About Typography

Most people don’t notice typography until it’s wrong.

But that hides the truth. The typeface you choose makes the reading experience. More than most other design decisions combined.

Typography isn’t decoration. It’s architecture.

Serifs. Those small lines at the ends of letters. They’ve lived in printed books for over 500 years for a reason. They create hints that guide the eye from letter to letter and from word to word. That’s useful for long reads.

When you’re reading loads of paragraphs, your eyes need something to follow. Serifs provide that path. They’re like guardrails for your visual attention.

That doesn’t mean serifs are always right. Serifs are great on paper and in long-form digital text. Sans-serif typefaces (without serifs) work better on screens with short bursts of content. Like navigation elements or headlines on social media.

The best designers choose typefaces based on context, not trend.

It’s got weight, hasn’t it? Emotional weight. A typeface has character. It’s got a personality. Some of them look like they’re shouting orders. Authoritative. Others? Proper playful. Some look like they’ve been around since the Ark. Others look like they were born this morning.

The one you pick makes a statement. About you. About what you’re saying. Pick the wrong one and you’ve blown it. Messed up the whole message. Simple as that.

Websites now? They’re noisy. Constant racket. Ads flashing. Videos starting up on their own. Buttons bouncing all over the shop. It’s exhausting. To me, there’s power in a bit of peace. Keep it simple. A nice typeface. Plenty of space to breathe. Yeah. Loads better.

That typeface says something about what’s on the page. It says: Look, this is worth your time. I’ve put the work in so you can enjoy the read.

You don’t need a dozen fonts to look posh. You don’t. The best ones, the elegant ones? They use one. That’s it. One. Then the question isn’t about the font anymore. It’s about the words. How they flow. That’s what matters.

On this blog, I use Merriweather. A serif face inspired by the great typefaces used in printed books. That choice says: I want you to have an experience worth the reading.

So, here’s a thing. Next time you’re reading something online, stop and notice the typeface. Is it helping you read, or fighting against you? Does it make you want to slow down, or does it push you to skim?

The typography is a conversation between the blog owner and the reader. I’m saying: Here’s how I reckon you should read this.

You’ll feel that. In your consciousness, or not.

The best typography is transparent. You don’t notice it. You find yourself reading easy, and enjoying it — with any luck.

That’s not an accident. That’s craft.