Decisions
I used to think hierarchy was mostly about deciding what information mattered most. I now think it is also about deciding when something needs to matter.
This became clearer while reviewing a sequence where the first frame was trying to carry almost everything at once: the main message, supporting information, explanation, context, and proof.
Nothing was technically missing. That was the problem.
When every piece of information arrives at the same time, the reader has no reason to move. The first page does not need to finish the argument. It needs to give the next piece of information somewhere to land.
Sometimes the strongest opening is not the one that explains the most. It is the one that establishes the right question, tension, or direction clearly enough that the next page feels necessary.
That changed the way I think about hierarchy. It is not only:
What should someone see first?
It is also:
What can wait until they are ready to understand it?
A sequence becomes easier to follow when each part knows what it is responsible for. The first frame opens the door.
It does not need to furnish the entire house.