How do you build page templates and content hierarchy?

Organise content and reading order first, then preserve repeated structure in templates.

A page template is a reusable page structure. Content hierarchy describes priority and relationships between information. Decide on content before choosing a template so similar pages stay readable and maintainable.

Keep these basics in mind

• A page skeleton arranges areas such as the header, main content, related entries, and footer. It is not finished copy.
• Establish the subject, then explain details and actions as needed. Relative importance shapes presentation.
• Headings must reflect content structure and use suitable HTML levels, rather than merely larger text. See W3C’s heading tutorial .
• Templates preserve repeated relationships while content serves the actual task. See Graphic Design: The New Basics for visual foundations in hierarchy, grids, and modular organisation.

The RISD Museum web-text guide also distinguishes appearance from structure: size and boldness give visual cues, while heading tags help screen readers understand relationships. RISD means Rhode Island School of Design.

Build a template

Illustrative page structure

This is a hypothetical service-details template.

Walk through an example

Three services all need a name, intended customers, scope, and contact entry. The team creates a common order for these areas and fills each with real information. One service also needs preparation materials, so they add a suitable subgroup while preserving heading relationships and the main structure.

Limits and common misunderstandings

Templates do not require identical wording or the same number of sections. Order should support content and tasks. Text that looks like a heading but lacks proper structure makes page relationships harder for assistive tools to understand.