One of the most peculiar things about the WikiHow website isn’t really the how-tos but the actual illustrations. They're colorful, but despite being relatable, they sometimes present a distorted view of reality. You wouldn’t assign their style of cartooning to any other site, which makes it uniquely their own. From a dog that weirdly possesses human features to a stick figure struggling to tie shoelaces, the artists know how to add humor to even the most mundane tasks.
Volunteer authors at WikiHow use a bot called “Wikivisual” to submit requests for images to illustrate their posts. This is handled by the Wikivisual team.” Previously, the artists creating illustrations were unknown, as the page doesn’t credit them under the images. However, an article from OneZero (a news and research publication) revealed that they’re created by a massive group of freelance artists.
Chris Haldey, WikiHow’s vice president of operations, confirmed this information. He shared that the company’s shift towards commissioning original art began in response to Google’s algorithm. Custom images reached a wider audience than recycled ones. The drawings still remain in secrecy, as the freelancers have to sign NDAs (non-disclosure agreements, aka confidentiality agreements). Haldey commented on this, saying that their idea was new and they needed to keep it special, so they asked people to keep it private. Over the years, maintaining the mystery has been part of the fun, which has gained a lot of traction.
One of the “Disney Vacation” subreddit moderators, Xalaxis, shared in a previous Bored Panda interview that they’ve been in contact with a WikiHow staff member. In the email, they mentioned that they’re familiar with the subreddit and get a giggle out of the occasional out-of-context image themselves. Xalaxis shared that this encounter made them feel proud, just like getting acknowledgment from their parents.
Even though some articles on WikiHow may seem silly (like how to perform magic spells and fake a fever), a lot of people are searching for these obscure step-by-step tutorials. Their most popular articles, such as "How to take a screenshot in Windows," "How to kiss," and "How to know if a girl likes you", exceed 30 million views. To this day, it seems that people are still slightly confused by Microsoft and romance and need a little extra help in navigating them.
According to a previous study in 2007, the place that Americans turn to for answers most is the internet. 58% of users employ it when they have questions about things like health, school, careers, and government. Those without internet access reported less satisfaction when seeking answers.
