What is imagery in UI Design? Definition and Examples
Sandesh Subedi
Dec 21, 2019
What is imagery?
An image speaks a thousand words — the most common proverb we use to describe the importance of an image. Imagery in UI design is the visual language used to help users relate to a brand, their products, adding an interactive element in the form of an image. Imagery in literature is a language that appeals to one or more of our five senses. Using images enhances the experience for the user by simplifying the complex concepts by reducing them to pictures. The human brain responds to images almost 50,000 faster than the text. The images you use should be informative, delightful. Above all, it should convey the right message to the user. We have prepared a list of imagery examples to be taken care of while utilizing imagery in UI design.
Appropriate position & size for your images.
Images should always have an alternative text attached to it. It still conveys the necessary information when the image fails to load.
Every image should work as a story-teller for your interface, by conveying information in a structured, more accessible, and pictorial fashion.
It shouldn’t be a distorted image, as it creates negative visual noise. It should be of perfect resolution and scalable across multiple devices.
An image should constitute a point of focus. It introduces meaning to it.
The color and the characters we use should blend well with the design aesthetics of our website or application.
Introducing thumbnails (smaller images) is a good practice of providing a user with the context of what a video or an article is about in your design. You can place them over cards and can set different sizes and proportions to them.
Imagery evokes an emotional response from the users. In other words, it helps the user in establishing a connection with your interface.
Images are best used for creating tutorials of your product. Utilize images on the landing screens. It attracts the user and has high conversion rates of users as compared to if there are just texts on the screen.
