In our fast paced world where internet users browse through tons of pages on a daily basis, web design and user interface are crucial aspects that determine if the users will stick around to read, or if they’ll bounce. Although it may not be the wisest thing to judge a book by its cover, web design and its various elements speak volumes about the brand, its webpage and the anticipated content.
Among the key elements of web design is typography, which is basically the aesthetics of arranging and displaying type, or text. It isn’t hard to guess that typography makes on-screen reading a smooth process for the user. Yet as a graphic element, it plays a vital role in the visual appeal too.
It’s crazy how web designers survived the 90s with only nine fonts defined by Microsoft. Nowadays, many companies work solely to create new typeface designs and hence artists aren’t the only ones behind the relentless design process. We now have psychologists conducting research on the impact different typefaces have on users, and what constitutes ‘good typography’.
And now typography in web design is undergoing a cool revolution. Here are the hottest trends.
Big, Bold and Beautiful
Desktop screens are now bigger and offer higher resolution than ever before. This instantly translates to more canvas to play with in design. With that in mind, designers have gone past the use of small text, especially when it comes to landing pages.
Bringing a Little Bit of Personality
Some may argue that our growing use for everything digital is reducing the joy of seeing a human imprint on things. Yet the entire 'web sphere' keeps adding more and more features for users to personalize their internet use.
Typography is no exception. Handwritten fonts are definitely in, with their untrimmed edges and varying weights. Why? Because sometimes true perfection has to be imperfect.
Less is More
Flat typography is much like Parisian fashion. It’s very basic yet it captivates you with its simplicity. Minimalist typography accentuates primarily the use of simple color schemes while working off a grid.
Responsive Web Design
More users now access the internet from their portable devices, whether smartphones or tablets, and the web is no longer confined to a desktop screen. Accordingly, web designers are tweaking the general layout of webpages and the used fonts to suit different portable devices as well.
Typography Apps
More people are now aware of the growing importance of typography and how it is incorporated in the design process. That is why several applications (such as Sketch, Affinity and Canva) now provide non-designer users with user friendly tools to spice up their websites with eye catchy fonts that bring more life and meaning to their online portal. As much as this may be great news for all us non-designers, a designer we interviewed commented that “they’re cool, but it feels like it downsizes what I do.”
As the internet evolves, all of its elements change in accordance. Some argue that good typography is more than just a trend: it stands the test of time.