ART IS SUBJECTIVE, BUT HIERARCHY IS NOT

 

When I was presented with the option to take a graphic design class during my master’s program, my first feeling was fear. Even though I work with content every day, I have never been comfortable making graphics. I have always been lucky to have graphic designers assigned to the videos I was producing or editing.

 

At work I told my friend, who is one of our graphic artists, about the class and my feelings. She smiled and gave me advice that has since stuck. “Graphic design is a skill, but you’ll know in your gut what information is most important. Make sure that’s what the audience sees first.” When she gave me this advice, I didn’t have a name for it. But now, weeks into class, I am realizing she was speaking about hierarchy.

 

WHAT IS HIERARCHY?

When you hear the word hierarchy, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it’s church. Growing up catholic, I knew that bishops held a higher level of authority over priests. This helped me understand what hierarchy meant.

 

By definition, hierarchy is “a system in which people or things are arranged according to their importance.”

 

We see hierarchy everywhere, even in video. For example, when I cut a compilation video of the best clips from a season of a show, I know that I must lead with the top performing content. The goal is to get the audience to stick around, so the best of the best needs to be first.

 

All facets and avenues of creativity thrives on hierarchy and even relies on it. I think we see it the most in graphic design.

 

HIERARCHY IN GRAPHIC DESIGN

Cath Caldwell, author of Graphic Design for Everyone, says, “The graphic designer’s role is to take a jumble of information and organize it so that it’s easy to understand.” 

 

While art is subjective, the goals are not. The key is to lead the audience to the message with ease. Achieving hierarchy in design can be done through formatting and how you handle color, typography, size, and scale to create order.

 

The number one goal is to lead your audience on a journey that ends with them understanding the message. So, where can you start?

 

TYPOGRAPHY

Typography can feel extremely overwhelming for non-designers like me. There are so many ways to use typography, especially when it comes to creating hierarchy. While different fonts may be appealing to certain people, the way typography is formatted is crucial for how a message is shared.

 

According to Caldwell, the goal is to create readable layouts and to use the following methods to do so:

 

• SIZE: The larger the font, the more attention it commands. Our eyes are automatically drawn to bigger words.
• UPPERCASE: Every time I read uppercase I feel like someone is shouting at me. These letters demand to be seen and work well for short headings.
• WEIGHT: Heavier font will symbolize a word is more important than the lighter fonts around it. Bold is called bold for a reason.
• POSITION: As a reader, I naturally start reading at the top of the page. While my eye is often drawn to what is biggest, it feels unnatural not to look at the top of the page first.
• COLOR: Our eyes are drawn to color, but often too much color can be distracting. When used correctly, colored font does a great job at determining hierarchy.
• CONTRAST: This is one I personally struggle with the most, but using multiple typefaces can make the layout feel more interesting. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with too many different fonts, which is why it’s important to use typefaces that complement each other and not too many that it becomes distracting.

COLOR

Color is just as important when creating hierarchy and Caldwell explains how color can be used as a tool to organize information.

 

• BLOCKS OF COLOR: Blocks of text that have a different colored background will signal to the reader that the information in that block is most important.
• REPETITION: Repeating certain layout styles will make the text more scannable and easier to read.
• CONTRAST: Much like in typography, color relies on contrast too. This is why palettes are so important. The eye is drawn to brighter colors first, so structuring the use of color is detrimental for design.
• COLOR CODING: Use color to assign different objects meaning. This helps organize more complex information.

 

SIZE AND SCALE

Lastly, Caldwell speaks on the size and scale method for hierarchy. There are many ways to use scale, but I think the most important thing to know about scale is its difference from size.

 

According to Caldwell, size is a fixed value. This means that size equals point.

 

If I chose to write something in 12p then that is the size of the font. Scale, on the other hand, is determined by size based on the elements around it.

 

Audiences will often look at the largest element first, so if you want people to understand your message then understanding size and scale is crucial.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 

After that conversation with my graphic design friend at work, I kept thinking about how I interact with design on a regular basis.

 

I started examining all of the elements she’s made for us, and now I see how every method mentioned above are working in unison to create successful messaging.

 

I often struggle with subjectivity in creative work. What looks good to me may look horrible to someone else. But there are always rules and limits within that truth. In filmmaking, there are rules cinematographers shouldn’t break. For example, the rule of thirds.

 

In design, hierarchy feels like a hidden rule, or guide if you will.

 

Now when I look at our thumbnails on our YouTube channel, I can’t help but to notice how important hierarchy is for getting people to click on the video. Take for example a thumbnail for the Paw Patrol movie:

 

The focus of this thumbnail is on the character, Chase. Since Chase is the main character of the movie and one of the most watched characters on the channel, it makes sense that he is scaled up significantly, putting emphasis on his character. Audiences can assume that the clip will heavily focus on Chase.

 

Also, the text “Extended Clip” is on the bottom, letting the audience know exactly what kind of video they will be watching.

 

This thumbnail was so effective, the video has over 11 million views.

 

ART IS SUBJECTIVE, BUT ORDER IS IMPORTANT

While at first I thought I could never be someone who learns graphic design, hearing about hierarchy sparked hope in me. While I might not be the best at drawing, creating logos, or even choosing typeface, I do know how to connect with audiences and determine what information needs to be seen first.

 

Since our conception, humans have craved order and hierarchy. The best way to connect with your audience is by using hierarchy in your design to do so.