Layout hierarchy as a crucial aspect of design
Design made in Canva
Hierarchy in layout and in design in general is not only something extremely important that every graphic and interactive designer should know, but also crucial to making good and high-quality designs that will last forever. It is so important to be able to understand what goes into the hierarchy of a design and how typography is so important to making good design work. In the textbook “Graphic Design for Everyone” by Cath Caldwell, the main points that are talked about in terms of hierarchy are size, uppercase font, weight, position, color, and contrast, all of which play different roles and are equally important. Without all of those in sync in some sort of way, the design may lack important characteristics.
Color and contrast specifically play important roles in design work due to how intricate they can be. Certain colors with specific fonts may not always look good and since it is important to vary how many fonts and typefaces are in a design, it can sometimes be tricky to get the colors for each font correct and if they are not, the design may not turn out how the designer wants it to. This places a very important weight and importance on using certain colors for certain fonts and what the designer wants to portray and the mood that they are looking to set.
Another aspect of design hierarchy and layout is mentioned in the textbook and is another aspect I would like to note is the use of uppercase letters. It really depends on the design and if it calls for uppercase lettering in any way. Uppercase lettering does not always need to be used, and it depends on what the design is being used and designed for along with what the overall mood of the design is. Uppercase lettering will draw in a lot of attention to itself, so I think it is very important that a designer uses it carefully and in a meaningful way. The textbook I previously mentioned talks about how large posters and large designs are good for uppercase lettering and that is something important to note and pay attention to.
Without hierarchy in design and in design layout, it would be very hard for graphic designers to figure out how they want to go about producing content. It would also create a gap in judgement for the client or company that the design content is being produced for since it may not be understood on how to set up a design properly and what is expected from both sides.
I know for a fact that learning more about this concept and how to make sure my design layouts are strong has helped me significantly and will continue to help me as a I create more designs. I have been able to learn more about what it takes to develop strong content using the most important aspects of design hierarchy. Every design in some way will be based around how it is placed and what goes where, making this aspect of design never go away and always something to keep in mind.
