Choosing The Right Font
Picking a font for your latest project is a difficult task. There are a few typography rules and terms that every designer must know. The skill of choosing and designing that perfect font can be daunting. Even though typography is an art and art is supposed to be subjective with minimal parameters, rules can still be applied in order to save time. It's always good to know the few basic do’s and don’ts.
Before we can begin scanning font libraries, we need a get at the core point and mission of the user experience. The message we convey should decide the typeface we select, not the other way around. It's a good idea to jot down a few descriptors that summarize the vision to act as a guideline when selecting a typeface. Identifying the characteristics will help us match the typeface to the overarching aesthetic. For example, an ornamented serif typeface might exude elegance and class, whereas a sans option could elicit a more casual and accessible feel.
After identifying the characteristics our typeface should embody, the next step is to consider the environment the typeface will be in. We know we are dealing with digital experience here, not print, so we need to consider that our readers may be browsing on a mobile device. This means choosing a typeface that will remain legible on smaller screen sizes, without straining the user’s eyes. I recommend testing on a variety of mobile devices to ensure the font is suitable for all displays. One forgotten consideration when selecting a typeface is how the text may look when translated to a different language. If our app will be available across the globe and localized, we need to ensure the typeface looks just as good in the languages.
Legibility and readability are likely interchangeable to the layperson, but for UI designers and typographers they represent two distinctly different properties of text. Legibility is determined by different factors such as contrast, kerning, uppercase or lowercase. As a distinguishing character feature, serif typefaces are often considered more legible than sans serif, and UX designer Becca Kennedy cites a Carnegie Mellon University study to argue that upright fonts, rather than italic or slanted ones, are usually more legible. For a more accurate legibility test, I would recommend the I/l/1 test. Just type a capital I, a lowercase l, and the number one. If you can't tell the difference between the three, you may have a problem.
Like legibility, readability is a measure of how well a user can differentiate the text on the screen. Readability describes the overall comprehension of the content, rather than the individual elements of that text. Basically, legibility is more granular, whereas readability is a big picture. Choosing a readable font has its own set of considerations. Unjustified is more readable than justified, and research suggests that users prefer line lengths of about four inches.
Typefaces are often referred to as a family of fonts, and some families are larger and more diverse than others. The app we are designing will have a visual hierarchy, and our typeface needs to be able to match it with different weights and styles. You may already be familiar with the most versatile typefaces out there. Sometimes referred to as workhorse fonts, these include Georgia, Arial, Franklin Gothic, and Roboto. They are useful for experiences that are heavy in content.
It would be nice if there was a typography cheat sheet, to show quick and easy formulas for selecting a typeface, but user experience design is not that simple. There are few axioms in this industry. What this article offers is a starting point to think about the impact of the design choices we make in choosing typefaces. By thinking about typography in this way, you will be better prepared to defend your design.