Visual Hierarchy and Information Architecture

Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is a critical principle in UI design that involves arranging elements in a way that implies importance, guiding the user's attention through a product's interface. It influences how easily users can process information by prioritizing content through size, color, contrast, and placement. For instance, larger, bolder text typically draws attention first and is often used for headings, while less prominent text is used for secondary details. Effective visual hierarchy makes an interface intuitive and reduces cognitive strain, allowing users to navigate and interact with a system more efficiently. Key Aspects of Visual Hierarchy:

1. Size: Larger elements capture attention faster than smaller ones.
2. Color: Bright and contrasting colors stand out and guide the user’s focus.
3. Contrast: High contrast between elements helps differentiate and prioritize content.
4. Alignment: Proper alignment creates a clean and organized layout that directs the viewer’s eye smoothly across the screen.
5. Spacing: Adequate space around elements helps each one stand out and improves readability.
6. Typography: Variation in font size, weight, and style can effectively establish a clear order of importance among text elements.

Information Architecture

information architecture involves organizing and structuring content within an app or website to ensure users can easily find and interact with information. It's about planning how to categorize, label, and link different pieces of content to create a clear, intuitive navigation experience. This helps users quickly locate the information they need and enhances the overall usability of the interface. Key components include:

1. Organization: How information is grouped and categorized to ensure users find what they need quickly and intuitively.
2. Labeling: Using clear and consistent labels for buttons, menus, and other interactive elements to ensure they are easily understood.
3. Navigation: Designing navigation structures that are logical and predictable, helping users find their way through the interface effortlessly.
4. Searchability: Incorporating search features and filters to help users locate specific content or functions within the app or website.
5. Content Structure: Structuring content in a clear, logical manner that follows user expectations and enhances readability.
6. User Flow: Designing a coherent flow that guides users from one task to another in a smooth, natural progression, minimizing confusion and improving user satisfaction.

Daily Plan Screen

The second screen we're designing is the Daily Plan screen, which features a streamlined and user-friendly layout. It includes a calendar at the top for easy date navigation, followed by a detailed workout session card titled "Cardio Sessions." This card details the workout intensity, user ratings, and calories burned, complete with a "More" button for additional information. Below, the "Your Plan" section replicates this information to keep daily routines clearly visible. This design ensures users have a comprehensive view of their daily fitness activities, enhancing commitment and ease of use.

Calendar

Let's design a calendar on the "Daily Plan" screen to better manage users' fitness routines. This calendar enables users to schedule, track, and visualize their workouts, promoting regular exercise and fostering consistent fitness habits. It also offers motivational cues with reminders and visual feedback on their progress.

• Start by duplicating or creating a new screen frame, keeping the status bar, navigation bar, and tab bar.
• Place the text "April 2024" at the top, setting it to auto width, left-aligned, using the Title 2 text style, and color it with the primary foreground.
• For the days of the week, begin with "S" for Sunday using the body style. Below it, add the date, e.g., "14", styled in Space Grotesk, size 20, bold.
• Apply auto layout to these two texts, setting the spacing to 10. Duplicate this pair six times to represent a full week. Apply auto layout to all pairs, adjust the width to 353, and set the spacing to auto. Update the days and dates accordingly.
• For the navigation, create a liquid button effect. Use two circles, each 44 in diameter, and a small rectangle (20x10).
• Combine these shapes with the Union tool, space the circles 8 apart, and fill with the accent color.
• Add chevron icons for left and right within a 44x44 container, aligning it with the circle to enable easy weekly navigation.
• Name the layer and compile all elements into a frame. Apply auto layout to the month, year, and navigation frame, set the frame's resizing to 353 and the gap to auto.
• Group everything using auto layout and adjust the spacing between them to 20.

Exercise Folder Card

We're going to design the Exercise Folder Card to complement the shape of the liquid button. This card will provide a concise overview of a fitness activity, detailing essential information such as session type, intensity, user ratings, and the session host. Here’s how to start creating the structure and make necessary adjustments:

• Create a base rectangle of 353 by 236 pixels.
• Mimic the calendar's navigation style, make a rectangle of 100 by 44 pixels, and replace the right circle.
• Change the icon to “Share” and the text to “More.”
• Shape the rectangle to look like a folder and place the liquid button at the top right with a 10-pixel spacing.
• Color the card with the accent color for consistency.
• Label the exercise intensity, such as "High Intensity," in Body style.
• Apply auto layout, set padding to 10 on all sides, and adjust the width accordingly.
• Set the card's fill to white with 10% opacity and add a white stroke at 10% opacity.
• Add the session name in headline style.
• Include a brief session description in SF Pro Regular, size 15.

Line Heights

Line height, or the spacing between lines of text, is crucial for improving readability and minimizing eye strain. A general rule is to set the line height at 1.5 times the font size, although adjustments might be needed based on the font and layout specifics. For our design, let's also incorporate additional content below the description to offer deeper insights into the session. We'll use a component from the assets page to include information about the session's rating to reflect its popularity, as well as reviews to assist users in deciding if the cardio session fits their needs. Furthermore, we'll provide an estimate of the calories that can be burned. Place this information block at the top of the shape, ensuring a spacing of 10 pixels from the right, left, and bottom edges, and set the text color to white.

Tooltip

Let's create a tooltip that appears when you hover over a date to display details about that date. A tooltip is a contextual overlay that provides additional information about elements when hovered over, clicked, or tapped, depending on the interaction design. They are useful for providing quick insights without cluttering the main UI, thereby enhancing the user experience by delivering necessary data at just the right moment.

• First, I'll hide the card layer to focus on designing the tooltip. Let's start with a rectangle; the height can be adjusted later, but set the width to 353, similar to the liquid button method.
• Type "Daily Challenge" using the Title 3 style.
• Type "Do your plan before 10:00 AM" in SF Pro Regular, size 13.
• Type "Cardio Sessions" in SF Pro SemiBold, size 17.
• Add a description: "Heart-pumping workouts designed to increase your endurance and burn calories. Includes running, cycling, and HIIT routines" in SF Pro Regular, size 15.
• Create a progress bar: Begin with a line using Line 313, width 4, and color white. Duplicate this line, change its color to an accent color, and adjust its width for visual emphasis.
• The final steps are to name the layers and organize them by grouping. Ensure each element is well-aligned with 20 pixels of padding on each side. The spacing between elements should be 20 pixels, except for the text box, which should have a spacing of 4. Finally, assemble all the elements within a frame.

Conclusion

Visual hierarchy and information architecture are crucial in UI design, working together to create effective interfaces. Visual hierarchy uses elements like size, color, and placement to direct the viewer’s attention to important information. Information architecture organizes content so it’s easy for users to navigate. Together, these principles enhance the user experience, making digital environments not only functional but also enjoyable. By mastering these, designers ensure their applications are accessible, logical, and visually appealing.