Has your design team ever been hesitant to perform certain requests, such as making something bigger and/or bolder? Chances are their hesitation is not because they don’t want to change the design, but they do not want to disrupt the visual hierarchy.
What is hierarchy?
Hierarchy is defined as “a system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority”. The same is true when it comes to design. Visual hierarchy is a specific order in which a user/viewer is intended to see/process information. Designers strategically establish a visual path to direct the user eye around a layout by using a variety of tools including size, colour, contrast, spacing, alignment and location.
Why is hierarchy so important?
We’ve already established that hierarchy is the basic structure that directs a viewer’s eye around a design. When this structure is disrupted or poor, it can make even the most beautiful design chaotic and confusing, causing the message to be difficult to understand. For example, remember back in 2015 when Steve Harvey announced the wrong winner of the Miss Universe competition? Looking at the design of the card he was given, it is clear that poor visual hierarchy contributed to this mistake. In the live event, he would have had limited time to read the card before making the announcement and this just emphasizes how important hierarchy can be. Have a look at the two cards below. The one on the left is a replica of the actual card design Steve Harvey received. It begins with 3rd place at the top and ends with the winner at the bottom off to the side. While the font size of the winner is bigger, the placement and alignment are poor causing confusion as to who the actual winner is. The design on the right is an example of how with a few tweaks to establish a much better design with clear hierarchy could have helped avoid this scandal.
While your design may not be as high stakes as Miss Universe, it is important to ensure you are effectively communicating your message by establishing a strong visual hierarchy. So the next time you ask to make your logo bigger, or add more text in that blank space, remember you may just be confusing your message. It is important to trust the recommendations of your design team as they have been trained to understand the importance of hierarchy in design.
