Discussion # 10 - Heirarchy

HEIRARCHY (hi e RAR kee)1. A body of elements arranged according to rank, authority or capacity
2. A body of entities arranged in a graded series


In the visual arts, hierarchy is the presentation of certain elements as more important than others. By conveying a clear sense of hierarchy an artist provides stability, sequence, and movement within a design.
In the absence of hierarchy, a viewer feels lost and ill at ease. A determined viewer might respond by creating a hierarchy, or by looking for subtle clues that were missed in the first viewing. Most viewers will simply move on.
Hierarchy can be established by any of the devices in the artist's repetoire: proximity, alignment, value, contrast, repetition, etc.
The time-honored tricks to test heirarchy are to either turn a composition upside-down , or stand back and squint your eyes. Though apparently childish, these techniques show the eye not what it "thinks" is the most obvious, but what really is most obvious.
Find an image of an ad or other graphic design online. It must be a single image file which has both text and picture(s). Post it here using<> . Then describe it's heirarchy: what is the strongest element in the design? Why is that the first thing you see?


Click HERE for example


The element used in this image is contrast. Color is the first thing I noticed about this picture. The orange fish stands out because the other fish are in black and white. The black and white fish don’t really stand out but the orange one does because of its color. Orange is also a warm color and warm colors tend to come forward in images where as cool colors tend to seem more set back. Orange is also a vibrant, bold color that tends to stand out in general.