The Subtle Significance of Episode Art
Meet the unsung hero of modern podcasting: the illustrator
No matter how beautifully sound designed or researched a podcast is, a listener’s first impression nearly always begins with the art. And while every podcast these days has cover art, a growing number of podcasts are also investing in episode art. Episode art can be an effective way to set a show apart and give it more impact on social media, in audiograms, or in press kits. Most importantly though, images can add context and depth to the experience, and signal to the listener that a story does not merely exist in the earbuds. To gain a better understanding of how podcasts might approach investing in episode artwork, I caught up with two independent shows whose visual and aural identities are intertwined.
Darknet Diaries, hosted by Jack Rhysider, chronicles the darker sides of the internet. The show’s episode art features black and white images, with a well-placed hint of red (this early foundational design choice was inspired, in part, by the imagery from Criminal). The first 40 episodes featured art created by either Rhysider himself or from skilled fans, but Rhysider admits he is “not very good at graphic design,” and that the initial art “wasn’t delivering what [he] ultimately wanted.”
After his podcast had achieved profitability, Rhysider was able to hire graphic designers and illustrators to expand on his ideas and help the artwork stand out on social media. “The goal is to stop people from scrolling and to give them something fresh, visually,” he said.
For Rhysider, iconic images also present new opportunities to create merchandise for fans and help monetize his show: “I can also take my artwork and turn it into other things like shirts, stickers, desktop backgrounds, and soon posters.”
“An Essential Part of What We’re About”
The Nocturnists features stories from the world of medicine, told live (a nocturnist is a hospitalist physician who works at night). Their approach to the show’s visual identity is linked to their mission and origin story.
“The Nocturnists is first and foremost a creative endeavor — our mission is to support the hearts and souls of healthcare providers through storytelling,” said Adelaide Papazoglou, producer and head of story development.
For The Nocturnists, this creative process goes well beyond the audio experience.
“[At our live events,] we pay attention to details like choosing beautiful spaces, backdrops, and live music for our shows. We approach the podcast in a similar manner, as a space in need of curation,” said Papazoglou. “The artwork is not just part of the packaging, but rather it is an essential part of the aesthetic.”
The pandemic put a pause on The Nocturnists’ live events, so the show pivoted their format and invited listeners to share their experiences via voicemail. The voicemails were then developed into a special series called “Stories from a Pandemic.”
The team behind The Nocturnists used the opportunity to build a visual experience to accompany the series. A large vignette (pictured above) was created by illustrator Lindsay Mound to act as a visual signpost for the series, with each individual episode receiving a separate custom portrait.
“[Mound] did an incredible job creating a devastatingly beautiful portrait of the way the healthcare workforce has come together amidst the COVID pandemic,” said Papazoglou.
Another series from The Nocturnists, “Black Voices in Healthcare,” also uses episode and series art to help position a listener within the story. Papazoglou says they offer varying levels of direction to the artists they work with, but for this series they had a very precise idea: “We embarked on [this series] after the murder of George Floyd. Illustrator Ashley Floreál brilliantly referenced the zeitgeist by placing a flowery memorial mural in the background of a healthcare worker leaving the hospital.”
Finding an Aesthetic and Setting Your Budget
When it comes to developing a visual aesthetic, it helps to have an idea of what you want to accomplish and the feeling you hope the artwork evokes for the listener. For Rhysider, the process involves a lot of trial and error with artists he finds on sites like Fiverr and 99 Designs. Rhysider found it worked best to sketch out all the ideas himself, and then work with designers to finalize it. He outlined that process in a tweet from earlier this year.
For The Nocturnists, the first step is a brainstorming session with an artist. Papazoglou reaches out to illustrators she finds on sites like Behance. She looks for artists that will break away from “the crisp, clinical look” that characterizes many medical blogs and podcasts.
“Then we work together to create both a project visual identity summary and a visual inspiration board that we all participate in,” said Papazoglou. “It’s iterative, for sure.”
Rhysider started selling merchandise that features popular artwork created for his show, and sales of the merchandise now fully cover the cost of future artist commissions. Because the artistic direction and overall aesthetic for his show has been well-established, Rhysider pays artists about $150 per image to complete his vision, although wholly original work from scratch would likely cost more.
For The Nocturnists, Papazoglou says they don’t have a set rate, but that “hand-produced, skillfully created, gorgeous artwork is not an area where we try to cut corners.” Every project has a different scope, which makes it difficult to provide an average price.
Both shows have invested time and money to create a unique visual experience, but what do their fans think? Papazoglou says they often get positive comments from their fans, and that “this frequent feedback solidifies our conviction that the visual expression of a podcast is on par with the storytelling audio itself.”
Rhysider echoes this sentiment, saying that he frequently sees his art in social media bios and desktop backgrounds. But the highest compliment Rhysider has received? Someone had his episode art tattooed on their arm.
If you’re looking to take your podcast art to the next level, check out sites like Women Who Draw, Women Who Design, the Marlena Agency, or reach out to the one of the artists featured here.
Editor’s Note: Be sure to check out this companion piece where Erik rounds up some of his favorite podcast artists and their work.
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