Hierarchy Research Project

Having chosen Hierarchy as my subject of study for this research project I have started by looking at Maslow's hierarchy of needs. This is the physiological theory of human needs and motivation posed by Abraham Maslow in 1943. By studying the behavior of what he called exemplary people (Albert Einstein, Jane Addams and Eleanor Roosevelt etc.) he gathered his results to produce pyramid of our needs, which he called a hierarchy. This was an interesting way to look at hierarchy for me as when I started this project I was only really thinking of it in terms of class structure. From here I started looking at different theories of hierarchy.

The idea of colour hierarchy has led me to thinking about graphic design and how it employs colour to emphasize things in a visual order to the human eye.

Ordering color according to its three attributes can produce a visual hierarchy, assisting a person’s ability to assign a prescribed order of dominance and importance to information. Hue, value and chroma structures play an important role in bringing visual relevance and purpose to an object or grouping of objects.

-Dennis M. Puhalla Perceiving hierarchy through intrinsic color structure



Personal colour swatch zink magazine cover

The idea of deciphering where my eye goes first and why, when confronted with graphic images, is fascinating to me and has got me thinking about the hierarchy of all sorts of visual confrontations. For instance the simple act of body language. Not something most of us consciously consider however we all naturally use it in our day to day lives in order to communicate with other people, and even to gain power in a situation.


Fritz Lang's 'M'

These two images taken from Fritz Lang's 'M', is a perfect example of how film uses the angle of the camera to illustrate this idea of visual intimidation to gain power.

This type of physical hierarchy can also be seen in furniture design.

This set of stacking tables (1927) by Josef Albers, author of Interaction of Color, is what set me thinking down this path of hierarchy within furniture.

This chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh was intentionally designed with a straight back in order to correct the sitters posture. A straight back and good posture is something that society pairs with the upper class.

Another example of C.R.Mackintosh, the higher the back the higher the stature.

This low backed chair (again by C.R.Mackintosh) would have been used for a servant. The lower back is to stop the sitter slouching or becoming too comfortable.

The use of furniture in art and design is something that is heavily connected to hierarchy.

This is a piece of furniture designed by burojet design. The elaborate couch painted on the wall is purely there to give the illusion of comfort and wealth.

Giancarlo Neri's huge table and chairs leaves a looming presence on the landscape.