Hello and a good Sunday to everyone!
Today I'm able to share another commission that came fresh out of the drawing dungeon, because the client just made it public.
For Plan D consulting in Berlin, an agency specialized in AI consulting, I made an illustration for a new product they offer to their clients: support in all things around the upcoming EU AI Act law. I think this gig is a nice example to dive deeper into a specific topic: how to illustrate abstract topics. If you're interested, please read further into my little article. In any case, here's also the long timelapse process for you!
👉 https://youtu.be/sPckSDqMS8E
How do you actually illustrate AI topics?
Subjects like AI are a special challenge when you need to come up with visual concepts. There's the classic iconography that people have already learned: neuronal networks, brains connected to some kind of circuit boards, uncanny looking cyborgs...boring af, right?
The issue with these well learned visuals is that they just work, people know what you mean. But if your claim and taste wants more than these stale ideas, just like in the case of my client here, you need to find that sweet spot between innovative solutions, and not losing your audience by going an all too unusual route.
This doesn't only apply to AI or similar topics, but to anything that is rather abstract. Anything that doesn't have a physical representation in our world. My most favorite example is idea. Look at the icons below. These are the first 15 results when you search for idea on thenounproject.com.
Incredible how the lighting bulb is still the number 1 learned icon for idea, while actual lighting bulbs often don't even look like this any more.
Whenever I encounter the task to illustrate such a topic, I like to check out the common icons for the key terms. To see what humanity has chosen to be the learned visual representations. And also to avoid using these (at least prominently) in my artworks. 😄
My idea for the EU AI Act piece was: yes, we're going to have computers and circuit boards. Yes, we'll have screens and a map of the EU, to be a little plain about what this is about. But I gave it a fantasy wrapping, a little retro-futuristic space station vibe. It's important to keep in mind that this visual always works together with headlines and texts. Illustrations are often not there for doing an explanatory job on their own (this is something I often have to make clear in front of clients). They are no infographic of their own. This helps a lot when trying to tackle a subject while avoiding stereotype visuals.
Semiotics and iconography are fascinating topics, and they can be powerful tools for artists! Hope you liked this little excourse!
CheersStefan