The principles of design are a set of visual concepts that designers use to make aesthetically pleasing and functional work. These principles are often interrelated, complementing and influencing each other. This is why you should read our other posts to understand more about other composition elements.
Today, we will focus on two very important elements of composition: emphasis and hierarchy.
Emphasis refers to drawing the viewer to a focal point. Designers do this by manipulating an element of your design to make it stand out. Distinguished aspects of a design will naturally attract a viewer’s attention.
By adding visual weight to an aspect of a design, you are emphasizing it. This can be done in a number of ways including with color, texture, font, or scale. You can also achieve emphasis by manipulating other principles of design, like scale or contrast.
Often treated interchangeably, emphasis relates to hierarchy, which concerns strategically giving visual importance to each element of a design. It asks you to consider the most pertinent information within a design and to organize the elements accordingly.
One way to approach hierarchy is outlining aspects of a design from most to least important. Visual hierarchy can be created through emphasis and other principles. This creates a natural order a viewer approaches a design.
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