Typography is an old discipline that requires a lot of studying and concentrated effort. It is about shaping text for an optimal reading experience and has one plain duty before it, that of conveying information in writing.

In today's online world it is the information designer's task "to divide up, organize and interpret this mass of printed matter in such a way that the reader will have a good chance of finding what is of interest".

So, information designers nowadays do the job that typographers did 30 years ago.

Text as user interface

Texts that are easy to read on all major browsers and platforms require the correct leading, word and letter spacing, active white space and use of colour help readability.

Famous examples of unornamental websites that treat text as interface are: Google, eBay, Craigslist, YouTube, Flickr, Digg, reddit, Delicious. Being a hard to dispute necessity, treating text as a user interface is the only parameter for success.

Successful Web sites manage to create a simple interface and a strong identity at the same time.

This is an extract from:

• Web Design is 95% Typography, Information Architects Blog Archive

See also:

• Reactions to 95% Typography

Further reading:

• Typographic Design Patterns and Best Practices, Smashing Magazine

!