Typography represents over 95% of web design, yet it's often reduced to merely choosing fonts. Effective UI typography balances aesthetics, readability, and information hierarchy to create seamless reading experiences.
Essential UI typography principles:
- Readability: Optimizing for effortless content consumption
- Legibility: Ensuring letterforms are clearly distinguishable
- Hierarchy: Creating clear relationships between text elements
- Consistency: Maintaining patterns across the interface
- Responsiveness: Adapting type across device contexts
- Accessibility: Ensuring inclusivity for all users
Technical considerations for UI typography:
- Font size: Minimum 16px base for body text
- Line height: 1.4-1.6× font size for optimal readability
- Line length: 45-75 characters per line
- Font weight: Sufficient contrast in weight for hierarchy
- Letter spacing: Slightly increased for small text/all caps
- Color contrast: Meeting WCAG AA standards (4.5:1)
Typography system components:
- Type scale: Harmonious progression of sizes (modular scale)
- Semantic elements: Defining styles by content purpose
- Responsive behavior: How typography adapts across breakpoints
- Font loading strategy: Preventing layout shifts and FOIT/FOUT
- Vertical rhythm: Consistent spacing relationships
Common UI typography mistakes:
- Insufficient contrast between hierarchical levels
- Too many font variations creating visual noise
- Ignoring mobile reading environments
- Prioritizing decorative fonts over readability
- Failing to optimize for performance
A well-designed typographic system not only communicates content clearly but creates subliminal impressions of brand quality, affecting user trust and satisfaction.
As designer Oliver Reichenstein said: "Web design is 95% typography. It's only logical to say that a web designer should get good training in the main discipline of their work."