'Find examples of visual communications that shows Visual Hierarchy (or lack of hierarchy) and explain why.'
Visual Hierarchy is about what the audience sees/reads first and then the order your eyes follow afterwards. There are things that can affect visual hierarchy such as colour, weight, images and typography. These are all devices that designers use to attract their potential audiences, which, here, would mainly be women, aged 17-26. The order may vary for some but will essentially be similar. Magazine covers are good examples of visual hierarchy. This example of Vogue’s October Edition would be aimed at people who had a high interest in fashion. The designers start with an image of one of the biggest names in fashion, Kate Moss, on the front cover. Her face becomes the focal point. All the text is the same colour because the designer wants the image, and most importantly what she is wearing to be seen first. The title is next to catch the audience’s eye. It's the largest type and holds the most weight. It’s bold, and is spre ad across Kate Moss's forehead, so your eyes are drawn in. Then your eyes are drawn down the page, towards the side headings, perhaps to the left side first to the bold type, or towards the bottom where the designer has used the second biggest font and also changed the type-face to something very different. This would probably be because it is an important feature to this edition. Smaller, lighter text is read last. This is used often just to offer descriptions to larger headings. Different topics are grouped. More dense groups will be seen first, but overall the structure of the writing frames the face. A sophisticated, elegant font type is used to reflect the message the magazine needs to express, as Vogue is all about fashion and thus trend setting, and need to maintain this image. The visual hierarchy here has been used well and reflects the magazine accordingly.
What makes visual communications legible? The type-face (not using all capitals for long sentences) layout, type size, colour (no yellow on white), and so on. This image is an anti-smoking advertisement. It's simplistic, but displays the right message. The text is limited, and so allows the audience to interpret the message alone. Immediately you see the burning cigarettes in the mouth. The lips are perfectly shaped, evenly applied with lipstick; the mouth alone expresses a 'sexy' image and a connection with kissing is made. It is aimed at a young smoking audience, playing with the idea that smoking isn't at all sexy. This audience doesn’t want to be bombarded with information on the dangers of smoking; they’ve heard it all before, so the advert is good at relating to them. The only text available is the web address, and once again the idea of kissing is suggest. As the smoke is rising within the mouth, you can almost taste it, the mouth doesn’t seem that appealing anymore. It is legible and uses the idea that a 'picture can be worth a thousand words.'
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