How to Use Animal Symbology in Design (+Inspiration) (2024)

Learn how animal imagery can influence a person’s emotions and how you can use this to your advantage in your designs.

Below we deep dive into animal symbolism so you can send the right message in your designs.

Animal Symbology, Symbolism & Meanings in Design

1. The Bat

Bats are regarded as symbols of death, superstition, fear, night, and cult. They are often mixed up with witchcraft and occults in the Western folktales. You will be surprised, but Chinese, on the contrary, believe that a bat is a sign of happiness and good fortune. The Africans and ancient Greeks believed it was a symbol of articulacy.

Animal Spirit Guide Book

If you want to learn more about animal symbolism, check out this highly recommended Animal Spirit book. With each animal listed, you’ll find general meanings and characteristics that each animal possesses.

2. The Bear

The bear is a symbol of strength, courage and tenacity. It also represents a gentle friendship and a docile follower in camouflage. However, bear’s love for honey adds up an amusing element into the symbol of power and dignity.

Animal Speak – Animal Symbolism Book

Animal Speak is an incredibly resourceful animal symbolism book which will help you understand their meaning, power and spiritual significance. There are over 100 different animals, birds, insects, and reptiles inside.

3. The Bird

A bird is a symbol of human soul. It represents the best of its qualities like: goodness, joy, wisdom and intelligence. In Western art the bird symbolizes the air, connection throughout the life time. The bird flight symbolizes the trip of our soul to the future. Additionally the flying birds represent hope, beauty and transcendence.

The Shaman’s Guide to Power Animals Animal Symbolism Book

The Shaman’s Guide to Power Animals is a cross-cultural journey into the mystical symbolism and stories of over 200 birds, fish, insects, and mammals drawn from ancient and indigenous cultures worldwide. You can use this resource to further understand animal symbolism.

4. The Bull

The bull symbolizes fighting ability and male fertility. What’s more, the symbol of the bull stands for valor and magnanimity ever since the prehistoric times.

The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck and Guidebook (Animal Symbolism Book):

The artist behind the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck and Guidebook helps seekers of all levels expand their practice of self-discovery with this breathtaking keepsake animal symbolism boxed set featuring an oracle deck and guidebook, inspired by real and mythical animals. If you want to learn about animal symbolism The Wild Unknown comes highly recommended.

5. The Butterfly

The pretty butterfly represents the soul and resurrection in several parts of the world. In other words, the butterfly is a symbol of life and its cycle.

Pocket Guide to Spirit Animals: (Animal Symbolism Book):

6. The Cat

The cat is a symbol for spiritual power, freedom, love of liberty and even bad luck in Japan. The black cat is associated with cunning of evil in the Celtic world and damnific djinns in the Islamic world.

7. The Dog

The dog is a symbol of a companion and guardian. Dogs are very positive; they are loyal, faithful, honest and willing to fight the injustice.

8. The Dolphin

The dolphin is a symbol of salvation, transformation and love.

9. The Eagle

The eagle is a symbol of power, action, speed and perception. Eagles have the power, intuition, creativity, balance and grace. Their vision is sharp which gives them the ability to see the hidden truth and spiritual principles. The eagle has been adopted as an emblem round the globe.

10. The Elephant

In China, India and Africa, the elephant is a symbol of power, dignity, intelligence and peace. They also have a great memory!

11. The Fox

Look at this sly muzzle. The fox is a symbol of intelligence, cunning and slyness. In the medieval period, it even appeared as a symbol of the devil but in China and Japan people believe that the fox brings wealth.

12. The Horse

The horse is a symbol for velocity, vitality and beauty. It represents the power of the wind, storm, fire and waves.

13. The Lion

The lion is a symbol of deathless courage, strength, fearlessness, bravery and royalty. Its body has been commonly used in portraying mythological creatures, Egyptian sphinx, for instance.

14. The Monkey

The monkey is a symbol of fun, activity, charm and an energetic nature. Monkey is one of the Chinese zodiac signs. It characterizes a person who has many friends. It is a sign of natural curiosity, but can show self-indulgence and rebellion.

15. The Owl

The owl is a symbol of vigilance, acute wit and has been associated with spirits. It has been regarded as a guide in the underworld. Owls are great hunters and Celts associated them with wisdom, keen sight, and patience.

16. The Shark

The shark is a symbol of terror and violence. It is the world’s greatest predator, and therefore symbolizes power and fearlessness.

17. The Snake

The snake is a symbol for charm, danger and sexual energy.

18. The Spider

The spider symbol means creativity and is often believed to connect the past and the future. Many cultures consider the spider as the weaver of the fabric of life where they introduce both writing and clothing making. It also scares.

19. The Tiger

The tiger is a symbol of power and energy all over the world. It is prominently featured in Chinese mythology and takes the second place after the lion in the badge of military ranking.

20. The Wolf

The wolf is a symbol of cruelty, cunning and greed in some cultures. Thus, others admire it because of courage and drive for the victory.

Our brief animal trip comes to an end. We hope you liked it. And now you know exactly what animal symbols to use when you want emphasize a specific company feature.

Animal Imagery & Website Traffic

But what about animal images and website traffic? Are they connected somehow? We are sure that nobody will argue the fact that emotions influence conversions. And animal images are definitely able to stir emotions. Of course your website should be appealing and user-friendly, but an animal image can become its special zest.

• Firstly, you can convey more information about the company through the animal associated with it.
• Secondly, you can draw user’s attention by the unusual interpretation of animal image you have chosen.
• Thirdly, please, ask yourself a question what animals are not capable of? They are not able to lie. So, animal images automatically raise customers’ trust to the company.
• Fourthly, animals can be so fun and cute that the users can’t resist their charm and are ready to do whatever you want them to.

A Better User Experience

We won’t dare to affirm that animal image will immediately boost your website traffic as there are lots of other influences. That wasn’t the aim of our post, by the way. We just wanted to share the thought that creative use of animal imagery can help convey a customer’s ideas better, prepossess the visitors, make them smile, engage and gently compel the users do exactly what you want.

Isn’t that what all of us are longing for? Now you have one more powerful tool named animal symbolism in your web design kit.

Animal Symbolism Inspiration

You can see how other designers have used animal images in their designs in the inspirational showcase below.

Trionn

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Hudyl

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Razor Jam

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Corvu

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David Bushell

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Boru Collars

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Janne

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Jask

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More than 20

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Stop the Vom

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Achtender

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Bay Street Biergarten

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Ende

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Cat Scarf

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Balinov

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Five Thirty Eight

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Fillip Nordin

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Go

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GOS

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Fabrizio Del Gaudio

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Joro Yordanov

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Nut Cache

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Yeti

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Soignon

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Me Cre

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MORE ANIMAL SYMBOLISM

See our updated list of animal symbolism in logo design and branding.

Do you use animal images in your designs? Do you believe that animal images in combination with other specific design elements can increase website traffic? Are you ready to share your own designs with animal images?