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Archive for the ‘Website Design’ Category

Elements of Typography

Sunday, June 14, 2009
posted by JamesP 4:30 PM

Typography

Before the advent of the digital age, typography was a field understood, approached, and practiced only by skilled artists and professionals whose careers were entirely focused on the discipline. While specialized typographers do still exist today, the field has experienced an explosion in popularity and prominence as both individuals and companies venture online to create and convey their messages. At first glance, typography may seem like a topic of little importance or complexity after all, it’s just text, right? In an age when copy and paste are are commands available at the click of a button, typography can give the impression of relative unimportance. But in fact, it is one of the most essential and vitally necessary components of any modern endeavor in web design.

Typography encompasses a number of visual and spatial aspects of a given page. Some of the more prominent facets of typography are horizontal and vertical spacing, text alignment, contrast, and repetition. Spacing plays an important role in determining the legibility of a piece of text. Most schoolteachers can relate that students who write with words mashed together or spread over irrationally large expanses produce work that’s an absolute pain to read. Just as good handwriting is important in making the grade in the classroom, sound spacing in digital typography is necessary for attracting and retaining visitors online. Choosing word and line proximities that don’t tax the eyes and are suitable for the text on display is a crucial element of typography.

Web designers are faced with special issues in arranging the graphical elements of a page in every design they approach; the alignment of text is part of this challenge, and can go a long way towards creating aesthetic appeal. Alignment applies to the orientation of the text as a whole in relation to its setting, and also touches upon the placement and relation of different pieces of text or features such as quotations and titles. Contrast, in turn, allows for for the creation of both harmony and eye-catching bias, with the ability to both draw attention and suggest subtlety.

The repetition of chosen parameters within a typographic set is a key component of a successful text rendering. Just as search engine optimization requires a careful balance of relevant keywords without bogging down a site, typography warrants a consistency of style and shape as carefully preserved as the facets of an SEO campaign. Whether designing for a largely text-based online venture or simply including the odd snippet of text in a graphics-heavy production, the right use of the elements of typography plays a larger success role than you might think.

The skilled designers in Austin Texas, lead by dynamic firm NuArisan, know that good typography forms the basis of effective site creation. If you’re looking for professional work out of Austin TX with a renowned penchant for beautiful type, this local firm may just be the perfect fit.

For web design in Austin, TX visit:

NuArtisan
7000 N Mo Pac Expy Ste 200
Austin, TX 78731
(512) 712-5359