There are many factors that determine whether or not a design is pleasing to the eye. In art, there are several principles that impact a design beyond the obvious elements of color and pattern. One of those principles is hierarchy, which establishes a focal point in any work of art or design. How a designer organizes content to show priority is visual hierarchy, but I just call it flow. Flow helps the audience move through a design and focus on the most important aspects first. You can help create flow in your scrapbooks or designs by contrast, size, and placement.
Using Size to Establish Flow
Obviously, size enhances or reduces the visibility of an object within a design. Typically, the bigger the element, the more important it is within the design. In the example above, the quote is the most important element on the page. It is the basis for all the other elements. Therefore, it takes up the most space on the page. Other elements, like to label and flower accents, don’t hold the same importance as the quote and are smaller. You can enhance or reduce the importance of any element with a design by changing its size.
Using Color Contrast to Create Flow
Colors combine in different ways to establish the energy of a design. In monochromatic designs, a single, outlying color establishes the importance of a particular element within the design. That contrast makes the element stand out and the audience notices. In the above design, the contrast of colors may not be as obvious as in a monochromatic piece, but the dark background of the quote against the litter colored backgrounds draw the eye immediately.
Although I’ve sprinkled the navy color throughout the design to establish unity, the quote contains the highest concentration of navy in the design. Demonstrating, once again, the importance of the quote element within the design. The other colors, teal, pink, and yellow, have a similar hue and are layered together. There isn’t a lot of contrast in the other areas of the design, causing the quote to stand out even more.
Using Placement to Highlight Specific Details
Once again, the center placement gives the quote a level of importance that the other elements within the design can’t compete with. The quote draws the eye at first glance. Once the audience has taken the time to read and think about the quote, the rest of the accents with the design are noticed. The space outside the quote gives it room to breathe and allows the smaller elements room to be noticed.
Through the use of size, contrast, and placement, the quote stands out and establishes itself as the main focal point in this design. These are just a few of the ways you can establish hierarchy within a design. Hierarchy is important to help others understand how to walk through a design and to highlight the message behind the design.
Until next time,
Michelle
