MGUVK I-TAP: Legibility Ft. Visual Hierarchy

Legibility

Legibility can define as “the ease with which the reader can discern the type on the page, based on the tone of the type in relation to the background and the letterforms' shape with respect to each other”. In short legibility indicates how clear text is visually

One of the most important aspects design is legibility. Legibility can influence on your artwork in ways of typography, typeface, colors and images that you are using. Many designers overlook this important aspect and decide on a background image that makes the whole design illegible. To improve legibility in design, it’s better to use a good typography dependent on the background color.

A good combination of contrasting colors ensures increased legibility. One of the things you can do is to use dark text color on a light background. The best is black on white. Light colored text on a dark background proves quite strenuous to the eyes. The typeface is also equally important for good legibility and you can choose one specifically designed to provide proper screen output. When designers create new typefaces they have to pay attention to both legibility aspects and aesthetics.

Visual hierarchy

Visual hierarchy also bit similar to legibility because Visual hierarchy also depends on typography, typeface, colors , images that you are using, size, contrast, texture, shape, position, orientation, composition, structure and etc… Visual hierarchy is used in page design to help the viewer process information. Visual Hierarchy is the order that most people will see and identify objects. People focus their eye's on things that stand out such as a bright red stop sign first. Later they look at things that are smaller or less noticeable such as the leaves on the sidewalk. Objects the eye sees first and the mind perceive are considered to be high on the visual hierarchy.

What you see 1st

As example if talk about this magazine front cover layout our eyes will firstly run through the big bold heading which says “DEAD BECAUSE NO ONE CARED”. Then the Three blue boxes on the top of it. And News paper name Daily Mail. Likewise eye will go through the small pictures and sub headlines.

Using this great theory tool “Visual hierarchy” designer can easily catch their target audience by showing them offers, what’s hot, celebrities and etc… As a designer it is important to establish relationships between content images and Guide users through actions.