Choosing an illustration style is a brand decision before it is a matter of taste. A playful character, a detailed ingredient drawing and a simple graphic symbol each do a different job. Start by naming the job your artwork needs to do.

Decide what the image should explain

Is it helping customers recognise a flavour, understand how to use a product or connect with the brand’s personality? One image does not need to do all three. Agree the priority before collecting references.

Choose a visual language with a purpose

  • Simple line work: useful when the composition needs small, repeatable symbols or supporting details.
  • Bold graphic shapes: worth exploring when the identity depends on colour and a recognisable silhouette.
  • Character-led artwork: a direction to consider when expression and storytelling are central to the brand.
  • Detailed drawings: can make room for ingredients, craft or a more descriptive product story.

These are starting points for exploration. Review examples beside your typography, colour palette and product photography before choosing.

Test the smallest application

Put a draft on the actual pack size and in a mobile product card. Details that look appealing on a large presentation may disappear at a small scale. Discuss line weight, contrast and reproduction with the designer and production partner.

Plan a family, not one isolated picture

If several variants need artwork, define the shared rules: viewpoint, proportions, colour use and level of detail. Decide how a future product can join the range without looking like it belongs to another brand.

Give the designer a useful brief

  • The audience and the idea the illustration should communicate.
  • Brand files and examples of existing applications.
  • Formats, dimensions and production constraints.
  • The number of artworks and variants needed.
  • Where the finished work will be used, including any licensing requirements to agree.

Review it as part of the system

Look at the illustration alongside the product name, information hierarchy and other brand elements. The goal is a coherent presentation. Marin’s project is a useful place to explore how graphic elements, colour and type can share a recognisable direction across applications.