Attract an Audience (Typography in Visual Communication)

The basic approach of using typography is selecting the correct font. The font should be as clean as possible. It shouldn't be too small and crummy. Using fonts that are easy to read are key to presentation. The fonts add value to your text. It helps readers to perceive information from the text. The correct choice of colour, font and text size can prove to be vital for attracting your target audience.

It's easy to attract the readers using typography but holding their attention requires more creativity. You can work on creating some interest within the content by highlighting texts that are captivating. Every content may contain some mundane text. If used effectively, typography can make them look attractive. The correct approach might be the use of some attractive graphics.

(https://www.engadget.com/2016/07/17/8-reasons-why-typography-is-important/)

1. Choose the right font

Personality

The pseudo-scientific practice of Graphology has been around for over 200 years. Practitioners attempt to interpret people’s handwriting to judge personality, and even detect neurological issues. However, since the demise of personal handwriting, experts have transferred to typefaces to search for clues to our identities – examining the fonts we use in emails or personal letters to deduce personality.

The size of the font is also significant. It is obvious, but we use larger fonts for important, eye-catching elements of our text such as titles. With a smaller size for the general body in order to conserve space. This is a tradition carried over from historic print publishing.

Through differentiating font sizes we can draw attention to the parts of the text that are most important for us to convey to our reader. Word maps make use of this, showing commonly used words in a larger size to convey their prominence in the analysed text.

2. Colour it right

Colour is arguably the most influential psychological tool a web designer has at their disposal. A splash of the relevant spectrum of light can instantly alert a visitor to what the situation entails.

Colour’s main function within text is to highlight and create emphasis for the reader, helping the eyes to distinguish differing elements and draw attention. Historically, writers had two tools at their disposal: italics and boldness. Colour was at a premium before the digital age, reserved for the cover or maybe for accompanying pictures if you were lucky.

Readability

Finally, the format of your text has a major influence on its readability. Think of newspapers, with their multiple narrow columns. This is the result of years of study and refinement. In the words of Bob Bailey, PhD. (UI Design Newsletter – November 2002):

“One of the best studies was done by Tinker and Paterson in 1929. Using 10-point black type on white paper, they found that line lengths between 3 inches and 3.5 inches (75 to 90 mm) yielded the fastest reading performance.”

On the web, due to the reader’s further distance from the screen, line lengths needn’t be quite so compact, with 4-5 inches considered the optimal length. Still, it is important to ensure your reader’s eyes aren’t scanning too much.

Whitespace

The use of whitespace on the web and through design in general, is of great importance in improving the comprehension of a piece of text. Let your content breathe; be mindful about spaces between lines and letters and you’ll make things easier for your reader to digest.

(http://blog.usabilla.com/the-psychology-of-text/)