7 Important Visual Hierarchy Design Principles

Visual hierarchy is a map that arranges design elements by order of significance. The main principles prioritize size, focus, contrast, color, reading patterns, typography, space, distance (proximity), and repetition.

Visual hierarchy in UI design structures content and design elements to help users skim through the page. Elements of highest priority are emphasized to draw the most attention, and the order goes on. Also, content with similar intent is grouped together to create a familiar environment and reduce confusion.

Color plays a vital role in visual hierarchy, it enhances and diminishes an element’s priority. Bright-colored, high-contrast elements draw immediate attention, and are mainly used in CTAs (primary actions). Muted colors are used to minimize the intensity, and let the background shine whenever necessary.

Typography guides users toward the significant information that should be read first, using elements like size, weight, style, space and consistency. Large texts hold attention for the longest time, followed by other content.

Visual hierarchy can be used to establish the primary and secondary paths to guide users navigate a page. Website navigation can be established by sticking to a primary menu, CTAs, and consistency across typography and design elements.

In SaaS, visual hierarchy consists of the following elements:

• Large, bold primary headline
• Short subtext to support the headline
• High-contrast CTA
• Subtle background

For eCommerce, it includes:

• Large product images
• Price and description
• Add to Cart Buttons
• Reviews

F pattern is how users scan content available on a web page or a web blog. First, they scan the first line horizontally, then the second line, and shift attention to the vertical left side. Usually, they are looking for keywords, bullets, or section titles

These visual hierarchy mistakes should be avoided:

• Treating everything as primary elements
• Using bold colors, effects, and contrast to highlight content
• Not using a consistent typography
• Not using a grid to place elements