Layout, Salience, and Reading Path
Layout is not decoration. It decides what the viewer sees first, what they read next, and whether they act.
Success criteria
- I can explain how salience directs attention.
- I can identify a reading path in an advertisement.
- I can use hierarchy, contrast, and white space deliberately.
- I can critique a layout and suggest a specific improvement.
Salience
Salience is how much something stands out. A designer creates salience with:
- Size: larger elements are noticed first.
- Contrast: light against dark, warm against cool, busy against plain.
- Colour: a saturated or unusual colour attracts the eye.
- Placement: top and centre positions are powerful; isolated elements stand out.
- Sharpness: a sharp image against a blurred background draws focus.
- Difference: the one element that breaks the pattern gets attention.
A simple layout
The headline and image are the most salient elements. The logo is small but placed first in the reading path. The call to action is isolated at the bottom, so it does not compete with the headline.
Reading path
A reading path is the order in which the eye moves through a design. Advertisements often use a Z-pattern or an F-pattern:
| Pattern | How the eye moves | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Z-pattern | Top-left to top-right, diagonally down to bottom-left, then bottom-right. | Simple posters with a headline, image, and CTA. |
| F-pattern | Across the top, down the left side, then across a second line. | Text-heavy ads, web pages, and information posters. |
| Centre-out | From a central image or face outwards to the copy. | Portrait-led or product-led ads. |
No pattern is a rule. The designer's job is to make the intended path obvious and the accidental paths unhelpful.
Hierarchy
Hierarchy is the order of importance. A viewer should see:
- The main visual or headline.
- The supporting benefit or detail.
- The brand.
- The call to action.
If everything is large, bold, and bright, nothing is important. Hierarchy comes from contrast, not volume.
Design principles
| Principle | What it means | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Contrast | Make different things look different. | Grey text on a busy photo; headline the same size as body copy. |
| Alignment | Place elements along clear edges or axes. | Every element centred, creating a weak, floaty layout. |
| Proximity | Group related elements; separate unrelated ones. | Price far from the product; CTA floating in a corner. |
| Repetition | Repeat colours, shapes, or type to create unity. | Five fonts and six colours with no clear system. |
| White space | Use empty space to separate and emphasise. | Filling every corner until the message is buried. |
| Typography | Use type size, weight, and spacing to guide reading. | Decorative fonts that are hard to read; long lines. |
Colour and type
Colour
Use one dominant colour, one supporting colour, and one accent. The accent should mark the most important action. Check contrast so text remains readable.
Typography
Use no more than two typefaces. A display face can carry the headline; a readable face should carry the body. Avoid all caps for long text.
Critique a layout
Choose one teacher-approved advertisement. Answer:
- What is the first thing you notice? Why?
- What is the second thing? What path did your eye take?
- Where is the brand? Where is the call to action?
- Is anything competing for attention?
- Is the text readable at a distance?
- What is one specific change that would improve the layout? Explain the effect.
Quick redesign
Take a cluttered advertisement and redesign only its layout. Keep the same words and image. Change:
- the position of the headline;
- the size of the logo;
- the amount of white space;
- the placement of the call to action.
Then explain which version has the clearer reading path and why.
Design checklist
- There is one clear focal point.
- The reading path is obvious.
- The headline is readable at a glance.
- The body copy is readable up close.
- The call to action is easy to find.
- Colours have sufficient contrast.
- Related elements are grouped together.
- There is enough white space.
- No more than two typefaces are used.
Teacher notes
Project the layout diagram and ask students to trace the path with a finger before naming the principle.
Use a deliberately cluttered ad for the critique. Students learn faster from a clear problem than a perfect example.
Do not let “it looks nice” stand as analysis. Ask: What does this choice make the viewer do?
For support, give students the design checklist and ask them to find one item the ad fails.