Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Controlling Eye Path


When creating any kind of document, the designer needs to take into consideration the path that the viewer’s eye will take as they process and attempt to interpret the document’s contents. The order in which viewers perceive various components of a web page often affects how they feel about the hierarchical order of the information being presented.



There are several elements within document design that can significantly affect eye path. These include the use of 1) form, 2) color, 3) contrast, 4) balance, 5) texture, and 6) location to emphasize particular parts of the page.

For instance, if there is a compilation of images arranged horizontally with the inclusion of one vertically-arranged image, this latter image is what will be most prominent within the document. Other examples are a splash of light amongst otherwise dark elements, or a triangular shape in a field of circular shapes.

Where the object is placed can also affect what exactly the eye focuses on. For instance, if the object is placed in the center of a background, then the eye is instinctively drawn to this center as a focal point.


No comments:

Post a Comment