Illustration Consultant

One Acre Fund Overview

One Acre Fund, founded in 2006, serves more than five million smallholder farmers with the agricultural services and products they need to make their farms vastly more productive. Our team is drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. With operations across ten countries in Africa, we make farmers more prosperous by providing quality farm supplies on credit, delivered within walking distance of farmers' homes, and agricultural training to improve harvests. We also support farmers through micro entrepreneurship and market access initiatives. On average, the farmers we serve harvest 50 percent more food after working with One Acre Fund.

Consultancy Background

One Acre Fund is seeking an experienced illustrator to develop and refine farmer-facing visuals to support promotion and training on 2-3 agricultural topics. The consultant will work closely with the global design team, Human-Centered Design (HCD) teams, and technical experts to design, test, and revise illustrations that are both technically accurate and easily usable by farmers.

Scope of Work

Development of New Illustrations

1. For practices where no visual materials exist, create technical illustrations that depict agricultural practices (following One Acre Fund's brand guidelines).
2. Collaborate with technical experts to ensure accuracy and alignment with agronomic recommendations.
3. Participate in 2-3 farmer testing sessions (with HCD and Extension team support).
4. Revise illustrations based on farmer comprehension, usability, and technical feedback.

Testing and Revising Existing Materials

1. Review and test existing training and communication materials with farmers (coordinated by HCD/Extension teams).
2. Identify issues with comprehension, clarity, or usability.
3. Provide updated versions of illustrations for design team integration.

Knowledge Capture and Best Practices

1. Develop a short practical checklist/guide for future technical agricultural illustrations, summarising design principles, common pitfalls, and farmer feedback.

Deliverables

1. Complete set of technical illustrations for 2-3 agricultural practices (final number of illustrations to be agreed once topics are confirmed).
2. Any visual materials needed to test illustrations.
3. A short practical checklist on illustration best practices (max. 1 page).
4. File outputs in vector (AI, EPS, or SVG) and high-resolution raster (PNG/JPEG) formats adaptable for print and digital use.
5. 3 rounds of revisions per illustration (or as agreed in the contract).

Timeline

• Estimated consultancy period:
  4 months
• Illustrative breakdown of days
  per set of illustrations
  (final to be discussed with candidate):
• 2 days: Initial illustration creation
• 1 day: Creating prototype/testing materials
• 1-3 days: Incorporating team feedback
• 4-5 days: Travel and participation in farmer testing workshops
• 1 day: Data logging and synthesis
• 2-4 days: Revisions of illustrations and testing materials
• Additional buffer days for review and sign-off

Reporting Structure

• The consultant will report to the Global HCD Lead
• They will collaborate closely with the global design team, country HCD teams, and relevant technical specialists

Qualifications

• Proven experience in diverse illustration style, with a portfolio showcasing technical or instructional visuals (ideally agricultural or scientific content).
• Ability to translate complex technical practices into clear, accessible visuals.
• Basic graphic design skills are an advantage (preparing mockups or prototypes), but not essential. Final redesign and layout work will remain with One Acre Fund's design unit.
• Experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams (designers, researchers, technical experts).
• Familiarity with user testing and iterative design processes.
• Understanding of rural farming contexts in East Africa is an advantage.
• Based in East Africa, to ensure ease of collaboration with country programs.

Application Procedure

Interested candidates should send the following to

:

• A resume/CV and cover letter outlining relevant experience.
• A short proposal including approach and timeline for developing and revising illustrations.
• Portfolio or 2-3 samples of relevant illustration work (technical, agricultural, or instructional).
• Proposed flat rate price for the full scope of the consultancy and deliverables, including indicated iterations from feedback rounds

Illustration Exercise:
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a short, paid take-home exercise simulating a typical illustration brief. This will help us assess style, ability to follow instructions, and alignment with One Acre Fund's branding.