Your selection of typography is more than just a way to get copy on to your website. You need to think about what impact the typeface and font you choose will have on your target audience. There is a psychology behind this. There must be meaning. But why? Think about what typography symbolically means to people and how it affects their thoughts and feelings before they even start reading.
Here are our 6 points to consider when selecting the typography for your website:
1. Which typeface represents my brand
Sans serif typefaces are modern, approachable, sophisticated and give a cleaner look. They are most commonly used for body text.
Serif typefaces have decorative strokes or “feet” and are primarily used for headers. They give your brand a traditional, established and trustworthy feel.
Script typefaces are elaborate and whimsical. They feel more personal as they are similar to handwriting but are versatile in that they can be either traditional or fun.
Some typefaces don’t have an italic option so watch out for this, if it is something you are likely to want to use.
When choosing different typefaces for your headings and body text think about how they work together. It’s important the pairings are complementary.
2. Think about where you will source your website typefaces from
There are many places to source typefaces for your website, some of which are free, whereas others bear a cost. Google has free and open-source font families. Adobe has an online font service for its subscribers.
You could have a unique typeface designed specifically for your brand but beware of the cost implications of this. Check that the design will be browser compatible. A brand designer may come up with creative fonts, but they need to be supported as otherwise it may default to fonts which are completely off brand. Ensure that your fonts can be integrated into design elements on your websites such as sliders.
Test your chosen fonts on a range of browsers and devices to ensure they display as expected. Think about the balance between design flair and practical usage.
Think about how the typeface will represent your brand. This image shows the difference a change in typeface (Comic Sans) can make to the impact of familiar logos.
3. Think about legibility as well as look and feel
Yes, you want your typeface to express your brand and have an impact on your audience, but none of that matters if is too difficult to read.
Colour and contrast play a big part in whether a typeface is legible. Test out your colours and fonts on your website early in the development stage before making your final decision.
4. The impact of sizing and spacing
When deciding on sizing and spacing of copy think about how it will look on different devices. What looks good on a laptop can be taking up valuable real estate on a mobile.
The spacing of letters can affect legibility and impacts the balance of the text on the page. For example, the text on call-to action buttons often has wider spacing for higher visual impact to encourage the website visitor to click.
5. What weight should I choose for my font?
A font’s weight is how bold it is. 700 is a heavier font whereas 300 is light. The weight of your font can affect the accessibility of your website. Headings tend to be in bolder fonts whereas image captions are lighter.
6. Don’t stand still
Like anything else font trends come and go. Back in 2014 when Delia founded Business Clan the trend was for smaller, finer fonts. Once you have chosen your logo and website fonts be prepared to revisit them every so often and move with the times.
Businesses often treat designing their logos and websites as separate projects, but they are all part of your brand identity. It is best to look at them holistically, so they work for your brand in the same way. It’s why at Business Clan, we believe design is most effective when it is triggered by a marketing led brief. To find out more call us on 020 3488 4811 or contact us
