The challenge
When the subject is ideas rather than objects, every scene has to be invented.
The Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law and Society (TRAILS) needed a large-format conference banner illustration that made their research tangible to a general audience. They came with a clear direction: an isometric style, their brand colors, and a comprehensive list of research areas. The challenge was that AI in law, society, and policy doesn't produce physical objects, which meant every scene was a problem of invention. The breadth of research areas also had to coexist in one image and feel like a unified world, not a collection of disconnected scenes.
The APproach
The sketch wasn't preparation. It was the most important decision in the project.
With a piece this large and varied, the relationship between scenes matters as much as the scenes themselves. A full sketch came first to work out how the research areas would sit relative to each other and communicate as a whole. A handful of scenes were then developed in full color before the rest, not as a production step but to test whether the brand colors and character style could carry the entire illustration. Once that held, everything that followed was already decided.
The reflection
Sketching the layout before touching any detail is what makes a complex, multi-part piece feel like one coherent thing.
The outcome
Work built for one conference has been in use ever since.
The client was thrilled with the result. The illustration now lives on the TRAILS website, and individual scenes have been repurposed on project-specific pages, extending the life of the work well beyond the original conference banner.
Alexandra is a down-to-earth, creative professional. She is a skilled illustrator committed to providing the best client experience possible.
—Maria H., Assistant Director of Communications
