Why web typography doesn’t have to suck
Mr Richard Rutter, Co-Founder, FontdeckJon Tan, Co-Founder, Fontdeck
It has been said that web design is 95% typography. Why then is so much type on the web so poor? This presentation will answer that question and show that, with a bit of effort and knowhow, web typography doesn't have to suck. Jon and Richard will present all the arguments against type on the web, complete with examples of terrible design. They will explain why the designs ended up like they did and what can be done about it from a design, technical and process point of view. There will also be no shortage of examples of great typography on the web to prove that it really is possible. Topics covered will include page layout and typesetting: the line-length problem, leading and the right glyph for the job. The future of OpenType and the web will be discussed, alongside the difficulties of, and solutions to, designing for a multitude of devices, screens, operating systems and browsers. Jon and Richard will of course be entering the murky waters of fonts on the web including default font choices, type rendering, font linking and web font services. This presentation is perfect for anyone wishing to learn more about the future of type online. Attendees will learn why achieving good typography on the web is difficult, that much is possible now, and that more still is just around the corner. This will be a 40 minute co-presentation with Jon introducing the visual design aspects, and Richard explaining the more technical aspects. There will be a few brief glimpses of code, but no web design or development experience is necessary, just a curious open mind.