By Madison Howard
Choosing the event website imagery requires attention to detail. It also requires adherence to theme. More than that, you have to think about what will resonate the most with your audience. Graphics, icons, and illustrations are key to creating a visually pleasing website. That being said, it's easy to go overboard. When you mix and match styles or choose photos that aren't relevant, you won't be able to convey your message as effectively.
“The whole point of taking pictures is so you don’t have to explain things with words.” Elliott Erwitt
Types of Photos
Relatable
Relatable photos often use people and allow you to put yourself in that position. When you choose relatable photos, try to imagine your target attendee. Use images that are inclusive of the range of people that would be attending your event. Another good thing to remember, choose the level of formality that your event calls for. If this is a website for a formal conference, choose photos of individuals in business attire. These images are often stand-alone and draw the visitor's eye.
Photo Background
Photos can be great backgrounds. Using a photo in the hero section can add depth and doesn’t change the overall meaning of the page, but gives insight into what attendees can expect. Choosing a photo background can be tricky. Make sure text is always readable and that the background isn't too distracting.
Inline photos
Inline photos exist on the page but don’t fill the entire page. These can be used to identify key sections, break up the flow of the page, or add a little fun. Inline photos are easy to choose as they stand alone. Make sure the photos you choose are relevant, not just unrelated stock images.
Illustrations
Illustrations are fantastic when you need to explain complex scenarios. For tech conferences or trade shows, illustrations can help elaborate an abstract concept. They can be great for branding your event. One downside, you'll most likely need to outsource to get illustrations that are relevant to you unless you have a fantastic creative and graphics department.
Icons
Just like all squares are rectangles, all icons are illustrations. Icons are illustrations in their simplest form. It's a great way to represent a single idea. Many websites take advantage of icons because they're easy to find, easy to make fit brand standards, and easily understandable by visitors. Icons balance the text on a page.
Picture Resources
Pexels: for free stock images
Undraw: for open-source illustrations
Streamline: the world's largest icon library
Madison Howard
A graduate of the College of William and Mary, my passion for writing began before I could read, with a nightly verbal diary dictation transcribed by my obliging parents. When I'm not writing, you can find me binge-watching TV shows, baking elaborate desserts, and memorizing pop culture facts.
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