Iconography & Illustration vs Photography Direction
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — iconography & illustration compared with photography direction.
Last revised
Both sit under Visual Identity, and clients regularly ask which of the two they actually want. The short answer is below; the rest of this page is how to tell, what each costs, and the cases where a project needs both.
What each one is
- Iconography & Illustration Icons and illustrations drawn in a consistent style that belongs to your brand, rather than stock assets that look like everyone else's.
- Photography Direction Guidance on how your brand photography should look and feel, so images from different shoots and photographers work together.
The numbers
| Iconography & Illustration | Photography Direction | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | From $1,400.00 per project | From $1,400.00 per project |
| Services underneath | 4 | 3 |
How to decide
Go with Iconography & Illustration when
- The job is specifically custom illustration style, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically icon set design, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically pattern & texture design, which sits under this one
Go with Photography Direction when
- The job is specifically art direction guidelines, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically shot list & casting direction, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically treatment & grading direction, which sits under this one
When a project wants both
Worth knowing: More often than the question implies — the same job frequently touches both, and one team covers them, so moving between them is a conversation rather than a second supplier. If you are not sure which your files need, that is what the free trial is for. The process is the same either way: whichever you pick, the work runs through the same stages and is checked against the same bar. Visual Identity sets that out.
Questions we get on this specific choice
Is one of them cheaper?
They start at the same rate, so the choice is about what the job needs rather than about budget. Complexity moves both.
Which is faster?
Much the same, and volume moves the number far more than the choice between these two does.
Can you tell me which one my files need?
Yes, free. Send two or three real files — that judgment is part of the trial rather than something quoted separately.
Can I switch after we start?
Yes. If the files say the other one is the right answer, we re-quote before doing the work rather than after.
Where to go from here
- Iconography & Illustration — what it is, in full, with its own pricing
- Photography Direction — the same for the alternative
- Visual Identity pricing — both rates side by side with the US market ranges
- Try it free — a free written review of your current identity, and we will tell you which of the two your files need
- Get a quote if the scope is already clear
- Every rate we publish, on one page
