As a graphic designer, it is my job to be a visual information manager, quickly communicating messages to a viewer in a way that is logical and predictable. Both are necessary in effective visual communication. One of the methods through which designers accomplish this is the development of a visual hierarchy, or order of importance.
People are visual thinkers. However, they don’t take in all visual information at once. Instead, they break it down into smaller, easier to process chunks, typically classifying visual elements in terms of relationships. The more complex the visual message, the more people tend to classify like elements. Size, color, contrast, alignment, repetition, proximity, space and texture are visual cues that help organize visual hierarchies for viewers.
Example from Graphic Design The New Basics.
Let’s get down to brass tacks: Why is hierarchy important? The answer is simple. People spend mere seconds, possibly even less, determining whether or not they are going to engage a visual message once it has caught their attention. If the hierarchy of the message is easily understood, the chances of the viewer engaging it increases exponentially. If not, the intended message is lost.
Many factors can lead to a failed hierarchy—client demands, designer inexperience, design-by-committee or a gross overabundance of content.
In an article on webdesign.tutsplus.com, Brandon Jones, Webdesigntuts+ Editor, describes an exercise to test for visual hierarchy success. Here are the steps:
- List the key information points that visitors are likely seeking.
- Assign values (1-10) according to their importance to the average visitor.
- Now, look at the actual design again.
- Assign values (1-10) according to the actual visual importance as you see it in the live design.
- Consider: Does the expected importance match up with the actual designed importance?
It’s a natural tendency to want every element to “jump off the page,” but it is our job to remember that hierarchy comes first and making every element bigger or flashier isn’t always most effective.



