The arrangement of elements according to their value or to the relative importance they hold in a system.

Further Reading

Kenya Hara, Haptic—Awakening the Senses Exhibition. www.ndc.co.jp/hara/en/works/2014/08/haptic.html.com.

“Haptics and Vision in Architecture.” Jasmien Herssens, Ann Heylighen, (2008).

Many disciplines define hierarchy as predominantly a visual term. In interior design, it can also be considered a spatial term, and, in a more complex way, haptic and aural phenomenons.

Treating hierarchy as a set of visual cues gives the designer authority over the narrative of a space. When we approach a room, either conceptually or literally, there is the total room—the openings and apertures that allow movement and light into the space, the objects that either invite movement or welcome stasis, specific colors or lights that act as indicators of tasks and use. Each element can become more visually dominant in order to suggest how a space can be used.

However, if we expand the visual-centric nature of hierarchy, we discover a richer range of possibilities. Haptic hierarchies are those that relate to the sense of touch. Different materials are used to elicit emotions or behaviors—for example, a tactile change in material on a floor or wall can indicate a change in use or can act as a cue for a necessary change in movement.

The sound of a room can also be emphasized. Within aural hierarchies, the value given to relative acoustics is a way to expand our sense of place. Echoey rooms can sound more active and energetic, while the introduction of acoustic baffles and surfaces can provide cues for mood and atmosphere.