Typography is one of the essential components in all design. Of course, in web and app design, they are also elements of great importance because they not only help to communicate a message but can reinforce the personality and brand values. For this reason, both the selection process and the application of the sources is a procedure that must be carried out carefully. It is common not to pay attention to this phase of the process and to choose sources without taking all the necessary considerations. Therefore, in this article, we remind you of the essential rules that you must take into account when working with fonts.
Learn the basics about typography
Although selecting sources is based on observing the characteristics of the sources, it never hurts to learn the basics about typography. Understanding about the essential parts that make up a character and the different typographic families can be very helpful when selecting sources, particularly the differences that exist between each typographic family. In this way, you can access any source library having a clearer idea of what type of font you need for your design.
Take into account the personality of the source
The selection of sources is not a random process. The source, like other elements that make up the design, must be consistent with the communication tone that has been previously selected based on the research of the target audience and the brand.
Just as colors convey emotions, sources can also be associated with moods or certain characteristics. For example, handwritten fonts are often used in online portfolios because they give a more personal touch to the design.
Typography is one of the essential components in all design. Of course, in web and app design, they are also elements of great importance because they not only help to communicate a message but can reinforce the personality and brand values. For this reason, both the selection process and the application of the sources is a procedure that must be carried out carefully. It is common not to pay attention to this phase of the process and to choose sources without taking all the necessary considerations. Therefore, in this article, we remind you of the essential rules that you must take into account when working with fonts.
Learn the basics about typography
Although selecting sources is based on observing the characteristics of the sources, it never hurts to learn the basics about typography. Understanding about the essential parts that make up a character and the different typographic families can be very helpful when selecting sources, particularly the differences that exist between each typographic family. In this way, you can access any source library having a clearer idea of what type of font you need for your design.
Take into account the personality of the source
The selection of sources is not a random process. The source, like other elements that make up the design, must be consistent with the communication tone that has been previously selected based on the research of the target audience and the brand.
Just as colors convey emotions, sources can also be associated with moods or certain characteristics. For example, handwritten fonts are often used in online portfolios because they give a more personal touch to the design.
Prioritize the readability of the source
There are many factors that you must take into account when selecting sources. Such factors the communication tone of the design and the characteristics of the source. Since, not only do you need the sources to communicate a message by their appearance, but you must also use them to place text in the design, it is important to consider the readability of the sources.
Readability problems are common and can occur for different reasons, either because the proper kerning has not been placed, the contrast between the background color and the text is not ideal, the fonts have certain characters that can be confused with others or present decorations that make them perfect for titles and short phrases, but not for body text.
Study the characteristics of each source, as well as the purpose that it will have in the design and determines if legibility problems arise based on these unique characteristics of the source. If it is a somewhat experimental and unreadable source, then it is wiser to leave it aside and choose another source.
Limit the number of sources to choose
The more sources you choose, the more complicated it is to create a balance between them. Choose from 1 to 3 sources at most for web and app design. Often, a single source has enough variations, so the same font is used but in Bold for titles, Light for body text, etc.
If the source does not have variations, two sources are chosen: one for titles and another for body text. In the case of selecting three or more sources, it is usually when you try to create a typographic composition somewhere on the website or app. Top app developers know the design that is best suited to your brand.
Also, you must make sure to choose sources that present balance and harmony. So there are different factors that you must take into account when choosing sources for your web and app design projects.
Understand and control the kerning of sources
Kerning can be known as the space that exists between a word or set of characters. As you already know, this space is applied to improve readability. If each character is superimposed on another, they could not be differentiated and, therefore, users could not read the word.
Kerning is automatically applied to words in any design program and often, there are no problems. But you may find certain sources where it is necessary to modify the kerning manually. Be very observant because often kerning errors are usually detected better when working with paragraphs and long sentences. Top app developers know the design that is best suited to your brand.
Apply the typographic hierarchy
The visual hierarchy is of importance in every design so that there is a correct reading of it. Thanks to the visual hierarchy, we can organize the elements of the composition and indicate to the user the order of importance of each one of them. In this way, naturally, the user reads the design following certain reading patterns, but also the elements that stand out in a design.
The sources, like any other element of the design, must also be taken into account when working with the visual hierarchy of the composition. But for specific sources, there is another type of hierarchy known as the typographic hierarchy. This is how you determine the pieces of information that are more important, such as titles.
In conclusion
Like many other skills, selecting sources correctly depends a lot on the practice and frequency with which you perform these activities. It is common that over time, you are creating a large library of sources that you can use in your projects, but it never hurts to venture into pages to download fonts. Not only can you find new sources, but it also serves to put your critical eye into practice when choosing sources.
Working with sources is divided into different steps, from choosing the sources to determining exactly where they will be located. There are many factors that you must take into account and you can improve as you put this skill into practice. Top app developers know the design that is best suited to your brand.
Melissa Crooks is Content Writer who writes for Hyperlink InfoSystem, a mobile app development company in New York, USA and India that holds the best team of skilled and expert app developers India. She is a versatile tech writer and loves exploring latest technology trends, entrepreneur and startup column. She also writes for top app development companies.