Tips For Achieving The Right Hierarchy
I recently saw an AARP publication sitting on my 78-year old mother’s coffee table and was estatic to see designers successfully using large fonts without compromising good design. I believe it’s all about having the right hierarchy of font sizes, which can be achieved by following these four techniques:
- Choose your primary typefaces wisely.
Select a legible type family with enough weights to give you options. - Use a contrasting typeface.
If your primary typeface is a serif design, choose a contrasting sans serif font to help prioritize information. Don’t select more than two families though. When you have more, you run the risk of making your design too busy. - Vary your font sizes.
Changing the point size will draw attention, but be sure to make it noticeable. A one-point change won’t create enough contrast. Instead, try two points or more. - Vary the weights.
Adjusting the weight is a great way to draw attention, especially with lead-in type.
Michelle Ducayet | Creative Director | Soloflight Design
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What’s too big? And too small?
Deciding what is too small has to do with understanding your audiences. If you are designing for an elderly audience then I suggest nothing under 10 point. But I feel for all other audiences you can go small as 8 point type. You know we designers love small type.
I feel you can never go too big on a font. It just has to due with the portion to all other design elements on the page.