Best of 2019: Our favourite illustrations

The best illustrations of the year

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what then is the value of illustration? If you ask us, a good illustration is priceless and techlifetoday is fortunate to leverage the creative powers of a cast of design superheroes!

These are imaginative problem-solvers who take half-baked ideas and – let’s face it – sometimes terrible concepts from our writers and bring them to life with visual heft, emotion and whimsy that leaps from the screen. The end result is a visual package that not only makes our content visually appealing, it improves our storytelling.

With that, we present a selection of our favourite illustrations from 2019.

Overcoming stigma and opening up about student mental health

Graphic designer Tracy Niven created this illustration for our podcast episode about student mental health on post-secondary campuses.

Food security in Edmonton

backyard garden

This illustration by graphic designer Dru Davids added whimsy and colour for our podcast epsiode about food security in Edmonton.

Why 5G cellular networks will change the world as we know it

illustration of phones

The evolution of cellular technology and 5G's impact on our world hits home in this fun design by Andy Oviatt.

Maker of NAIT's original logo mosaic revisits her work 50 years later

Shiela Hardy and her mosaic

This fun origin story about NAIT's mosaic mural and its talented creator warranted similar visual treatment, which designer Derek Lue accomplished with this illustration of a photo shot by Blaise van Malsen. (Speaking of photograpy, check out our photographers' favourite images from the past decade). 

How to turn gardening inspiration into landscaping action

landscaping

Designer Rory Lee turned a hodge-podge of ideas about how to landscape your yard into a wonderful set of colourful and easy-to-follow visual instructions.

How to be good (or bad) at public speaking

how to make a good presentation

Another illustration by Lee that delights and entertains, this time for a how-to on public speaking.

How to navigate change at work

signs of change

Lee developed a visual concept about how to embrace, support and drive change at work for our podcast episode on the subject.

How to avoid getting a virus on your cellphone

cellphone virus

It's just as important to protect your cellphone from viruses and malware as it is a computer, which Oviatt makes crystal clear with another fun phone illustration.

Fake it 'til you make it: Is meatless meat better for you than the real thing?

fake meat

The rise in popularity of protein alternatives is a meaty issue – and one that Niven navigated deftly with an illustration you can sink your teeth into.

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