Breathing Life into a Vision: The Role of Illustrators in Storytelling and Design
Think of an illustrator; you might envision beautiful drawings complementing a fairy tale in your favorite children’s book or articulating the details of a botanical species. However, the role of an illustrator in the design world goes beyond creating pretty pictures. They play a crucial role in storytelling at an attraction, helping communicate the vision of the built environment.
Jason Mills, PGAV Director of Visual Development
Jason Mills, Director of Visual Development, articulates the role of illustrators at PGAV, “Illustrators are visual storytellers. When given a task, we’re not handed a blueprint. We’re handed an inspiration: a pencil sketch, an image, or a few lines of text. It’s not a traditional illustration role. It’s a hybrid of illustration and design. We create visual narratives that convey complex stories and ideas, transforming abstract concepts into reality.”
Illustrators hold a lot of cards as storytellers designing the guest experience. Mills says, “Illustrators make a thousand tiny decisions that affect the course of the project. Their work holds a lot of power regarding how the project is developed. The design team often returns to those drawings if we’re feeling lost. When budgets are tight, we go back to the drawings and remember what the golden nugget was—what the client loved. We then make decisions to ensure we maintain the aspects that were so vital to the story, and we still hit the story beats.”
Storytelling through illustration shows the client what the built environment will be like. The visuals become guideposts in telling the story, not just for us but also for the client. Mills says, “You can show painstaking detail in architectural drawings and tightly woven written narratives, all of which are critical to a successful project, but until that's coalesced into an illustration, it’s hard to envision.”
Since illustrations help everyone understand the final built project, illustrators must understand scale, architecture, and the building process. Illustrations that are drawn from the guest's point of view can help form a connection and a solid understanding of the experience.
In his process, Mills says asking questions and determining the purpose of the illustration is vital. “The illustrator needs to understand the focus of the illustration, whether it's an attraction, a show element, or the setting itself. The point of view is also important: is it the entryway, view of the coaster, or a unique element in an animal habitat? The composition should be simple, purposeful, and effective. After defining the focus, supporting details are added.”
Mills explains, “I work to understand the story the client is trying to tell and translate that visually. Illustrators have the chance to breathe life into the vision.”
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