Illustrators convert written and spoken ideas into a visual format to help convey information to the end users, consumers, and prospective buyers. Common examples of illustrations include infographics, whitepaper visuals, and expanded/exploded isometric views of a 3D rendering, which is usually made by another creative, such as a 3D animator.

An illustrator’s role is to use colors, text, images, and symbols to design graphics and make information easier for audiences to understand. Engineering illustrators, for example, may be involved in blueprint reviews to ensure all manufacturing and construction callouts are correctly placed and spaced and represent the correct items. Even seemingly minor errors, such as an extraneous counterbore in a steel girder, can cost hours of time and may even result in damaging the integrity of a structure.