vis-com

Legibility is one of the critical principles in visual communication. Generally, it can be affected by type, layout, colour, and image etc. The typeface may be clear and easy to understand instead of abstract and elusive. Sometimes a simple typeface works more than a complicated one. The type size also must be appropriate, for example, the headlines in the front page of a newspaper should be big enough to catch the eyes of readers on the first sight. Conversely, the type size of routine news should be smaller. As the following picture shows that a big headline is easy to be found and effectively reinforces the theme of the newspaper.

Layout affects the legibility as well. It makes the visual structure which decides the communicating forms of messages while colour and image make the visual content. Look at the following picture, it is not legible because of the color and image. The background images and the headline are all black and white which seem to have no point. The patterns are confused and the image is not clear. Also, the title of the book is not legible if it is been put in a book store. Images are used for making complement explanation to the text, which makes the theme more vivid and graphic. The second pictures is a good example.Pictures and texts perfect combine each other, clear, legible and improve the readability.

Designers use many devices to affect the visual hierarchy. Look at the following picture, it is a creative resume. Where do you look first? I first see the name of the employee, but next I cannot figure out which part is more important and the colours are not changed in each part which makes me feel confused. In terms of grouping, the three diagrams are of identical importance so that the employer may not quickly find the information they want. Compare with it, although the second resume is not that creative, but it is more clear and simple, the colours are just white and blue which makes me feel comfortable to read. The content’s themes are obvious and easy to be found. In addition, the layout and type are appropriately combined with each other that the composition of each part is orderly listed below.

In summary, legibility and the visual hierarchy are all the important principles of visual communication and they promote each other. A good visual hierarchy will make the structure clear and tidy so that it may have a nice legibility which will communicate more effective messages to the audience.

Reference:
1.Wyszecki, Günther; Stiles, W.S. (1982). Color Science: Concepts and Methods, Quantitative Data and Formulae (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley Series in Pure and Applied Optics.
2.Wade, T. and Sommer, S. eds.