Graphic Designer's Essential Reference

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Job:07-26153 Title:RP-Graphic Designer’s Essential Reference PB Edn

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GRAPHIC DESIGNER’S ESSENTIAL REFERENCE

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Defi ning Clear Visual Hierarchy

Strong composition depends not only on the

compositional states of the various elements,

but also on how those states contribute to

the viewer being able to navigate, or under-

stand, the content, and in what order the

content should be “read” (whether in terms

of type or purely pictorial content). Defi n-

ing this order, or hierarchy, and controlling

the sequence in which viewers will perceive

and assimilate each level of information is an

unavoidable process in every design project,

no matter how straightforward it is.

In coming to determine the most

important element (whether pictorial or

typographic), the designer most often relies

on common sense by answering the simple

question: What do I need to look at fi rst?

Beyond simply establishing this entry point

into a sequence, the designer must also

ensure that elements don’t compete with each

other. This often means making some formal

attributes

—

such as relative sizes, densities, or

spatial intervals

—

subtler or more nuanced,

while exaggerating others so that the viewer

can process the material more effi ciently

without sacrifi cing vitality and tension.

General Methods for Ordering Material

Focusing attention on one form within a

composition most often results from two

primary strategies: differentiating that

element from all others (by means of exag-

gerated scale, density, or color distinction),

and/or arranging surrounding elements so

that the orientation of their angles, curves,

or interstitial spaces directs the eye toward

it. With the fi rst strategy, viewers tend to

perceive a special emphasis on a form or

space that separates itself in some way from

the gestalt of the composition: While all other

forms share similar relationships, the most

important form has unique attributes. To

create a more complex hierarchy using this

approach

—

establishing decreasing levels of

importance in a sequence of elements

—

the

unique attribute applied to the top element

may be applied in diminishing degrees to

each subsequent form.

Under the second general strategy, known

as continuity, the relative proximity of sur-

rounding forms creates an emphasis on the

primary form and then directs the eye to a

secondary location. Designers may use each

strategy individually or in tandem.

hierarchical strategies

DIFFERENTIATION

CONTINUITY

Scale

Rotational

Alignment

Weight or Density

Axial Alignment

Alignment

Spatial Progression:

Interval

Direction

Spatial Progression:

Scale/Depth

Rhythm

Structural Focus

Proximity

Triangulation

Identity or

Proportion

Spiraling

Orientation

Stepping

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Job:07-26153 Title:RP-Graphic Designer’s Essential Reference PB Edn

#175 Dtp:204 Page:18

001-035_26153.indd 18

7/12/11 10:30 AM