Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Illustration plays a key role in shaping how our brand communicates — bringing warmth, clarity, and personality to our work. From icons to spot and editorial illustrations, these visual elements help simplify complex concepts and create a more human, engaging experience. All illustrations are crafted with a consistent style, color system, and level of detail, ensuring that every image feels intentional and aligned. This approach empowers teams to use visuals that are unmistakably Upwork, no matter the setting.
Icons
Spot illustrations
Editorial illustrations
An editorial approach, like the new dimension of work, is ever changing. It is about reacting to and interpreting a topic or line.
It is a flexible attitude, allowing the tone of the creative to define the look and feel of the illustration.
This means we will no longer have one set style across the brand, but instead an eclectic mixture of styles held together through a set of guardrails and principles.
We capture the New Dimension of work through color — our Glimmer should always be present, either as part of the illustration or placed over a Glimmer background.
Our illustrations reflect the New Dimension of work through dimensionality — shown via conventional 3D, forced perspective, or impossible views.
Our illustrations use four tonal filters — Human, Optimistic, Witty, and Excitement — to ensure a consistent voice across diverse styles.
The Glimmers must always be visible when executing illustrations. We have two approaches to ensure this happens:
1. Multi-colored illustrations on top of Glimmer backgrounds
2. Illustrations with Glimmer coloration
Just like the rest of our brand, our illustrations ladder up to our strategic positioning of a ‘New dimension of work’.
Our illustrations are always dimensional and we can do this in three ways:
1. Conventional 3D
2. Forced perspective
3. New/impossible perspectives
A simple way to ensure our illustrations have dimension is for them to be 3D.
This can come to life in any number of styles.
We can create a feeling of dimensionality in our illustrations with forced perspective.
Forced perspective uses exaggerated and dramatic angles to give the impression of an object coming towards or moving away from the viewer.
A new dimension can be illustrated through interesting and impossible new perspectives.
Our illustrations also have 4 potential tonal filters to guide their TOV. Coming from our brands framework they are:
1. Human
2. Optimistic
3. Witty
4. Excitement
We should incorporate these, or a combination of these, to provide tonal consistency across our eclectic illustrations.
Grounded in humanity. Work should work for people — our illustrations should reflect the emotion, quirks and idiosyncrasies of what it is to be human.
A new dimension of work is a force for good in the world. Our illustrations should exude optimism about work and the future.
Our network is made up of creative and sharp minds and our illustrations have witty quirks to reflect that sharp, inventive spirit.
Upwork is excited to build a better future for work and our illustrations should always reflect that energy.
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
