Choosing Practical Fonts for All Website Elements
TL;DR:
- Fonts must work across all site elements, not just hero images
- Test fonts with real content, not placeholder text
- Prioritise readability over style for body text and navigation
- Check how fonts perform on both mobile and desktop
- Stylised fonts work best in headers, not paragraphs
Most people pick fonts based on how they look in big hero images. That's a mistake. Your font needs to work just as well in paragraph text, buttons, forms, and navigation menus. A font that looks stunning at 72px might be completely unreadable at 16px.
Why Fonts Must Work Beyond Hero Images
Your hero image might grab attention, but users spend most of their time reading body text, clicking buttons, and scanning lists. If your font choice falls apart in these areas, you've created a poor user experience.
A font that dazzles in your main image but becomes awkward in text blocks or navigation menus will harm how people interact with your site. Your typography should maintain legibility and appeal across every page element.
The Importance of Practical Font Selection
Stylised fonts work well for logos and headers, but most of your site's text lives in paragraphs, forms, and navigation. Here, readability beats style every time.
Choose fonts that are easy to read and scale well across devices. This keeps your content accessible to all users, whether they're on a phone, tablet, or desktop.
Consider these key areas:
Paragraphs: Must be clear and easy to follow over multiple lines
Buttons and Forms: Should prompt action without confusion
Lists: Need clarity to help users navigate and make decisions
When choosing a font, test it on mobile devices first. A responsive approach is essential for modern web design.
Testing Fonts with Real Content
Don't rely on how fonts look with placeholder text. Real content varies in length, context, and complexity. This affects how fonts render and how users respond to them.
Test fonts with the actual content you plan to use. This prevents nasty surprises after launch and ensures your font choice supports both design and usability goals.
Use tools like Google Fonts or Adobe Typekit to experiment with different fonts. See how they perform with real-time content adjustments before making final decisions.
Most designers test fonts with short, neat sentences. Real content includes long paragraphs, awkward line breaks, and varying text lengths. Your font needs to handle all of this gracefully.
FAQs
How can I maintain font consistency across different devices?
Use responsive design techniques and flexible units for font sizes like 'em' or 'rem'. This ensures consistency across screen sizes.
What should I consider when choosing fonts for readability?
Focus on font size, line spacing, and colour contrast against the background. These three factors determine whether users can actually read your content.
Can the wrong font choice impact user engagement?
Yes. Hard-to-read fonts make users leave your site. If people can't read your content easily, they won't stick around to engage with it.
Are stylised fonts always a bad choice for web design?
No, but use them carefully. They work well for headings and special sections, but avoid them for body text where readability is crucial.
Jargon Buster
Typography: The design and arrangement of text to make it readable and appealing
Hero Image: A large, prominent image usually placed at the top of web pages
Responsive Design: Creating websites that work well across different devices and screen sizes
Placeholder Text: Dummy text used during design to check layout and typography
Wrap-up
Style should never overshadow functionality when choosing fonts. A good font enhances user experience by being both appealing and practical across all elements and devices.
Test fonts with actual website content, not stand-ins. This ensures your typography supports both usability and aesthetic goals. What works in a hero image might fail elsewhere on your site.
Choose wisely and test thoroughly. Your users will thank you for it.
Ready to improve your website's typography? Join our community of designers and developers at Pixelhaze Academy for more practical web design advice.