How will you feel when you open a website, and there is color all over the website? It takes away the visual presence of the website, and you do not know precisely what you want to see or which page you want to go on the website. It becomes a big concern for website owners because choosing the right color, the exact positioning of the color, and having the right intensity of the color matters the most when we are talking about the website’s visual impact.
What is Visual Hierarchy?
A website is a 2D display that takes into count website, print, and graphics. It focuses on the design element which the eyes can afford and consume. Hence, it considers the intentional importance of the website design, which will make it impactful for the targeted audiences. An excellent way to create a visual hierarchy is to focus on the contrast, and color palette, then consider the scale of the color, and then focus on the grouping with common regions and the proximity.
Best Practices to Follow in the Visual Hierarchy
When you talk about color saturation, then, always remember that it stands out no matter what the situation is. So, one can use color saturation for essential items. Now, when talking about less saturated colors, one can use them in the less critical things.
Using colors means blending with the theme or nature. Natural tone and hue matter both in simple and complex schemes of colors. Some colors and techniques look good to the eyes but are wrong on the web pages. The designer can limit the color to 2 (primary) and 2 (secondary) colors.
Using contrast variations in too many colors can cause UI/UX design complexity. It will not be a good eye option and can cause a bad color illusion. Using contrasts will not make the website stand out, and there will be a proper visualization effect.
Scale in visual hierarchy defines attention, and hence it is essential. The font size matters, and the scale plays an important role. The font size has to be three parts: small, medium, and then large. The vital element needs prominence; hence, one can forward the same to make the website look stunning.
Without a grouping system, it won’t be easy to properly understand the pages and how it can manage the content, navigation, and ads. Grouping gets confirmation through proximity, and the white space will come through the enclosure. Having a room will let the element breathe, and the vital aspect of the design will give much space.
Importance of Visual Hierarchy in UI/UX design
User behavior is essential and based on the user expectations from previous interactions with various digital products. The visual hierarchy will help the users with the navigation process so they can find the products, and it will remove all kinds of friction and even increase its usability.
When the user wants to search for something online on the web page, they have some expectations of the visual impact, but if it is not available, they get frustrated and do not have any other solution. The UX/UI designers will create a perfect hierarchy that reflects the user’s expectations and make it work for the purpose, and hence the work will get done with a systematic approach.
Whenever you want to look at the website, there should be a feel that your website’s color visibility gives an aesthetic appeal, and it should look extraordinary with all the color combinations. It is a matter of the usefulness of the UI designer that they know the color trend and market demand to work on the same approach of visual hierarchy.
Principles of Visual Hierarchy
Alignment- The visual structure comes from the alignment, and this element will take the same path that can help you connect and make it easier for you to scan. Alignment comes in the form of the design element and its unity. The alignment of design, text and the balance of color matters perfectly to make things work systematically. The alignment approach will make the design clean and become structured.
Repetition- Using the same design and color helps the eyes become familiar with the entire design element of the website and app. You can consider many forms of repetition, like lines, shapes, typography, etc. If someone uses the same color throughout the website, the user gets a clear direction, and the app leads to the best direction.
Texture and the style- Texture in the website grabs attention and even leads to the icon, heading, action and title. The textures will highlight the main elements of the website. As per the target audience, the texture comes alive and connects with the emotional feature of the audience.
Proximity- Two colors, when coming together, will perceive to be in relation. There are different elements which you can place and that become part of a separate group. You can take proximity determination in the color or whitespace area.
Whitespace- It is also named negative space, which is all around the functional element and the content. It helps the entire design breathe and immediately reduces the text amount the users will see.
Work of UI /UX designer
The designer must have that knowledge and idea on how to present the color element in the design and accordingly choose the best one. It will create that specific element in the design to make it more prominent.
The designers work tirelessly to bring the design line and give a better logic to the principles that will bring the outcome of the website to look and feel amazing and interesting. It will create impactfully and thereby make a good website design.
Benefits of Visual Hierarchy
The benefits are:
It gives a better visual impact. The users will stay on the page if the design and color are awesome. They will love the feel and love to explore the website’s pages. They will know what is right and how they can manage the designs. It will allow them to check all these pages if they like it. It ensures that all the designs are in place with the right page length and white spaces.
The users will not get disappointed, and everything will fall into the proper place. The designs will be good overall with the approach of visual hierarchy.
How to Test Visual Hierarchy
1. List down the information points the visitors will likely seek.
2. Assign the ratings of the values according to the importance of average visitors.
3. Then, look at the actual design again.
4. Then assign all the values from a scale of 1-10 per the visual importance and see who can make the design live.
5. Ask yourself what matches the l importance of the design.
Conclusion
Visual hierarchy is a concept that will help develop products and even optimize the experience of the target audiences. It acts like a complete experience and then creates the best hierarchy to make the ideas well clear. It gives structure to break the information into several elements.
Therefore, getting into the UI and UX design for a website is the best way to make the presence of the website useful and make it regardless of the design.
