Typography

Typography is the craft of choosing and arranging type — typeface, size, spacing, and line length — so text is easy to read and carries the right tone. On most sites it's the majority of the design.

Typography is the craft of choosing and arranging type: which typefaces, at what sizes, with what spacing, line height, and line length. Because most of a website is words, typography is usually the majority of what a visitor actually experiences — get it right and a page feels calm and readable; get it wrong and no amount of colour saves it.

It does two jobs at once. It sets a clear hierarchy so the eye knows what to read first, and it carries tone — the same sentence reads differently in a warm serif than in a tight geometric sans. That’s why type is chosen to match the brand’s voice, not just for looks.

On a site, type choices are locked into a design system as a reusable scale, and they trace back to the identity.

Quick recall

What is typography? The craft of choosing and arranging type so text is readable and carries the right tone.

Why does it matter so much? Most of a website is words, so type is most of what people experience.

What are its two jobs? Setting a clear reading hierarchy, and carrying the brand’s tone.