Visual Hierarchy and Legibility

Visual hierarchy:

The main goal of design is to communicate. By using the concept of visual hierarchy you can more effectively communicate information. You can emphasize significant information to attract the viewer’s eye, organising the elements of the design to create a scale of importance.

Visual hierarchy creates centres of interest on the page, highlighting sections you wish the viewer to see with importance. Ultimately leading the eye around the piece, drawing attention to the main features. To create a hierarchy you adjust the visual weight of the elements, there are several methods to regulate visual weight – theses are size, colour, density and space, also images adjust visual weight.

The example I have chosen is the cover of Elle magazine, I feel there are three main parts to the cover – the image being the main focus, then the title and the main feature articles. The image is striking taking up a large percentage of the cover, with a strong facial expression, her hand on her chest and the black bow underneath, it keeps your eye moving down the centre of the page. Her face is being framed by the two L’s of the title, bringing your attention to the title and then down each side of the page to the bold headings, informing you of what the main articles are about. Most of the type throughout the cover is uppercase using similar fonts and limited colours, this consistency keeps it simple and allows you to easily view all the items without confusion.

Legibility:

What makes a visual communication legible?

Legibility is all about how well a piece of communication is viewed, mainly can the type be read clearly and also looking at images and if they can be understood. There are a few key things that should be considered to ensure type is legible - they are size, layout, typeface and colour. Also big chunks of writing, especially in capitals, should be avoided as it is generally hard to read, also text over images as this often makes them both illegible.

Looking at the same example above of the Elle magazine cover, nothing has been lost on the page everything is readable. The title is a pastel colour in a large, bold typeface at the very top of the cover making it stand out from the other elements and not interfering with the image.  Also the black type over the centre section of the image is bold, simple and has been carefully placed in order for it to be clearly visible.

Thinking about the combination of visual hierarchy and legibility leads to well thought out, clear and successful pieces of visual communication.

Research and Inspiration.

ITAP lecture on research and development of practice, thinking about what is research? How do designers go about researching? And how is inspiration found? Research and inspiration are closely linked, both are about exploring and investigating the world around us but using slightly different approaches.

Research is the task of building up a bank of knowledge, exploring and examining. This can be done by drawing, collecting and recording the things around us. Research is quite direct, looking for specific things related to the project or brief you are working on. There are two different approaches to research. Primary comprises of producing new things, taking photos, drawings, interviewing people, essentially starting from scratch because the information doesn’t already exist. Secondary is looking at information that is already available, work that has been created or research that has previously been completed, such as looking through books in the library or going to exhibitions of artists work.

Being inspired isn’t about going out and looking for it necessarily, but collecting things along the way. Anything you find interesting for whatever reason - even if you think it’s a bad piece of design - widens your knowledge and ability to produce exciting and original work.

Inspiration is everywhere. Throughout everyday life we are being inspired by things that catch our eye, whether it be the lettering of a shop sign or an advert on a bus. By observing the world and documenting the things we are influenced by, we can become better as designers. Making sketches, collecting flyers, taking photos, recording overheard conversations or whatever it may be, all adds to the collection of influences. Inspiration happens continuously and often fast, so by recording what we have seen or thought straight away it won’t be forgotten enabling you to go back and look at it at a later date. Accumulating information from lots of different sources allows you to interpret them in your own way and create new things.

Personally, I love collecting examples of typography, adverts from magazines and flyers I have picked up among other items. I often put these up on the wall, allowing me to be constantly surrounded by interesting imagery. Also I find it beneficial to take photographs when I’m out and about, to document unusual or exciting pieces of design, I especially like looking at window displays.

Looking at the work of fine artists and illustrators is always valuable, recently I have come across the work of Seb Jarnot whose work interests me especially. After looking at the work of Jarnot it seems he constantly makes sketches and doodles of which some are created through observation and some from his imagination. I think he has a quirky drawing style. This is shown in the below picture

I find his loose drawing style interesting and the fact that he uses just a simple black line particularly appealing. I also like the way that the images appear to be incomplete, just ideas and concepts that could be developed further. This continual inspiration is useful when he comes to producing his commercial work, he can look back on it and think about what style or imagery could be appropriate for the particular brief.

Researching and gathering inspiration are essential skills as graphic designers, as well as being inquisitive, generating ideas and thinking creatively. So by exploring all these ideas, experimenting without pressure of working on a brief you can improve your skills and have the chance to develop your own visual language/style.

ITAP- Notions of Originality

Is there such a thing as originality? In the art world, it is difficult to be 100% original, it is impossible not to be influenced by other artists work and things that are going on around us. You may be influenced by another’s ideas, it is important to have your own thoughts and ideas and not to continuously produce similar pieces. But being inspired by an artwork can be a good thing, trying their techniques and adopting some of their style that you admire. Another side to this is that it must to some extent be seen as a compliment that someone has copied your art or even that they have been influenced by it.

Velasquez's Portrait of the Pope Innocent X, 1650

Francis Bacon was inspired by the work of Diego Velasquez, especially his image ‘Portrait of Pope Innocent X’, Bacon called this image “one of the greatest portraits that has ever been made.” He created several expressionist variations of this piece. Bacon’s paintings are not complete copies, but he has used the same image of the Pope, a similar composition but has used his own painting style which makes it his own work, his is a more gruesome version.

Bacon's Study after Pope Innocent X, 1962

Bacon's "Study After Velazquez' Portrait of Pope Innocent X", 1953

All the great painters have at some point copied/imitated another’s work to try out their techniques or learn how they paint. At school this is also something we all did, copied pieces from famous artists and tried to re-create them using the same media, forcing you to look closely at how the painting was made. 

So as artists/designers we should strive to be as original as possible, take risks, develop new ways of working and overall we need to engage people, give them something new to look at.