The Importance of Typography in Web Design
Typography is often overlooked and undervalued when it comes to web design. This is the choice of font or font family you choose for your company and design. The fact is, people just simply chose what they think looks good, but that is not always the best choice. Having good typography on site doesn’t seem as important to some as having nice pictures or eye catching colors, but in reality, it is equally crucial. Here are some reasons to consider putting more thought into the type you choose.
Readability for Consumers
Even if you do not have a lot of content on your site, people should be able to read the amount that you do have. The wrong font of choice can make this a hard task, which is something you do not want because that can cause a loss in sales and a lack of distribution of information. A font type that takes more than a couple of seconds to recognize is not the best option for any type that appears on your site. The best choice is a font that is legible, but also adds some personality to your site if that is what you are looking for. Be careful with overdoing it. Adding too many different fonts can cause issues as well.
A number of typefaces you have on your site is also important for customers to get the correct information easily. Using too many fonts can become confusing. and shows a lack of consistency in your design. It is distracting trying to read something in many different fonts; the eye is not able to choose where to look, and it makes the reader not want to continue. Trying to read in those conditions takes way too much effort and thought to decipher. The way type is used also communicates what is important and should be looked at first, as opposed to secondary or tertiary type. Designers typically use the options of bold, italic or underline to separate the hierarchy. Size can also be a sign of hierarchy, the bigger the font, the more important the information. Choosing this method, instead of using different fonts to represent the hierarchy of the information, is more aesthetically pleasing for the viewer and easier to understand.
What Your Font Tells the Viewer
There’s no doubt that fonts have different looks to them, each has a unique identifier. What most people do not realize is that fonts also have different personalities. The specific font you chose can communicate a lot about your company, and if it does not match the feel or look of your overall brand identity, it will send the wrong message. For instance, if you want an elegant look to your design choosing a handwritten or big bold font would not coincide with the presence you want to present. However, choosing a thin to medium cursive or script font will indeed give off the feel you are looking for. Always be mindful of what your font is telling the viewer.
Knowing Where and How to Use Certain Font Styles
As mentioned before, a typeface can represent the importance of the information that is being displayed. Choosing certain styles of your font choice will make a huge difference if not used properly. For example, if you want an elegant feel to your site and chose a cursive font like mentioned above, you do not want to use this font for the entire site. Doing this will do exactly what you don’t want, make the information illegible. For a cursive font, you want to use it specifically for short headlines or titles. For the body of your content, using a neutral font that pairs well with the cursive font, and is easily legible, is key. Using one fun font and one neutral font is perfectly fine. It is when there begin to be three or more fonts on one page that it starts to become confusing.
What this Means for you
This information is important because if this advice is followed, it will improve navigation to your site. With improved navigation, consumers will stay on your site longer, and that means you are more likely to get more sales. If you have all of the proper information on your site, yet always seem to have callers asking questions that can be answered by your site, you may want to take a look at how that information is being displayed. The design is a very important factor of how your website works and typography is a key factor of design. When the typography isn’t right, the design isn’t either. This is why it is important to pay close attention to and be mindful of the choices you or your designer makes for type on your site.
At 1Digital Agency we have skilled designers that can make typography choices for you. If you find yourself in need of design assistance, we are able to create custom websites or simply redesign if you just want to spruce it up a bit. If you want to see how we handle typography, take a look at our designs and see how we can help you.