What is your favorite movie poster? Fast food packaging? Billboard that you drive by?

Think about that, and keep in mind the following information. 

Good graphic design is successful because of a clear hierarchy of information. When there is clear visual hierarchy, the viewer can easily tell the order of importance of what is presented.

People should know where to look first and what information is critical. You don’t want to overwhelm or mislead the eye. Elements like size, color, alignment, and character are tools that graphic designers use to establish this hierarchy.

Let’s look at some graphics that have been done for clients here at Taylor Studios:

A panel for Jacksonport State Park Visitor Center in Jacksonport, Arkansas. It recently opened and Betty was there! The title on the panel above grabs attention and gives the reader, in one glance, a clear idea of what the rest of the panel will be about. The headline text is physically bigger and in a different font, making it the first thing your eye rests on. 

This panel was made for the Illinois Executive Mansion Visitor Center in Springfield, Illinois. It shows a clear hierarchy of information. The introduction sentence is a lead into what the “meat” of the panel (or the “body copy”) discusses in greater length. It stands out, but not as much as the title.

Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville, New York had an informative yet whimsical graphic style that was easy to follow from title, to introduction sentence, down to body copy. The body copy needs to be legible and easily digested. It won’t be as attention-grabbing as a title or introduction sentence, and that is okay; it isn’t meant to be. 

Notice that the photo caption is underneath the photo in a small font. Photo captions are not of critical importance and shouldn’t be reflected as such. They are smaller in size and aligned underneath the photo to signify this.

Using a strong graphic hierarchy, Taylor Studios tells clients’ stories in a clear manner, making panels easy to navigate—and never boring.

Now think back to your favorite movie poster, fast food packaging or billboard that you drive by…. does it have a clear visual hierarchy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.