Typography is a design discipline that involves the use of typefaces and the organization of those typefaces to create readable, usable and ideally, user-friendly interfaces or experiences. Effective typography enhances UX, optimizes usability, catches users’ attention and has the potential to increase conversion rates.
Also known as a font family, the word “typeface” comes from physical print and refers to the faces of physical letter blocks. A typeface is composed of fonts—much like an album is composed of tracks or a book is composed of chapters. A typeface includes multiple font weights, and its style is shared across all characters, numbers and symbols. Arial, Times New Roman and, yes, even Comic Sans are all typefaces.
Fonts are specific weights within a typeface. You choose a typeface; you use a font. If you were to select Georgia as your typeface, then Georgia bold, italic and regular would be your fonts. In other words, a font is the distinct, stylized characteristics found within a typeface. You’ll likely use 2-3 fonts per project, and they’ll be the foundation of your typography and a key element of your overall design.
The invisible line on which all letters rest. You can create a grid using the baseline of your chosen type. To create a harmonious layout. Find out more about grid systems here .
The principle of arranging elements according to importance. Creating a strong hierarchy is paramount to helping users identify where to look first. No matter the screen size, if an interface has multiple elements, it is important to guide the user towards the most important elements of the screen. Your choice of font, its weight, size, letter spacing, alignment and surrounding white space, along with other visual design elements, work together to create this hierarchy.
Typography rooles in the interface, reading area, kerning, rhythm, etc.