Welcome back to my blog, where I talk about being an illustrator and a researcher. So what makes an illustrator well-suited for researching?
Despite being an elusive part of my community, even within the creative arts and design research, I believe illustrators have a very good advantage in this field. I am the living proof of my theory (which, btw, is not a large enough sample to make any kind of conclusions, but this is my blog and not a journal paper).
Firstly, illustrators are comfortable working for and with a larger audience. Our work has been taught to work for the masses; to make art that embodies messages and has them easily readable by readers. So, I think illustrators are especially good at thinking of the potential audience/demographic/participant pool that their research needs. Customisation is our middle name.
Secondly, illustrators are aware of both art and design elements of visual work. Whether illustration is closer to art or design is an ever-going conversation in the field, and I have been well-trained in both sides. Before going deeper into the pendulum between art and design (and whether the binary thinking is apt for illustration), I believe illustrators have the skills and the respect for both, while being independent entities in their own right. Thus, when thinking about research, illustrators have the benefit of being able to think from both sides instead of one or the other.
Thirdly, illustrators are used to the most difficult part of research: being comfortable in the unknown(ing) and under tight deadlines. This applies to many freelancers, but I personally learned to be okay with not knowing whether the future is headed by being a freelance illustrator. And research is very much dependent on being able to stand firm when nothing seems to be going quite right, or when one doesn’t feel like they know everything. At the same time, many research-related activities like conference presentations and journal papers require a lot of work under a relatively tight deadline. Illustrators are built with these two aspects into their career, and I think this is one of the key transferrable skill that is well fitted to doing research.
I am basing my speculation on me and a number of colleagues, friends and conversations I had about this subject (hint hint: I’m not just making this up!). I think research is an exciting avenue for illustrators who are masters of public communication, while looking for something specific or impactful from their work. I might not be a doctor who saves lives, but I am proud to be a contributor of knowledge.
What have I missed, where illustration power transfers well to research power?
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