Design Tip of the Day – Hierarchy

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  • Post category:Freelance

It’s kind of like that hand-written sign on almost every other block during summer. You know the one. The one that’s written on a tiny piece of yellow cardstock with either Sharpie marker or (yikes!) even ballpoint pen. The only thing going for that tiny garage sale sign is the fact that people recognize it immediately. They may not be able to read what’s on the sign, but they know when they see one of those signs, there’s a garage sale within walking distance.

The problem with these signs is that they’re unreadable from a car. About the only thing you see is the title at the top announcing a garage sale. As a graphic designer, one of the first things we learn is hierarchy. This is one of the key components to design. Without it, your audience gets lost. They have no idea what to look at first. Every promotional piece, whether it be a simple garage sale sign, a brochure promoting your business services or even your website, needs some sort of hierarchy. Though these signs have a bold, clear headline (which is great), the rest of the information can sometimes be lost in a jumble.

When creating quick fliers or in-house material, keep in mind this one simple idea. Your information needs to stand out. The title should draw your audience in and the next bit of important information should be less prominent and so on and so on, until your message has been delivered. If your viewer only has  a few quick seconds to look as they walk by your piece, what do you want them to notice first? Make that initial impact to draw them in!

 

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