TL;DR: Digital platforms provide more opportunity for the evolution of illustration as an industry that they detract. Access to illustration and wider design has increased exponentially through online platforms. There’s the opportunity for artists and illustrators to express perspective and identity through design; and although independent works and publications such as zines have been an expression of identity for decades the ability to reach wider audiences allows individuals to create spaces for representation and discussion that mightn’t be found in mainstream media. As artist Jeffery Chueng of Unity Press puts it: “The best thing about zines is that they are accessible and you have total freedom to put whatever content down on your pages without censorship.” (1) The group’s driving motivation has been “promoting queerness in skating” (1). Similarly, the online publication Yellowzine has created a space to amplify the visibility of art by POC in way that would be difficult to achieve as a solely printed text: “Yellowzine is a print and online platform that centralises the artwork of ethnic minority creatives. We work with artists across the UK, with an aim to amplify and inspire. We are part of a contemporary movement for the progression of art by POC (People of Colour)” (2) The volume of content, images and design online is vast and potentially overwhelming. We learn through communication; experience and sharing. Groups like Unity Press and Yellowzine set out to explicitly create spaces for specific audiences by sharing personal experience- there’s catharsis in relation and empathy. Online spaces may make it easier for young people and adults to make time and space for art; and to participate and express through image making. It’s possible to share and consume design online as an individual, but it also provides individuals to find real world spaces and opportunities. This also presents a great opportunity for building community and support networks. However, it’s also important to acknowledge that content existing exclusively online can be exclusionary- if you don’t have access to a computer, phone or the internet you won’t be able to access the material. This potentially excludes the section of society that would benefit the most from these support networks. The duality of trends towards craft and the handmade at the same time as digital democratisation identifies a relationship between the two. Art does not exist in a vacuum; and the handmade and digital do not exist independently of one another. It’s tempting to think that the two are in competition, but ultimately the digital can exist as a tool to extend and amplify illustration’s most important quality- the ability to communicate. 1. https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/ywvgmw/get-to-know-unity-a-radically-queer-skate-company 2. https://www.yellwzine.com/about

**TL;DR – They seem to undermine the value of a physical illustration, but they are not a threat.** Digital art developed with an adherence to the traditions of physical art, but not all of them. It's really great for accessibility if you have access to technology in the first place. I believe that there should always be a question of permanence with any digital art. I acquaint this with recording music on tape vs. digitally. With tape, not only do you get a physical recording of music that you can hold in your hands, but it gives the music a sense of permanence. Digitally recorded tracks can be deleted in a digital audio workstation in a second. As a craft, illustration begs the feeling of holding an illustration in your hands or looking at it on a wall. The texture of drawing utensil, slight variations of the piece's color in different lighting, and the way it's hung on the wall are certain aspects of permanence in an illustration that digital pieces just would be able to bring across.

I disagree because I think digital platform enable illustrators to explore more tools in their art such as the tools on Procreate that allow artists to turn illustrations into animation. I think also digital platforms enable the sharing of artwork more easily on social media, as the work is already in a digital format. Therefore I do not think digital platforms are a threat to illustration.

**TLDR - If digital platforms are a threat to illustration, then it just highlights that classic illustration was not as democratic as art should be** This is argument of course only works if there is a separation between illustration and digital illustration, which I personally do not see. However, I think free digital platforms such as Krita and Inkscape have democratized illustration, and that is only ever a good thing. Suddenly, anyone who has a drawing tablet (or even a mouse) has the opportunity to try illustration. And because it's digital illustration, the user has access to a wide variety of brushes, colours, tools, and the ability to undo and mess around with their work. Having a cheap drawing tablet and Krita has frequently revitalized my love of drawing. I used to always draw when I was growing up, but as I got older and lazier and frequently without supplies, that creativity dwindled. Purchasing a drawing tablet meant that whenever I got the urge, I could just plug into my laptop and get drawing. Having that safety net of undoing, or starting again in an instant gave me further motivation to draw. I also don't think that artistic mediums are really ever in danger of dying. Every medium has its pros and cons, and I think artists have the desire to use whatever medium suits their art, regardless of how easy or modern it is. Sure, illustration jobs might now require software knowledge, but that's the blame of a digital world, not the digital platforms themselves.

**TL;DR – Digital platforms are not a threat to illustration. In fact, digital platforms have been proven to boost and provide more exposure (advertising, publicity, etc.) where various forms of illustration is concerned. More specifically, this can be seen in digital illustration.** According to the website plat4m.medium.com, most of the information that people process are visual – as 50% of all nerve fibers connected to the brain are linked to the retina, i.e. they are directly or indirectly related to vision. Based on this then, it should come as no surprise that the latest design trends show how popular illustrations are in creating user interfaces. Examples of this can be seen in Google, Slack, InVision, Dropbox, MailChimp, Asana and Salesforce – all using illustrations in user interfaces. Even Dana Kachan (2020), a marketing strategist and author who implements digital marketing for businesses across various industries, confirms this in her article, *7 Ways Digital Illustrations Amplify User Experience Design.* In it she discusses how digital illustration – illustration combined with digital platforms, can engage and intrigue the user, as well as, add more functionality to any application that one might have. What's more, Kachan mentions the following seven ways in which digital illustrations can benefit us, particularly where mobile applications are concerned: it helps to transfer the main idea faster, it creates an illusion of real communication with a user, digital illustrations allow people to have fun, it adds elements of gamification into a Mobile App, it’s a perfect way for user onboarding, it emphasizes the main style concept, and it drives user loyalty and engagement. In this instance then, it's evident that illustration is also being used as a way to enhance user interface design. So while illustration that is represented through various digital platforms does differ from the more traditional and conventional art of illustration, it’s clear that digital platforms pose more of a benefit than a threat to illustration. Moreover, I would even go as far as saying that digital platforms have led to the optimization and overall effectiveness of publicly sharing (digital) illustration. Source(s): 1) 6 benefits of using illustrations in UI https://plat4m.medium.com/6-benefits-of-using-illustrations-in-ui-66286c74f010 [accessed February 28, 2021]. 2) 7 Ways Digital Illustrations Amplify User Experience Design https://yourstory.com/mystory/digital-illustrations-amplify-user-experience-design [accessed February 28, 2021].