While the internet has changed dramatically since it’s first inception, so has the way we present information and design for it.
One of the largest components of sound web design — one that is often overlooked — is typography.
Your brand, with the proper use of internet typography, can go from just being on the internet to belonging on the internet.
What is Typography?
Typography is defined in three ways:
- The art process of printing with type
- The work of setting and arranging types and printing from them
- The general character or appearance of printed matter
Obviously, these old definitions are in need of an update.
The world of print is quickly going by the wayside as the digital medium is exploding. While typography has its roots in print media, its future is within digital media. We as designers, developers, and business owners need to adjust with the times. Thankfully, web powers like Google have our back on this one!
Google Web Fonts
In 2010 Google launched what many web designers refer to as the “holy grail of internet typography.” Their free internet font service known simply as Google Web Fonts. Not only does the service have thousands of font faces to use within your design, it optimizes these fonts to improve your site’s overall performance for visitors.
The service is easy to use and extremely powerful right out of the box. Here are just some of the features that make Google Web Fonts so special to designers:
- You can download any font to your own computer’s font library. This allows you to maintain brand recognition across all your media. From your website to those postcards you mailed to customers last week, your brand stays true and conversion rates raise.
- Google has setup an API (application programming interface) service to go along with their immense font library. Now, this is a little on the technical side. However, the API will allow a site developer to design an impressive font effect without designing it themselves. For example:
- Implementation of the fonts on your site doesn’t even require a download. Google offers you options on how you would like to add the fonts to your site. Allowing for HTML, CSS import and even JavaScript implementation methods.
- Many of the fonts come in an array of styles. Maybe you like one font but wish you could have it bold? This is possible! Just pick which styles you wish to load onto the site.
Like all of Google’s products, Web Fonts does update often. These are merely four of the main features that continue to draw web designers and developers back to the service.
Designing with Google Web Fonts
Many overlook the font family they use in their design. No matter the medium, typography a major design elements that cannot be ignored.
As with having a fair balance of white space, typography is something that can make an okay design great. You can convey emotion, capture symbolism, and even change the perception of your brand.
The Google Web Fonts API is powerful enough to give you some very eye-catching design elements right out of the box with the platform. However, this is just the beginning of what is truly possible.
Here are some of the ways you can design with Google Web Fonts that any designer, developer or business owner should be aware of:
- Logo Design
Many business owners don’t have a true logo for their business. This is a giant step back if you’re trying to establish yourself not just online but anywhere. Hopeful clients trust brands and brands need to be recognized. This can all start with an attention-grabbing logo.
- Responsive Design
A hot topic in the web design world is responsive design. No more do we need to design and develop one version of a site for mobile devices and another for desktops. With the power of other new internet technologies and the power of Google Web Fonts, you can do wonderful things to make sure your site is accessible anywhere!
- Content Design
People often forget to design for their content. Good use of white space is a key element in ensuring your visitors don’t just bounce off your site as soon as they see a wall of text. When designing the overall content of a site, you could select a few fonts from Google to create a collection of fonts that work together.
Above all, one thing remains true: always use your best judgement. When you type up a Word document, you’re using typography by just putting letters on the page. When you begin to bold, italicize, and underline text, you’re beginning to get into typographic design.
So, just as you wouldn’t use bold or italic all over your Word document, when designing typography in a website or other media, use your best judgement and always let the content be your guide.
