Typography in Page Design

Learn how to effectively integrate typography to enhance the overall visual appeal and readability of your page design
Typography in Page Design Lesson

Typography doesn't exist in a vacuum. Well-designed typography contributes to the overall user experience on a given page. Even the most beautiful typographic designs on the sentence or paragraph level can fall apart if they aren't well-integrated into the overall page composition.

Using typography to contribute to the overall page design is an important skill for all designers. Understanding how alignment, white space, consistency, and other typographic skills can create more dynamic and interesting pages that invite users to read content is critical for designers to master.

The golden ratio Bad Practice
The golden ratio Best Practice

The golden ratio is a mathematical ratio commonly found in nature. The most famous sequence of numbers that follow the golden ratio is the Fibonacci sequence, where each subsequent number is equal to the sum of the 2 numbers preceding it. The golden ratio is approximately equal to 1:1.618.

The harmony of the golden ratio has been used for centuries in geometry, art, architecture, and typography. Creating pages with the golden ratio results in proportionate and balanced compositions. A common example is a layout with two columns of different sizes as you can see on the National Geographic website. Its clean and organized structure invokes a natural sense of order, balance, and hierarchy.[1]

The golden ratio isn't the only way to define page elements' sizes and proportions. Other methods include using standard paper sizes or dividing surfaces into halves or squares, among others.[2]

Creating more dynamic pages Bad Practice
Creating more dynamic pages Best Practice

Alignment helps create dynamic page layouts. Pages with a robust and consistent alignment look clean and crisp with a professional finish.

Most European languages use left-to-right scripts, so the text is aligned to the left. Languages like Arabic and Hebrew are written right-to-left, and that's why their text is right-aligned.

Mixed alignment refers to layouts where elements have different alignments. Misaligned elements contrast with the rest of the design, which breaks the reading flow. Using opposing alignment or centering titles, quotes, and subscripts helps text stand out. When done well, this can add a dynamic and energetic feel to your work.

Foreground and background Bad Practice
Foreground and background Best Practice

Butterick's Practical Typography introduces the terms "foreground" and "background" in the context of page layouts.[1] In art, the foreground is the area closest to viewers, and the background is the farthest part. We perceive foreground elements as more important and background elements as having little significance. The same principle can be applied to a page layout.

In the page layout context, the foreground is the area that contains essential page elements — mainly headings and the body text. The background contains everything else, like sidebars and navigation.

It's crucial to make the foreground elements more prominent than background elements. Use position, size, font, and color to communicate different levels of importance. For example, choose a larger type for the body text while reducing the weight and size of secondary elements. Using a more subdued color also communicates lesser importance.

Small changes in typography can significantly impact how users perceive content. When speaking, intonation helps us understand the intended meaning of words. "Yeah, right" can mean that the person agrees with you, or the complete opposite when used with sarcastic intonation. Similarly, making minor adjustments in typography can completely change the meaning of the text. If you're unhappy with your typographic composition, it often doesn't need a complete overhaul.

Start by changing any of the following in the smallest visible increments:

  • Typeface
  • Type weight
  • Type size
  • Type style
  • Color
  • Alignment[2]

Typography thrives on fine details. The difference between not enough and too much can be rather small.

Macro white space Bad Practice
Macro white space Best Practice

White space is a vital element of the page's layout and structure. Macro white space is the space indicating relationships between major layout elements. In contrast, micro white space refers to the space between design elements such as lines, paragraphs, grid images, etc. Leaving more space helps separate the elements while reducing it shows connection.

Macro white space also surrounds the design layout and acts as a container. Google's homepage is a great example because its simple look has become iconic. Because there's no clutter, there's less work for the eyes and the mind. It also helps users focus on why they're there — i.e., to search for something.[3]

Clients and managers might consider white space wasted space, but filling it with more information or other visual elements can result in mediocre typography.

Be consistent

One of the main functions of typographic design is to create structure and hierarchy. A good hierarchy isn't possible without consistency, as it shows the relationship between typographic elements. This means that similar elements are similarly styled. For example, headings are bigger than the body text, and all headings are styled similarly. These visual cues help users understand what they are looking at. Elements of the same type should look the same, while different elements should have different styles.

Even though you may have many hierarchy levels, stick to an overall theme for the design. In the example, hierarchy is created mostly by size and color. The design only uses 2 font faces; all text is left-aligned except the page number, providing clean, consistent lines. Overall, it looks crisp and clear. Adding more fonts, colors and alignments would create a messy and confusing design.

As Mark Twain once said, "All ideas are second-hand, consciously and unconsciously drawn from a million outside sources." There are a million successful layouts out there, so why reinvent the wheel?

If you see typography you like — in a book, on a sign, or on a website — emulate it. Learning to see what's good about other examples of typography makes it easier to solve problems in your own layouts.

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