Hyper-realistic insects, minimalist people, and good old identity design: I found them all on Behance, a portfolio site for creatives.

Bug Off

Who: Impact BBDO Dubai

What: Vape Insecticide ads

Where: behance.net/gallery/15109981/VAPE-BBDO-Dubai

Behance member since: 2012

Under normal circumstances, a fly’s face does not make me chuckle. This print ad campaign for Vape Insecticide is not normal.

For Impact BBDO Dubai, the challenge was to make Vape stand out in a market that is crawling with competitors. “It was crucial for us to create a simple visual idea that sticks in your head,” notes Fadi Yaish, regional executive creative director for Impact BBDO Dubai. “We did that, and we needed no line. This is when you know your idea delivers.” 

It took a lot of work to go from that concept of widowed insects to the end result. “We studied the anatomy of every insect through macro photography,” says Fadi. 

“The main challenge was getting a human expression out of an insect macro,” says Garrigosa Studio’s Alex Torrens. “An insect at this scale is unpleasant and inexpressive at the same time. Another requisite was that the insect should be photo-realistic.” 

To make the images look as realistic as possible, the team photographed clothing in a studio. They then combined the clothes with the CGI bases in Adobe Photoshop CC. Next came intense work in Photoshop to apply textures to the base, antennas, jaw, legs, hair, and more. 

Finally, the team used Photoshop for shadows, highlights, contrast, tone, and saturation. “It was a laborious but exciting project,” Fadi says. 

Striking Student Work

Who: Quan Duong

What: Book and poster on traditional Vietnamese groups

Where: behance.net/gallery/15189655/53-Minorities

Behance member since: 2012

Quan Duong recently graduated from Canada’s York University with a bachelor of arts degree in design. Before he left school, he used the freedom that came with being his own client to create something personally meaningful: a catalog that documents the traditional cultures of ethnic groups in Vietnam. His project 53 Minorities communicates this information with understated yet striking illustrations, infographics, and page layout.

After researching each group’s traditional dress, Quan used Adobe Illustrator CC to re-create the clothing in a more simplified way. “After having all the elements ready,” Quan says, “I transferred them into Adobe InDesign CC and started laying out the book. InDesign is a great tool for setting up the layout and for typesetting.” For other elements in the book, such as icons and maps, and for the poster, Quan returned to Illustrator.

This school project combines beauty, meaning, and message. I hope the teacher gave it an A+.

A Balanced Approach

Who: Sam Lane

What: Adventure Films branding

Where: behance.net/gallery/16146907/Adventure-Films

Behance member since: 2012

Rugged yet warm. Professional yet friendly. Sam Lane had to walk a tightrope when he designed the branding for Adventure Films, a Luxembourg production company. As the results show, he has good balance.

For example, the wordmark looks like (and sometimes is) a stencil. For the company’s portfolio, he chose a die-cut front cover with screw-and-post binding. It feels crafty while referencing an industrial aesthetic.

Sam used a combination of Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign CC while designing everything from postcards to a website. “I tend to use Illustrator for the more hard-core graphic design,” he notes. For instance, he placed an Arial Rounded glyph on a grid in Illustrator and modified it to create the brand’s uppercase A. In Photoshop, he applied a branded color overlay to bring a visual consistency. 

Then it was time for InDesign. “I call InDesign the lifesaver software because it’s where I bring in all the individual design elements and form a final product,” Sam says. 

(Watch a six-minute video to learn how to customize a Behance ProSite to showcase your work for potential clients.)