12. VectorStock - Vector Art, Images, Graphics & Clipart – You simply cannot ignore VectorStock when talking about good resources for royalty-free vector images. They currently have over 29 million assets on site which means millions of artistic possibilities that you can enjoy. Take note that many global brands, like Nike, Disney, and FedEx, use VectorStock for their design teams. It is absolutely free to browse and download from VEctorStock but you can also choose to sign-up for a premium plan to get access to exclusive content. (vectorstock.com)
13. Free Vector Art, Images, & Graphics for Free Download – Vector4Free is a website that consists of dedicated graphic designers from all over the world. They collaborated to offer a large collection of royalty-free artworks that are in popular formats. These talented artists are generous to the point that they allow downloading and using their vectors for personal use. (vector4free.com)
14. Free Vector Illustrations [commercial use] - It can be quite frustrating to design something when you are running out of ideas. Reshot has a huge illustrations library from various categories, like business, social media, shopping, and travel among many others. These assets come from talented contributors. Downloaded assets can be used for both commercial and non-commercial projects and they kindly ask to tag them on your creations so that word about them will spread out. (reshot.com)
15. Royalty-free vector clip art, svg files and graphics | Public domain vectors – The copyright-free vector images from this resource are made in a variety of popular formats, including SVG, EPS, and CDR. Everyone is free to edit the vector images and have unlimited commercial use. In consideration of their kindness, they only ask to link back or even just mention about their website when downloading from their collection. (publicdomainvectors.org)
16. Free illustrations – You simply can’t ignore how cool this site is if you are looking for vector graphics to complete your design. The assets are categorized according to themes but you may also browse according to file types. This makes it easier to find images in the right format so you can use them right away without having to convert or do anything else. (freeillustrations.xyz)
17. Original Cliparts- Sometimes all that you need are classic cliparts to make your design pop up. Openclipart is not a bad resource o get high-quality vector images which are all in the public domain. Their library keeps on growing, thanks to their talented contributors so you can expect to see fresh content regularly. (Originalclipart)
18. Free Vector Illustrations for Commercial Use – The beauty of illustrations is that they are pretty to look at but still in a minimal file size. Play around with your design using any of the illustrations from this site. All of them are of high-quality and can be downloaded in a variety of formats. They are also royalty-free so you can download them for commercial use without a fuss. (2.flexiple.com)
19. 35 places to get free vector images for your designs – It is always a struggle for an artist to find inspiration in creating new creative projects. This is a great read if you are on the lookout for the best places to access royalty-free vector images on the web. (justinmind.com)
20. 35 places to get free vector images for your designs – Just like any other professionals, designers also experience creative block every once in a while. Time to refresh and discover the best places to check out mind-blowing graphic designs that will ultimately inspire you on your next project. (uxplanet.org)
It is always such a challenging feat to scour the internet for that one perfect illustration that fits your design concept. Vector graphics are so versatile to use and we hope that the list above will spark your inspiration to create.
Final Tips...
Having unique images is what helps a brand build identity and makes them significant to the audience. Customizing a free vector illustration gives you a chance to create a distinct style and a unique vibe to your brand.
It is very expensive to commission photographers to achieve exceptional imagery for your web design. Free vector illustrations from the resources above are more cost-effective and will not fail you in terms of giving any campaign brand beauty and coherence.
Free vector illustrations are truly wonderful! They can unify a design and transform its look to be better and more attractive to the audience. From a simple brochure to multi-platform designs, illustrations are paramount at giving the design an appropriate feel and mood. They are more accessible compared to photographs that tend to be expensive to produce. They make any design more distinctive and even lift the unique personality of the brand.
With millions of free vector illustrations online, you never have to get stressed at finding what you are looking for. The list above is more than what you need to get access to the best resources that will aid you in any designing project. But, of course, you also have the option to have custom illustrations made specifically for your needs. Check out DesignStripe for professionally-designed custom illustrations.
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