I recently read, and highly recommend the online book Practical Typography. The first thing I did was remove underlines from my links. Turns out, that’s a relic and no longer necessary. The name of the book really nails what it’s about: typographical concepts from a practical perspective. Want to know when to use bold or italics? Want to prevent a group of spaced words from breaking incorrectly? This book covers that and so much more. It’s a lot more than just fonts!
For me, this sentence stuck out to me:
“Good typography reinforces the meaning of the text.“
This reminds me of the saying “the method is the message”. That is to say, the content of what you do is communicated after the method in which you share it.
Imagine we’re sitting at a table and I ask you for salt, and let’s assume I say the exact words: “please pass the salt.” Simple enough, right? Now think about how those words would make you feel if I did it in one of these ways:
- I calmly look at you, smile, and speak politely.
- I stare you deep in the eyes and shout emphatically.
- I lean towards you and whisper in your ear conspiratorially.
In the first you wouldn’t think there’s much to consider; I’d clearly like some salt. When shouting, you’d wonder if I was angry or hard of hearing. When whispering you’d wonder why it’s important that only you know that and probably be a bit creeped out. In every case, I used the exact same words.
This is easy to illustrate because, as humans, tone and body language are deeply ingrained in us as important forms of communication. When it comes to visual methods such as writing, the effect becomes more subtle, even to the point where you’re often aware that you are perceiving a difference. Mind you, writing IN ALL CAPS somehow feels like shouting, so it’s not always so subtle!
It’s such a great reminder that the way we present ourselves, whether through writing, tone, or in person, really does matter. It’s not a “nice to have” of communication; it’s a cardinal part of what it means to communicate clearly. Ignore this, and we risk misunderstanding, which is frustrating for everyone.
