Responsive typography and web design for beginners
The web design industry has catapulted in terms of progress over the past few years, and a lot can still be expected from the field at the current pace of technological advancements. Gone are the times when all you needed to design was a single layout that would be incorporated everywhere and would be perfect for any occasion. The tools that designers now have at their disposal have also evolved, making mere ornamental graphics and cartoonish clipart a thing of the past.
Today, over 95% of all web design comprises of typographic content; the field has gradually made a substantial amount of development and the way everyone went crazy back when we all found out we can edit images and graphics will soon be forgotten when we realize the potential that typography has in terms of web design.
Typefaces with personalities
When we take a close look at the web, what do we see? Piles and piles of words filling up empty spaces in the actual design. What most of us fail to realize is that the negative space within any composition of shapes, colors, lines, or forms matters just as much as the positive space. A photograph of a house and an open sky above would not be able to depict the actual house if the background was the same as the foreground and merged together. Similarly, the way you fill up the empty spaces of any design matters substantially in the way you want your design to turn out.
Typography is an entire study; it works on a predefined foundation that comprises of a set of rules and restrictions. A typeface cannot be designed by someone who does not understand what the underlying restrictions of the field are. You can't really fill up your website with Comic Sans MS and expect the audiences to go gaga over your service or products.
Every typeface has a personality, and that personality matters when you are designing something for the web because it should conform to the overall feel of the composition and the message that you are trying to get across. Do you remember the time when Helvetica hit the market? Barely any relatively big brand opted for any other typeface for almost a decade.
Responsive typography
When it comes to a responsive web design, responsive typography is a crucial piece of the puzzle without which the design is incomplete. It can be simply defined as the usage of fonts that are adaptable to different resolutions so that they keep the design intact but still remain viewable. Instead of using a font that you may think goes best or "looks" best, try to opt for a complex typeface that can be shrunk or stretched accordingly with the needs of the users and the screens. Always ensure that this must be done while the typographic content still remains readable, looks clean, and does not overlap.
Thumb rules for responsive web typography
Any typography lesson will give a set of rules that you must follow if you want to create an exceptional design. Some of the most important ones are:
- When you design the desktop version, always ensure you have plenty of border space and align the text accordingly so that the design can adapt to a smaller screen.
- Always use double space between lines to avoid overlapping and readability issues when adapted for a mobile screen.
- Choose your colors wisely so that they create a proper contrast between the text and the background. This is done to ensure readability as less contrast can cause the typeface to blend with the design.
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