Typography for Web: Using Fonts in 2012

Trends evolve every year, be it fashion, web design or any other. Over the last decade web design has tremendously progressed. New trends like big headers, background images and minimalism have become popular, bringing with them a new approach towards branding. Even fonts and typography have now adopted a new look and businesses are no longer limited to showcasing just a few fonts on their websites.

Current typography trends are not the same as they were 5 years back. Trial and error has resulted in some very successful font styles which are now trending. Given below are a few basic trends you might want to keep in mind when designing a website.

Make an Impact with Larger Fonts

Font weight and size matters more now than it did a few years back. LCDs and LEDs replaced old monitors giving way to higher resolution and eventually larger fonts. An average user is now bored with the standard font size and it is no longer relevant or appealing. Years of using the standard 12pt font has ceased to amuse or attract the viewers and using large font size for just headings is old news! Now even the regular web page text is a mash up of a variety of bold and regular fonts. Companies now want creativity and a whole new approach to attract customers and with typography, designers are equipped for it!

Use a Mish-Mash of Typography

Website designs are now an amalgamation of large and small fonts. Using the same font size and style is old school and dull. Having a nice mix of fonts can add to the overall visual appeal of the website. Using large fonts is not used to create just a unique look though. It helps in making the entire web page more readable and adds up to the visual design. This way, many times, designers don’t even have to use images to appeal to the viewers.

Giving a Stand-Alone Appeal

To highlight text on a web page, designers are now using a different font styles rather than using the typical bold or italics. A variety of styles have emerged. Mixing up two to three different fonts and using contrasting colors to highlight important phrases helps personalize the design. This creates emphasis zones on the web page and viewers are led to specific information automatically.

Mix it Up with Images & Illustrations

While the latest typography trends are enough to help a web design attract viewers, however many designers use a creative mixture of fonts and images. Used cleverly, this can give the website a whole new look, increasing the viewers curiosity and leading them to explore more.

Stylizing with Handwritten Typography

Handwritten typography not only makes a web page look more appealing but also gives the website a personal touch. Of course not all kinds of industries can opt for this but those who want to add a touch of realism in their text can go with this trend. Humans are visual people and visual appeal is necessary, especially for businesses that want to convert viewers to potential customers. Aren’t we all doing just that? Handwritten fonts tend to be eye-catching which is why more and more businesses are now opting for these. Depending on the nature of your client’s business, these can vary from sober to appealing and loud.

While all the above given trends are great, designers must make sure that the design they create is visually appealing and not just a jumbled bunch of chaotic fonts and colors added up together. Aesthetic sense is a must here – and I can’t stress this enough.

Trends come and go but with each passing year, web designs continues to get creative and more appealing. Thanks to the growth of emerging typography trends, designers and business owners alike have a variety to choose from. With each passing year the creativity just keeps getting better and better. Don’t you think?