Introduction to Typography

Typography is the art of utilizing typefaces and fonts to create content on a website/app that is clear, readable, understandable, and pleasurable to the user who is viewing it. Clear content prevents any confusion for users in navigation and taking action. In fact, a good choice of fonts helps in enhancing the overall aesthetics of the products. In typography, we study in detail fonts, their structure, appearance, and style that evoke emotions.

The role of a UI designer includes making sure the typeface contributes to both aesthetics and optimizing accessibility of a website/app. Effective use of fonts makes text legible. There are many fonts and typefaces that exist, among them, few are only created for brands such as Netflix, Zara, Google Play, etc. Therefore it is also correct to say that along with product aesthetics and legibility typography also creates an overall brand perception.

Ever wondered how a font mismatch would look? Imagine Nestle’s logo font is replaced by Netflix’s logo font. It won’t look good right? This is because the font associated with Netflix’s logo has made an emotional space in our minds, and it is very difficult to re-create and associate that emotion with any other brand. So as a UI designer, the work is to create that emotional association for users for the product using typography.

Typography is the segment of UI Design that falls under the content part of UX Design. Typography is equally important for both UI and UX design and designer to focus. Websites or apps both have content that helps users navigate, interact, and guide them to take action. Organizing the content in a manner that helps ease navigation, interaction and action is a very important part of user interfaces.

Typography is not only about picking the best fonts and their placement, it is the overall visual language used to communicate with users. Typography can effectively convey a product in such a manner one wants it to be perceived, just like any other visual components like color, form, and pattern can. In this article, we’ll look into different elements of typography and how to seamlessly integrate them with designs.