Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Why Are Font Choices so Important in Web Design?

If you have done any research into web design or even just talked to a designer, you may have come across the minefield of a design issue that is typography. The finicky attitude web designers take to choosing font types and sizes can be baffling for many people, as typography is often the last on their list of specifications, if it is included at all. Indeed, font choices seem at first to be a small issue, compared to larger features such as layout, background and imagery.

Font is vitally important to the success of a web design, however, because of its subtlety and unobtrusiveness. Most sites still include a much higher proportion of text than image content, meaning that the font you choose will cover the majority of your site.

Although it is recognised that viewers generally take note of visual elements before reading the text on a web design, the main heading on a web page is usually the first element we consciously analyse, and is key in determining whether we stay on the page or move on to the next tab. The font choice used on a site has a subtle, but pervasive effect on how the viewer reads the content.

Besides this effect, typography choices also have a significant effect on the versatility and accessibility of a web design. Websites are read and decoded not only by humans but also by web browsers and all manner of viewing devices.

Some fonts are carefully developed for specific use in web designs, ensuring that they are clearly readable at a variety of sizes and on a multitude of screens. Using these well-designed fonts is therefore important to improving your web design.

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