Illustrations present a well-proven way to enhance user experience. Yet, if you are not an illustrator, it may be a challenge to get custom images that won’t cost a fortune and will tell your specific story. To solve the issue, today we’ve released Vector Creator, a free tool that allows creators to make striking illustrations right in their browser. No design experience is required to use the tool: 3,000+ elements in 12 styles are ready to spice up your UI or social media. Join the release party on Product Hunt or explore the details about it right here.
Basic Benefits
With Vector Creator, anyone can tell their story by crafting the perfect illustration without the help of a design team. The major benefits to mention are the following:
Fast in-browser creation
Huge library of 3000+ clipart elements
Free to use with attribution for personal and commercial projects
Categorized & searchable
Background
Vector illustrations have exploded in popularity recently and are becoming much more niche-focused. After the great reception for illustration library last year, we needed a way to scale the creation process to cover any use case. So that is exactly what we built: Vector Creator, an in-browser design tool enabling anyone to create professional illustrations.
Feel some vector magic: choose from categorized and searchable styles, then drag components to the canvas, arranging them however you wish. When you are done, simply export the results in PNG or SVG (premium).
We kept the experience approachable to ensure everyone could make custom vectors quickly, even without design experience.
The Vector Creator is free to use, just remember to link back to Icons8 when using your creation.
To satisfy the common request of ‘more please’ we worked with artists to create a massive illustration library.
Containing over 3000 elements in 12 distinct styles (& still expanding!) there should be more than enough variety to keep you busy.
But if not, you will soon be able to upload your own media as well.
We hope you will use the vector image creator to liven up your next landing page, onboarding flow, presentation, or social media post. Have fun with it!
Features
Let’s dive a bit deeper into what you get and what you can do with our online vector creator:
Compose illustrations without needing to learn or download tools
12 striking styles to fit any theme
Build unique vectors, not overused illustrations from templates
People, animals, objects, shapes, and backgrounds
Upload your own vectors and images (soon)
Free to use
- Export to transparent PNG or editable SVG
Productivity Tools: When the Faintest Ink Is More Powerful Than the Strongest Memory
Here’s how the conversation went:
– Did you take note of what I told you?
– I memorized it!
One hour later. There is a huge hole in my memory. Nothing but deafening silence in my head.
“I memorized it. Everything is in my head. Great. Sure. I’ll do it.”
This is how I was. I tried hard to demonstrate to myself and others that I had a perfect memory and that I could grasp everything in a single flash. It was a fail. Actually, I failed on many occasions. Details of discussions would be wiped out the next day and when it was time to show my piece of code it went like this:
– No, no, it’s not correct! It’s not the way we discussed it! Show me your task list. But there are only 6 items on the list out of 7, and 2 of them don’t reflect what we talked about.
Why couldn’t you come up and clarify it one more time? Why are you stuck with this task that was left for “dessert”?
Failure after failure. A facepalm, to put it in a contemporary manner.
Don’t Trust Your Memory
I once came across the following saying: “Whoever comes to a meeting without a pen and a notebook loses.” The text was about commercial projects and transactions. If you don’t document it the details of the discussion might get changed, mutilated, or just lost post factum. This can also be said about any professional field.
Correcting the Situation
There are many items and details that are discussed, in most cases verbally, during development task assignments.
There is no digital copy.
Some analysts are as bad at assigning tasks as you are at documenting them. There is no point arguing whose responsibility it is, I just want to help you do your work more efficiently. If you do, too, well, you should write everything down!
A workspace for an online conference illustration for design
Paper graphic design custom illustration
First and foremost, your go-to is a pen and a piece of paper. Every time you want to bring up a question during a conversation you should write it down.
Even when a term of reference is enclosed, you should still document everything said.
This is very important because you can later demonstrate that all those details were actually discussed.
Write down everything on the spot and organize priorities later.
Memo Pad or Note-taking Apps
Here we refer to both special digital devices that allow taking notes as well as to tablet/smartphone apps.
You can use them at the meeting, and it can be convenient if you are skillful enough with them.
But you will have to stop a speaker from time to time to be able to finish your notes.
People speak faster than we can write.
It will be hard for you to keep up with the pace of speech unless you are a certified shorthand typist.
Otherwise, you will have to stop people or have an assistant to help you.
Voice Recorder
This one is really helpful. It will record everything while you participate in a discussion.
There are specific tools that can convert speech into text.
Don’t be afraid of looking out of place with this gadget.
You won’t. At first, people might be skeptical or uncomfortable out of fear of saying something wrong. But then they will get used to it and will actually start clarifying whether it is recording and should they repeat.
You will notice with time how people adapt to it by starting to speak more clearly, making references to the content (a diagram, screenshot, text, etc.) being discussed.
They would go as far as to mention which section of the text this discussion relates to.
I have been to meetings where you can see several voice recorders in the middle of the table. I’m sure you have been to such meetings as well. So in case the battery in your voice recorder dies or a memory card runs out of memory, you can always ask a neighbor to lend you their recording. I once saw a special station at a conference being used that allowed you to connect to a group Skype conference with an audio-recording ability.
But don’t become overly reliant upon it, you should still have a pen and paper on hand.
A reconstruction of a meeting protocol
Photo/Video Camera
If it is announced that there will be lots of slides, screenshots, illustrations, or sketches presented, you should bring a photo or a video camera to the conference. Video-recording from a tripod is a bit unorthodox, but you can capture both the speech of the presenter and any accompanying images.
Screencast
In case of an online meeting (Skype, Zoom, Join.me, TeamViewer) you can use software to capture the whole screen as a video, rather than just audio. You will be able to not only listen to what was discussed at the meeting but also view it.
During a Skype call about the technical details of a project, I mentally gave the other participant 100 points for negotiation skills when I spotted the icon of an active screencast on their screen. It appeared I forgot to run my screencast software and all the valuable details could have been lost.
Outline
When a meeting is over every participant should get the results of the discussion: which topics were on the agenda, which problems were debated, and which decisions were made. It should be done right after the meeting, if possible, or at least on the same day.
When discussing a problem, tons of details could come up. Some of them might be recalled just for the sake of refreshing one’s memory. People tend to go from one problem to another, delving into the specifics of each problem instead of going from primary to secondary problems.
Setting priorities is the second phase after every problem has been discussed and solutions were approved on paper. This is where an outline of the discussion or a task list comes in handy. Sort those by the order they were approved and follow that order.
Refining Details After a Discussion
A task list is not set in stone. You can always go back and discuss items again, add new details, and update priorities. The following questions are all okay to ask. I would even reward some of these questions with medals for courage and responsibility.
I can’t remember what needs to be done regarding that issue
The picture of the whiteboard is of low quality. Can I draw it again and have you revise it?
I forgot (didn’t start the recording, was late) what we started with? Could you please remind me about those first two tasks?
I was tired by the end of the meeting (busy with other stuff, was on the phone, my battery died) so I lost the line of thought a bit. What were the last two tasks we discussed?
Reconstructing a discussion protocol and an outline is important. There is a chance you will have to call all the participants back together again. If it is not possible, you should discuss it privately with each other. All the details should be refined within a day. Otherwise, you might forget some of them.
Some might get annoyed. Be ready to iron out these difficulties. But that is a different story. What is important to you is that all the productive tasks are sorted. And next time make sure to bring a pen and a piece of paper, all right?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What sets vector image creators apart from raster graphics? A: Unlike raster graphics, vector images maintain quality regardless of size, providing unmatched scalability and versatility.
Q: Can I use vector images for print projects? A: Absolutely! Vector images excel in print projects, ensuring sharpness and clarity even in large formats.
Q: Are vector image creators suitable for beginners? A: Yes, many vector image creators offer user-friendly interfaces, making them accessible for beginners while catering to advanced users.
Q: How do vector image creators enhance collaboration in design teams? A: Vector image creators often facilitate seamless collaboration through cloud-based features, allowing team members to work on projects in real-time.
Q: Can vector images be animated? A: Yes, vector images are ideal for animation, providing smooth transitions and dynamic visual elements.
Q: Are there free vector image creator options available? A: Indeed, several free vector image creators offer robust features, making them accessible to creators with varying budgets.
Conclusion:
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital creativity, the vector image creator emerges as a cornerstone for artists, designers, and businesses alike. Embrace the power of visual expression, elevate your projects, and embark on a journey where creativity knows no bounds.
