Hierarchy in Design
In the world of search engine optimization, it’s important for an SEO specialist to create a hierarchy of keywords and other elements, determining which words and links will serve as the foundation for a site’s efforts in climbing the ladder of rankings, and which elements will serve as supports. In the world of web design, a similar hierarchy is necessary for the creation of attractive and visually meaningful pages. Web designers can construct and rely upon a hierarchy of design to ensure that a given client’s message and personality is the true focal point of a page, while getting as wild as they like with the visual details.
The creation of a hierarchy in design may seem like a fairly straightforward and obvious process; larger elements, such as outlying columns and backgrounds, should be somewhere on the bottom, while the more detailed items such as menus, small illustrations, and visual flourishes should reside somewhere towards the top. But this approach is often unsuccessful in delivering the kinds of pages that can truly pack a visual punch while keeping a site uncluttered and to the point –something clients and their visitors greatly appreciate in a web design culture where “less is more” hasn’t quite sunk in.
A more practical and agile method for developing a quality hierarchy of design is to consider those elements which should naturally be given the most emphasis. If a certain piece of text, such as a quote or company name, is an important page element, it should be given a high degree of emphasis. Elements such as body text can receive a moderate amount of emphasis; they won’t compete with the title, for instance, but they should be perceived more quickly and for a longer period than a bullet or other minimal visual enhancement. Once a designer has created a schedule of emphasis for the elements of a given page, construction can begin.
There are several ways to give an element the desired degree of emphasis. Contrast is an important consideration; an item with a greater amount of contrast will naturally be perceived first, whereas something with a low contrast tends to fade into the background or be grouped with the other non-essential elements of the page. Size follows the same idea; a 60-point heading will draw more attention than an 8-point blurb about copyright at the bottom of a cell. Positioning is also key. On a site dedicated to the cities of the south, a picture of Austin Texas in the center of the page with ample space around it will make a solid impression, while the same Austin TX scene surrounded by other pictures with narrow borders between them will lessen the impact of the precise item.
Some web designers use a “squint test” to see what stands out most when viewing a page. Small, dull items are often canceled out, while the bright, high-contrast, and large items still come through with impact. By employing a hierarchy in designs, artists can achieve a high level of control of what their pages convey, resulting in happier clients.
for Austin Web Design:
NuArtisan
7000 N Mo Pac Expy Ste 200
Austin, TX 78731
(512) 712-5359
