5 Insights from Font Psychology to Improve Your User Interface Design 5 Insights from Font Psychology to Improve Your User Interface Design
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5 Insights from Font Psychology to Improve Your User Interface Design

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UX/UI
04 Jul 2019
7 min read
Update:

Did you know that the font used in your logo, can actually say something about your business and make customers feel a certain way about it? In fact, the importance of fonts is something designers swear by. They say that it reflects the character of the writer. A visually appealing interface is not enough to increase customer retention. 

You need to look deeper, in their psychology, and understand the human brain and the way it makes decisions. Inspire people to take the action you want them to and this will put you ahead of the game. The Mehrabian theory suggests that 93% of our contact with others is non-verbal. This means that people understand the things they see that the ones they hear. 

People have certain feelings, associations, and emotions when they see certain colors. They also have a similar response to fonts. Different types of font elicit different emotions. That’s why you should take careful consideration when choosing the right one for your logo and your website or mobile app.

What is the role of typography when it comes to web design? Here we’re going to have a look at some insights from font psychology that can improve your user interface design and give the right impression of your business.

Don’t Use Too Many Fonts

First of all, we say that font is important, but don’t use all the font you can think of. Instead, keep the number of used fonts to a minimum. Usually, you wouldn’t want your page to look like it was done by a 4-year-old kid right? 

Just like a thousand colors in your website’s color theme, more than 3 different fonts make a website look very unprofessional and unstructured. The many different sizes and styles can ruin any layout.

Choose no more than two font families and stick to them through the entire website. If you use two, make sure they create a harmonious pairing and one doesn’t overshadow the other. Font families should also complement each other based on their character width. 

Don’t get too crazy

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If possible, try using standard fonts. Google Web Fonts, for example, is a font embedding service with lots of different styles that can give you a fresh design. They are also very easy to use. The users are more familiar with standard fonts and this can help them read faster.

If your website doesn’t need a custom font for branding purposes, for example, it’s best to work with the system ones. Usually, the most used system fonts are Calibri, Trebuchet or Arial. 

You need to keep in mind that the content itself and good typography are what draw the reader’s attention and have him spend more time on the page. Font only attracts him at first sight, but if you want to keep the user, you need to offer more than an appealing interface.

Your Font Should Works Just as Well In Different Sizes

Your site will be accessed from different devices with different screen sizes and resolutions. Section headers and field labels, for instance, usually require various sizes. For this reason, you need to choose a typeface that works just as well in all different sizes and weights. 

It’s important to maintain the readability and usability of your site on all devices. Some cursive script fonts like Caveat, for example, may fit great into your interface. They might be beautiful but on smaller screens, they’re really hard to read, so you should try to avoid them. 

 The typeface you choose should be legible on all screens!

Memory Limitations

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The way we store information is affected mostly by our beliefs, thoughts, feelings and the environment that surrounds us. We are even able to create false memories that we actually believe in. Understanding this is important when designing your interface.

Users have to be able to recognize your interface easily. Your site should be easy to remember and effortless to figure out. Color and font are the key factors here.  Especially for your logo,  you want to use a font that corresponds with color and they both correspond with the impression you want your business to give to consumers. 

Bold white fonts on red background tend to draw the most attention. Many big companies logos and some of the most famous ones like the Coca-Cola logo use the power of font combined with a strong color to express the idea of the brand.  

The font you use should be easily remembered by users so that they think of your brand any time they see it.

Color Contrast

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Never use the same or similar colors or text and background. Color should be in contrast with the text and not make it invisible. No one would stay and try to read a text that they cannot see, no matter how good it might be. 

A nice tip for better contrast is that the smaller the text is the bigger it’s contrast ratio should be. This helps users scan and read text faster. As we already mentioned the font is essential for your site’s readability. 

Use bolder or thinner typefaces, according to the color theme. Put them on the right background and don’t forget to test it with real users on different devices first. If someone has a problem with reading than many others will have it as well.

Additional point

Don’t forget to consider your color blind and susceptible users. 

When using red or green text for important information, make sure you add some other cues in addition. Furthermore, avoid using these colors for text alone no matter the font, as red and green color blindness are the most common forms of color blindness.

You need to avoid using blinking text and content that flashes. Yes, it might look great with some fonts, but it could trigger seizures in susceptible individuals. In fact, it can annoy or distract users in general.

Final Thoughts

The right choice of font can improve your user interface just like colors do. It is also able to give your website a feel of polish and professionalism and make your brand easily recognizable among your competitors. 

Here we’ve listed five insight from font psychology and typography to improve your user interface design. Of course, there are more tips on typography in design that you can check out. Remember that fonts and typography exist only to honor your content! An amazing font choice and typography may attract users’ attention but the content is what holds it.

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