Imagine you go on a web page and all the elements/texts on the page are of the same size, color and spacing
How would you point out the important contents and the exact actions to take on the website? You`d probably leave the page and look elsewhere.
Visual Hierarchy is a principle of arranging elements in order of relevance. It puts emphasis on important elements and direct users to the main points on a webpage.
We live in a busy world, when a user visits a website or an app, they want to a smooth experience which will enable them grasp the major ideas on the page within a minute. An effective visual hierarchy is what makes users figure out the purpose of the page, call user`s attention, get them to stay longer, and eventually perform an action, thus, increasing user conversion rate.
Ways to establish effective visual hierarchy
- Size and weight: This is the easiest way to create hierarchy and draw user`s attention. A larger text is always more noticeable.
You can tell from the image above that “Skyrocket your Business with our digital marketing strategies” is the most important element on this page. Attention is immediately drawn to the text at the first glance on the page.
2. Color and contrast: Brighter colors attracts users to pay more attention compared to dull ones. In cases where very bright colors cannot be used, Using colors that contrast against each other will help establish effective Visual hierarchy.
In the image above, the color given to “get started” and “contact us” buttons is a bright color which shows a certain level of importance. With these, users wouldn`t go through any stress when trying to perform an action since the “call to action” buttons can be easily identify.
3. Alignment: When Elements are properly aligned with each other either vertically or horizontally, Users feel an association between these elements which denotes that they are of the same level of importance.
Below is an excellent example, the cards are perfectly aligned showing consistency.
4. Whitespace: More space around elements draws the eye towards them. Users don`t need to see everything on a website at once. The more the negative space around elements, the more attention it gets. Below is a hero session with effective use of whitespace.
Conclusion
As I said before, A user visits a website with a purpose and aim to achieve certain goals. It is the duty of the User experience designer to highlight the necessary sections and keywords in order to assist users to achieve their aim within a short period of time and ensure overall good user experience. This can be achieved by using effective visual hierarchy focusing on size, color, alignment and white spacing when designing user interface.
