7 Steps to Make Captivating Design Using Typography

by Bradley Nice, Content Manager at ClickHelp — all-in-one help authoring tool

Graphic design is everywhere around us. Words and images are the constituent elements of it; they carry most of the content in both the digital world and the printed world. The origins of graphic design date back to the early cave paintings. Such paintings were a form of communication among people back then. Evolving into a visual language, then printing, and through the industrial revolution to the first graphic design agency in Vienna. But the breakthrough was made with the invention of computers and the Internet. A surge of new design disciplines emerged. Web design, UX/UI design, interactive design, to name a few. These are all specific fields within the design community, but they all stemmed from graphic design.

If you want to make an advanced graphic design, you should follow the fundamental principles: image-making, composition, working with color and shape, and typography. Typography is the art of working with the visual form of language to boost and control its meaning. Since typography predates modern graphic design by around five centuries, it remains a thrilling space for creation and manifestation.

The brands you know and love have all developed their logos and marketing campaigns over the years, all of which follow a well-studied pattern of typefaces, colors, and texts, becoming the memorable references they are today. So the question is: how to make an appealing design using typography?

1. Try to eye-catch. People perceive visual information faster than printed one. A perfect combination of the right fonts and colors with just the correct sizes and nuances makes a beautiful quote stand out.
2. Develop brand recognition. A graphic designer’s job is to create a visual identity that resonates with the principles of a brand. You might not have a clear picture in your head, but you remember a few traces: the colors, the size, and maybe even the fonts. That’s precisely what good typography should do.
3. Always put important information first. Prioritizing some words gives the effect you expect to achieve. Use font size change for that.
4. Moderation is the key. Avoid using too many different fonts to prevent readers’ confusion. And do not stuff a lot of information at once. Ideas should be organized in some hierarchy.
5. Kerning should be harmonious. The spacing between fonts may go unnoticed, but it gives a sense of distress. Try to avoid that.
6. Add emotions and character. The different elements of each image should make you feel something different. That’s how typography helps brands establish unique personalities based on what they offer.
7. Balance for easy reading. It’s about the correct amount of whitespace in a block of text, a pleasant combination of different fonts, and complimenting colors.

As you see, typography is far more complicated than you might have thought. If done well, it draws attention and conveys important messages. It becomes more visible in our lives and more important in our culture. It is so much more than just selecting great fonts: it’s an essential component of user interface design. It gives the first impression, so try to make it a good one. And if you still have doubts that you can cope with it, some time ago I also made A Typography Cheat Sheet that can help you with all the terminology. Check this out.

Have a nice day!

Bradley Nice, Content Manager at ClickHelp.com — best online documentation tool for SaaS vendors