Typographic design skills give the designer, who develops an appreciation for the subtler points, a wealth of satisfaction. There are a few aspects of the profession of graphic design that provide more opportunities to apply creative skills. It calls for judgment and ingenuity constantly, and every application of the skills learned leads to better-designed websites and digital design collateral.
Definition of Typography
Typography is both a craft and a technical ability, combining individual skills and mastery of modern design applications. Typography may be defined as the art of arranging type, including the style, arrangement, and appearance of the written word on a web page or any other digital context web application, phone app, etc. Its first object is to serve the purpose for which the written material is intended. Care for the typography of a web page or website means to care for its unity as evidenced by the selection of type and the arrangement of the type elements.
Design: definition, evolution, function
The typography rules, in particular for digital design, are based on the fundamental nature of the alphabet and the strength of tradition. Some styles of titles, links, footers, padding are common and do not vary significantly.
Typography and design are so close to each other that they are almost inseparable. Only a few designers become a specialist typographer. However, it can not be emphasised too strongly that an understanding of the fundamental principles of good typography is useful for anyone who wants to succeed as a digital designer.
Design can be defined as a plan formed in the mind or something to be done or produced. To further elaborate and clarify the definition, design means the invention or creation of something that previously did not exist. It is the creation of the details and parts that compose the whole; and the arrangement, order and relationship of these details and elements to each other. Digital design is similar in many respects to designing almost anything else. It seems to be the rule that the closer the designer of an object comes to achieving the utmost efficiency, the closer they come to achieving beauty.
A website or webpage is not an end in itself. It is merely a means to an end. When it is designed only to be pretty, it usually not only fails in its purpose but merits a place in the digital void.
Have a plan
The design of a website refers to the entire wireframe (plan) of the completed site. The use of colour, font selection, web elements and imagery, headers, footers, margins and grid. This might be carried a step further to include the function of design not only what a website is, but also what it to accomplish.
The fundamental purpose of web design is to be read, but sometimes a site is designed so poorly that it defeats its own use. Before a web designer begins to design a website, they should understand its purpose and the idea that it is intended to convey.
Is it to be informational? Will it mainly have images? Who is the target audience? What colours should be used? Will it be visited by the general public or by people from a particular background or professional training?
Responsibilities of a Designer
It is not essential for a digital designer to be a specialist typographer but they should be able to tell when the type is properly set. A designer must be able to recognise such bad typesetting practice as poor spacing both in the text and the display. They must be able to see the rivers of white space when they exist in the text pages and know how to eliminate them when setting up the page. A designer must recognise poor spacing whenever they see it, whether it is between a letter, between words, or between lines; and bad spacing in the page margin, or the heading above or below the fold.
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