Bethany Heck gives a long, in-depth explanation of why it can be acceptable to go against the widely held opinion of “do not use too many fonts” in a design. She starts by recognizing there is a reason this specific guideline came to be: > We can all point to questionable designs that use an excessive number of typefaces. You can sense when a designer is trying to compensate for a deficiency by throwing more typefaces into a piece. But she goes on to give good advice for this “rule” (which can…
All posts in typography
A couple of good reading recommendations for fans of Typography.
Similar to the post I wrote for the InVision blog, Thomas Byttebier covers the essential traits of typefaces suited for use in a UI. His main points are well put and similar to those I made. But he takes it a step further and covers a list of good typefaces for potential use. And the verdict: > All these typefaces definitely don’t burst with personality or creativity, yet they’re crammed with clarity. And in user interface design, that’s only a good thing. Well put. Source [http://thomasbytte…
I had the pleasure of getting down some thoughts on how type plays a vital role in UI design. It was one of my last tasks with the InVision team. And one dear to my heart! Of course, on a subject like this, I'm merely standing on the shoulders of those who laid such a solid foundation. Thanks to the likes of Robert Bringhurst [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bringhurst], Cameron Moll [https://twitter.com/cameronmoll], and Oliver Reichenstein [https://twitter.com/reichenstein] for sharing th…
The folks at Webtype are all kinds of smart. If you've subscribed to their newsletter, you'll know what I'm referring to. Now they're at it again. This page [http://bentonmodern.webtype.com/] is an example of how you can put their offerings to use. In this case, they showcase one particular typeface [http://www.webtype.com/store/search/?q=Benton+Modern] and how to use it well. Be sure to click the alternate style in the header (Expressive). Source [http://bentonmodern.webtype.com/]…
A list of typography focused resources and tutorials.
I had the privilege of attending the most recent edition of Type Camp [http://www.typecamp.org], lovingly titled Web Type West [http://www.typecamp.org/camps/web-type-west/]. The simple fact of being at a conference can be enjoyable on its own. Being at one where the entire focus is a topic you're very passionate about … the enjoyment is greatly magnified. All quotes here are potentially paraphrased. My handwriting is neither fast, nor overly legible … room for error. My apologies to the speake…
When designing a document, whether it be a web page, email, invoice, or book, I have an order of events I like to follow. I start with content, sketch out a layout, then move on to typography. In my mind, this process ensures that priority is given where it should be. The content is king, the architecture (or layout) of that content is second, and the typography provides the foundation that the design sits upon. I'm no expert in this stuff; I'm learning with every project I work on. But over t…