In any visual medium – be it an ad, catalog page, web page, HTML email, brochure, sell sheet or anything else – there’s one element that’s critical to ensuring your message is conveyed: visual hierarchy, or the order in which the eye perceives what it sees.
In an effective design, the eye is naturally drawn to the most important point first. If all elements are of equal weight, the eye doesn’t know where to “land” – and most likely, will just move on to the next thing.
Note also that “most important” means most important to the reader – i.e., a benefit. “Most important” is not likely to be your company name, unless your company name is a benefit.
Size, location, images, color and contrast all play a role in determining what’s most prominent in any design. One easy way to check the visual hierarchy of a design is the “squint test.” Take a look at the page with squinted eyes, and see what draws your attention. If the main point isn’t clear without further reading, your designer has some more work to do.
