One topic that has always been hot has been typography. Even in the days of print, creating a new style was a big deal and had the potential to change the standards and practices of the time. That did not change as we moved on through the times, and now that we live in a more technologically advanced age we are seeing the same passion put into the subject.
While trends in this area (or in many design areas) can seem a bit circular during the past couple of decades, with retro styles making a comeback with a vengeance, it doesn’t end there. There are some fantastic new trends in the works, and these were sparked to help design a better, more modern flair to an old practice.
Let’s take a look at some of those trends.
The Changing Face of the Web
I remember the days of Internet infancy, and the face of the World Wide Web was a lot different from what it is today. The drastic shift in both the look and capabilities of the information superhighway in the last decade is staggering. But you see this change the most in the way that pages are designed and in the features available to designers compared with the past.
Typography is only one area; we also have logos, page layouts, banners, icons, animations and even inlaid videos that can be accessed in the blink of an eye on homepages, where once a MIDI was enough to crash some computers. It is a different age entirely.
Now, the playing field has been disturbed once again by the new kids on the block. HTML5 and CSS3 have made serious splashes, and there are plenty of experiments and projects out there that show the incredible upgrades they have provided.
This shows us one typography change for the modern day. There is a more customizable and user-friendly way to create a font and to share it. TrueType and OpenType files can be created, stored on a server and used by anyone with access. You can now even use plug-ins for programs like WordPress to use them in blogs. They can easily be read by just about every current browser available on computers and even digital media devices like Android-supported smartphones, Apple tablets and more.
Headlining Your Web Page
The content you create is inevitably important, in everything from the usefulness to your site to how it is perceived and ranked by Google. Your headings will help contribute to that by separating that content based on importance and letting you set the tone for the post.
Basic HTML headings are between <h1> (the most important) and <h6> (the least important), which can cause some confusion. People seem to think that you have to have each of these headings listed through the post to utilize them properly, which isn’t the case. I would recommend using between three and four headings to help properly isolate content.
Typography is important to this process because it helps generate an overall look or theme. You can use a different style for each header or the same one. Either way, the current trend is to create it yourself, such as through Photoshop. Or, you can code them to try each in your chosen browser in order to get a preview of the final result.
Remember that different headers will have a different flow. Space them out properly and make sure you use each one to present each section without overdoing it. The <h1> should stand out most while the others should blend in enough so as not to overpower it but still make certain areas stand out.
Links – More Than the True Blue
Think of an active link. I bet that the first thing your mind went to was a blue, underlined word or phrase, right? This is the traditional method of presenting an active hyperlink in a block of text, and it is still a classic that can be used. It isn’t something that will go out of style.
But lately, there has been a trend of creating more dynamic links through new designs. Sometimes, it is as simple as giving a badge or button, which has been around since the days of early HTML and Flash sites. Or, you can design your own way of showing the clickable link.
What I am seeing more and more is the use of different colors, with the same overall format. So the link will be in text, with an underline, but in a color like rose, royal purple or marigold. It is a small twinge, but it adds more than you might think to the look.
Styled Lists
This is one I like a lot. Lists are a popular format for anything from brochures to blog posts. People follow them easily, they draw the eye and they give information in a structured and organized way that is appealing. So you will probably use it yourself on a semi-regular basis.
More styled versions of these lists, featuring colors, separated boxes and horizontal rather than vertical spaces, are becoming very popular. They are easy to create using images rather than texts, which can then be inserted onto a page or into a post. This also saves you from coding and layout frustrations.
Share Your Own
There are dozens of other trends that are being used all the time to expand on the usual rules of web typography. What are some of your favorites currently making the rounds?
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