Importance of Hierarchy - Designing a Sign
Posted by Wendi Miller on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 @ 10:10 AM
The primary task of graphic design is to create a strong, consistent visual hierarchy in which important elements are emphasized and content is organized logically and most importantly is readable. Graphic design is visual information management, using the tools of page layout, typography, and illustration to lead the reader's eye through the page. By Definition, hierarchy is the order of importance within a social group or in a body of text. Hierarchy is typically expressed through naming systems: general, colonel, corporal, private, and so on. However, hierarchy is also conveyed visually, through variations in scale, value, color, spacing, placement, and other signals. It employs clear marks of separation to signal a change from one level to another. Like fashion, graphic design cycles through periods of structure and chaos, ornament and austerity.
By being able to identify which elements of you would like to be the first the reader sees you can control the effectively of your signage. Readers first see signs as large masses of shape and color, with foreground elements contrasting against the background field. Secondarily they begin to pick out specific information, first from graphics if they are present, and only then do they start parsing the harder medium of text and begin to read individual words and phrases.
Below are examples of hierarchy both effective and not when designing a sign.
