The use of the word 'art' in clip art is far too prestigious a word to explain these lowly images.
Let's just say I'm not a big fan of clip art. Especially when it comes to news design because more often than not someone is just sticking it on a page to pretty it up or to fill space. And I'd rather have no image than a bad one.
The majority of clip art out there looks dated, and cheesy. I know the allure of buying a disk or book that is filled with 3,000 clip art images. I've been there, and I learned my lesson.
It's up to us to be strong and say no to the editor who says "we need a logo to go with a series about foster children, and we were thinking about an icon of a house with a tattered Rageddy Ann doll lying on the stoop.” I'm not sure who "we" is, but they should stop thinking so hard.
I imagine this craftfully written story with photos that capture the emotion of children living in foster care, and then I see it, and it's placed right next to a gripping photo. It's clip art, and it's as ugly as homemade sin.
Visuals project the quality, sophistication, and personality of a publication or website, and they are the first thing that attracts the readers eye. So, don't let clip art degrade the quality of your visuals.
I'm not saying all clip art is bad. I admit I use clip art from time to time. But it's generally part of an overall concept that I want to illustrate about a story. I have found value in using very old advertising illustrations, but only when it's appropriate to the story.
I don't want to confuse clip art with spot illustrations either. Spot illustrations are original, usually created in-house, and enhance storytelling.
It's time to clean out the archives of bad clip art and commit to cleaning up our act. Bring in a big garbage bag and toss out those circa 1980s and 90s images that you still use. Or better yet, put them in a time capsule, seal it up tight, and don't open it up for at least thirty years. By then they will be vintage and back in style.
