by Brenna Mae

Created on: January 23, 2009

Typography is sometimes overlooked in web design, or in most cases, considered, but not considered nearly enough. Text is everywhere, from web design, to t-shirts, posters, and signs. The elements of a font can influence and determine how a viewer perceives a design, just as much as images, color, and other more noticeable web elements.

Almost every design blog I read, or have ever come across, has made at least one post on Typography-based design. Most of these are showcases, and while they are wonderful showcases, I don't find many good

resources on the concepts, or rules, behind making good Typography-based designs. That is what I'll be emphasizing in this post, with a lesser emphasis on a small showcase.
What exactly is typography-based web design?
In web design, different elements work together to create an overall feel for the design. Typography, or the use of fonts and text in a design, is just one of these many elements. It's importance is up there with images, color, and spacing. The style of a website's typography should always be greatly considered in any design, and some websites are taking it to the next level with typography-based design.

Typography-based design does not mean you only have to use text in the design. This design style has the concept that the design as a whole focuses on the typography, and fonts and words are used for their color, shape, and size to create a unique and visually appealing design.

In other words, the typography of a typography-based design is now the main element in the design, and other elements such as color, spacing, and even images are only there to compliment the typography.

You can see that the poster design above is typography-based. It is almost nearly worlds, with the exception of the small darker circle in the center. The design has used varying color, font size and direction to give the poster a unique shape and feel.
Small Showcase
Even though I don't want this post to mainly be a showcase on typography-based web design, I want to show you a few great examples. Notice how typography design can take on many different forms, from the most simplistic, to a creative use of fonts and imagery.

These designers are creative to say the least. It takes talent to turn text into art. So how do you achieve these designs for yourself? Here are a few concepts, rules, and resources to abide by.
Font Styles
Although their primary purpose is just to make words, fonts come with a lot of style. Just like people, fonts come with age,

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