“What do you imply by typography? What font is that? What’s a typeface?” – We constantly face questions from our purchasers on the distinction between fonts and sort, when to create one thing customized, and the way it applies to model improvement. Let’s clear some issues up:
- The time period “Typeface” refers back to the household of kind.
- The “Font” is the variant of the typeface inside that household.
Why is Typography vital?
Typography is greater than selecting the newest stylish “font.” Typography is vital in establishing a model’s total tone and really feel. Not solely will typography affect the consumer on how they really feel when viewing your model, however it would inform and information them as they work together with you. Typography performs a major function in how customers understand data written in textual content. Usually talking, a visually interesting kind is simpler at grabbing the consumer’s consideration and could have extra potential to strengthen the model than a generic typeface.
For us, step one within the design course of is to discover a sturdy kind research, pulling completely different typefaces that contemplate all undertaking specs (usability, licensing, Webfont availability, and aesthetics based mostly on conceptual route).
This sort research will act as a beginning/reference level for emblem design, offering the designer with a financial institution of applicable fonts to work with as they start the design course of. From there a customized typeface could be created if wanted. An important instance of the place a customized typeface was wanted to spherical out the system is our current work with Hazelwood Labs.
In our preliminary conferences with Joseph at Hazelwood, we mentioned the particular in-application use circumstances that the model would have. One in every of their key contact factors was the power to laser lower letters into varied wooden, steel surfaces, and different supplies. In the event that they have been to make use of an unusual typeface to laser lower, items of the letters would fall out and reduce legibility. When beginning the design course of, fixing this downside was prime of thoughts. With the intention to obtain the ultimate look, we wanted to create a completely customized typeface with a “stencil” font.
Sort is rather more than “only a font.” Typography has a major function to play in a model’s improvement and visible id. And due to that it requires a deep dive into creating issues deliberately and with usability prime of thoughts.
