The overuse of Alegria illustrations

If you’ve spent any time on websites, apps, or corporate branding in the past few years, you’ve likely to have seen Alegria-style illustrations. Even if the name doesn’t sound familiar, the style will – flat, faceless characters with exaggerated limbs in bold, bright colours, all drawn with the same uniform line weight.

Alegria was originally created in 2017 for Facebook by the creative agency Buck. The goal was to bring warmth, friendliness and inclusivity to digital branding. The name itself means “joy” in Spanish, reflecting the cheerful, optimistic feel of the illustrations. But what started as a fresh, modern approach has now become everywhere.

And that’s the problem, not just the style, but the sheer overuse of it. Instead of making brands more distinctive, it has blurred the lines between industries, making companies blend into one another. When banking apps, media outlets and tech platforms all use the same visuals, what does that say about originality in branding? Not much!

Alegria illustrations have been widely adopted across different sectors:

Tech: Google, Slack, and Airbnb have all embraced Alegria to create a friendly, approachable user experience.

Media: YouTube and The Guardian have incorporated it into their visual communications to simplify complex topics.

Finance: Even banking apps and fintech platforms have jumped on board, using Alegria to make financial services appear more accessible.

It’s easy to see why brands use this style of illustration. It feels safe. The faceless, featureless characters avoid depicting any specific race, body type, or gender, making them universally applicable. They don’t alienate anyone, but at the same time, they don’t engage anyone either. The colour palette is designed for inclusivity, but the consistent line weight removes any sense of hierarchy or focus, making everything feel visually flat.

While Alegria may have been an effective choice in its early days, it has lost its impact. When everything looks the same, it becomes background noise. How many people actually notice these illustrations anymore? I know I don’t.

That’s the real problem – brands are choosing Alegria not because it’s the best option, but because it’s the easiest (which shouldn’t be the reason to use it.) But safe design choices don’t always lead to effective branding. Instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all, businesses should consider creating their own illustration style – something that aligns with their identity rather than blending into the sea of sameness. It doesn’t have to be radically different just for the sake of it, but it should be distinct enough to be memorable for their own brand or business.

If a client asked for Alegria-style illustrations today, I’d strongly advise against it, not just for originality’s sake, but because it has become invisible. Why invest in something that no longer registers with an audience? It’s time for brands to move on, step away from the safety net, and embrace something that actually gets noticed.

What do you think? Are Alegria illustrations past their prime, or do they still have a place in branding?