- In graphic design, there are principles of design
that can be considered, which we can keep in mind
in order to develop and create successful design.
These principles all have a relationship between each other
and appear in every well designed piece of work you see.
Understanding and harnessing design principles
will enable you to create good visual communication
and design in a variety of ways
to make specific, appropriate, and meaningful impressions.
This is what typically separates good design
from bad design.
And one of the key principles we should consider
when designing is visual hierarchy.
Hello, and welcome to this video.
My name is Gareth David,
I'm a designer with over 15 years of experience.
I run my own design business, Gareth David Studio,
where I specialize in logo and brand identity design
and I also manage this YouTube channel
where I share my knowledge and experience
with aspiring designers.
In this video, we are going to look at hierarchy
in the context of poster design.
I'm going to take you through a quick presentation
where we can look at some examples of how hierarchy
can be achieved in poster design,
and the lessons we can learn to incorporate
into our own design.
So let's get into it.
(bright music)
So what is visual hierarchy?
Well, in any piece of visual communication,
there will often be multiple visual elements
such as image, type, shape, and color,
and they will all be looking to compete for our attention.
Visual hierarchy is the control of visual information
in a composition or presentation
to imply order and importance.
Hierarchy influences the order
in which the human eye perceives what it sees.
In design, we use hierarchy to draw the eye,
create a starting point, add emphasis, create direction,
create structure, and create visual organization.
All of which ultimately help a viewer
navigate and digest information easily.
Now using hierarchy,
we can control how a viewer engages with information
to ensure the information is navigated and digested
in a way that is intended for the best user experience.
Now a standard visual hierarchy
will consist of at least three layers.
One, the primary hook, two, the secondary hook,
and three, supportive elements.
The first level is the primary hook.
This tends to be whatever element
appears to be the most clear, legible,
and has the most contrast in a composition.
The primary hook is the visual element
that will work the hardest with the aim to catch the eye
and establish the starting point in a composition
to trigger curiosity and draw one in closer.
The next level is the secondary hook.
This will typically be a smaller element
that appears closest or near to the primary hook
to support a message.
The secondary hook aims to establish flow in a composition.
The levels after are supportive elements.
Now in any given design,
there may be few or many supportive elements.
These will be the elements in a composition
one will look at once one has noticed
and acknowledged the primary and secondary hook.
The supportive elements will aim
to add further visual information to a composition
to continue the flow of visual information.
Now, establishing a clear visual hierarchy is important
because it can create a clear structure.
It's practical to have a sense of direction.
A beginning, middle and end needs to be clear
to convey a clear message and lead the viewer.
Used effectively, hierarchy can make
a complex message simple, create impact,
and a big overall impression.
Now, hierarchy is created by contrast
between visual elements in a composition.
Contrast helps distinguish elements from each other,
which helps with legibility.
Typically, visual elements
with the highest contrast are noticed first and so on.
Now, hierarchy can manifest itself off in many visual ways.
It's through the careful consideration
and arrangement of visual elements
that creates a clear hierarchy.
So hierarchy can be achieved in a variety of ways.
The first way hierarchy can be achieved
is contrast in layers.
Now, layering is one of the most fundamental techniques
when establishing hierarchy.
It may seem simple, but can be used elegantly,
can be done abruptly or smoothly,
and can include few to several layers.
In some posters,
layers are used to create interesting composition dynamics
which can be used to establish and suggest hierarchy.
The next way hierarchy can be achieved is contrast in scale.
Now, if one element is bigger than another,
then naturally it will be more legible
and there is a higher chance
this will attract the eye first
and be seen before anything else.
In some posters,
image or type will be the largest visual element
which creates the primary hook.
This grabs the attention of the eye first, and once noticed,
one will move to neighboring visual elements
that are similar and so on.
The next way hierarchy can be achieved is contrast in color.
Now just like scale can be used to easily determine
what the eye sees first,
contrast of color can also be used to great effect,
to create depth and volume in a composition,
to push elements back, bring elements forward
or create high or low volume.
In some posters, contrast is used to create impact
which can be used well to establish and suggest hierarchy.
The next way hierarchy can be achieved is contrast in space.
Now, space is not the most common principle
incorporated into poster design,
but if used well, can really help present a clear hierarchy.
The more space that is placed around visual elements
will reduce the level of noise and competition between them.
In some posters, contrast is used to create impact
which can be used well to present a clear hierarchy.
So the last way hierarchy can be achieved
is contrast in direction.
Depending on the choice of positioning
and shape and form of the elements,
a designer can control what the eye sees first
and seek to create an order of direction
through a composition.
Some poster designs arrange elements in such a way
it will clearly lead the eye in a certain direction.
Now there have been many poster designs throughout history,
some very famous, which have established hierarchy well.
Though it's important to remember
that though there have been many styles,
movements and trends in the past,
and no doubt there will be more in future,
what will always remain true
and constant are the fundamental design principles.
So in conclusion,
hierarchy and poster design can be achieved in five ways,
using contrast in layers, contrast in scale,
contrast in color, contrast in space
and contrast in direction.
Now it's important to mention
that these techniques don't have to be used exclusively
as some can be used together
to develop a clear hierarchy in your design.
So what can we learn?
Hierarchy is one of the most important principles in design
because it can hold a design together.
And there are a variety of techniques
we can use to achieve it.
Without taking care to establish a clear hierarchy,
a design will be confusing and difficult to comprehend.
So in application, when you're designing posters
or anything for that matter, be sure to consider hierarchy.
Also, when you look and observe other design,
ask yourself, how has hierarchy been considered?
Is there a clear sense of hierarchy?
Which techniques have been used to achieve it?
And how well does it work as part of the design?
Well, I hope you enjoyed this design theory lesson.
If you did, hit the like button
and don't forget to subscribe and hit the bell button
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like this in future.
Now this lesson is part of a bigger series
on poster design and part of my poster design ebook.
If you want to take a closer look at the examples
I demonstrated in this video
and learn more about poster design
with tutorials on how to make a poster design
and undertake a poster design challenge,
you can invest in the poster design ebook.
Link is in the description.
This video was created for all my members
of the GDS Design School Community.
If you would like to join the GDS Design School Community,
where we chat about design, give each other feedback
and where I set design challenges,
you are all welcome to join for free.
Again, link is in the description.
I look forward to seeing you there.
So until my next design lesson,
unleash your creativity and I'll see you next time.
(bright music)