Rachel McClung / Senior Visual Designer, Workiva
TYPE
TRIALS
The purpose of typography in user
interface design is
The purpose of typography in user
interface design is to communicate.
Newer isn’t always better.
Print Screen Web
A
Garamond / Claude Garamond, 16th c.
Bodoni / Giambattista Bodoni, 18th c.
Century / Linn Boyd Benton & Morris Fuller Benton, 1894
Gill Sans / Eric Gill, 1926
Futura / Paul Renner, 1927
Univers / Adrian Frutiger, 1957
Helvetica / Max Miedinger & Eduard Hoffmann, 1957
Good type endures.
Print Screen Web
Chicago / Susan Kare, 1984
Refit and repurpose what works.
MS Sans Serif / Microsoft, 1990
Georgia / Matthew Carter, 1993
Georgia is a serif font
designed specifically for
low resolution screens.
VERDANA
sans-serif.
is a modern classic
Simplicity has
universal appeal.
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj
Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt
Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
1234567890
Arial / Robin Nicholas & Patricia Saunders, 1982
R 1a G
R 1a G
Arial
Helvetica
Ideas beget other ideas.
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj
Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt
Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
1234567890
Tahoma / Matthew Carter, 1994
Lucida Grande / Charles Bigelow & Kris Holmes, 2000
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj
Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss
Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
1234567890
Type reflects the tech and
trends of its day.
monospace
for code
suitable
Consolas / Lucas de Groot, 2005
Cambria / Jelle Bosma, 2004
serif
scalable
LEGIBLE
Corbel / Jeremy Tankard, 2005
sans-serif
type
humanist
Calibri / Lucas de Groot, 2004
rounded
condensed
OFFICE DEFAULT
Consider more than a single
use case.
Segoe UI / Steve Matteson, 2004
Type can unify platforms
and experiences.
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj
Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss
Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
1234567890
Helvetica Neue / updated 1983
Light
Regular
Don’t lose sight of legibility.
San Francisco / Apple, 2015
Evolve with your product.
Print Screen Web
Arial
Courier New
Georgia
Impact
Times New Roman
Trebuchet MS
Verdana
Arial and images
Arial and images
Verdana, Arial, and Times New Roman
Verdana and Times New Roman
Times New Roman and images
Trends fade.
Good type endures.
2009
Hail side project
experimentation.
2016
Make sure usability and aesthetics
run parallel.
Noto Sans / Google, 2012
no more tofu
Consider the implications of an
international product.
Roboto / Christian Robertson, 2011
Type can be agile, too!
HARD
WORKING
UX PRO
Research the pedigree of your
proposed web font.
Unique Letterforms
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Customer Data
Sales Figures
Internal Costs
Market Data
Import Settings
Include these sections in the quick data import ABOUT US
Our clients range from FTSE 300 companies, to large
charitable organisations and some small local businesses
who are striving to expand. Use our Data Analysis service to
inform their strategic decision making and their targets for
the immediate, mid-term and long-term future.
Learn more
High contrast serifs
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Customer Data
Sales Figures
Internal Costs
Market Data
Import Settings
Include these sections in the quick data import
ABOUT US
Our clients range from FTSE 300 companies,
to large charitable organisations and some small
local businesses who are striving to expand.
Use our Data Analysis service to inform their
strategic decision making and their targets for the
immediate, mid-term and long-term future.
Learn more
Condensed Type / Extended Type
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Customer Data
Sales Figures
Internal Costs
Market Data
Import Settings
Include these sections in the quick data import
ABOUT US
Our clients range from FTSE 300 companies, to
large charitable organisations and some small local
businesses who are striving to expand. Use our Data
Analysis service to inform their strategic decision
making and their targets for the immediate, mid-term
and long-term future.
Learn more
Geometric letterforms
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Customer Data
Sales Figures
Internal Costs
Market Data
Import Settings
Include these sections in the quick data import
ABOUT US
Our clients range from FTSE 300 companies,
to large charitable organisations and some
small local businesses who are striving to
expand. Use our Data Analysis service to
inform their strategic decision making and
their targets for the immediate, mid-term
and long-term future.
Learn more
Small x-height paired with tall ascenders
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Customer Data
Sales Figures
Internal Costs
Market Data
Import Settings
Include these sections in the quick data import
ABOUT US
Our clients range from FTSE 300 companies,
to large charitable organisations and some small
local businesses who are striving to expand.
Use our Data Analysis service to inform their
strategic decision making and their targets for
the immediate, mid-term and long-term future.
Learn more
Designed for screen use
CancelOK
Customer Data
Sales Figures
Internal Costs
Market Data
Import Settings
Include these sections in the quick data import
ABOUT US
Our clients range from FTSE 300 companies, to
large charitable organisations and some small
local businesses who are striving to expand.
Use our Data Analysis service to inform their
strategic decision making and their targets for
the immediate, mid-term and long-term future.
Learn more
Good user interface type is often
unremarkable. And that’s the point.
icon-24x24
icon-24x24 icon-24x24
Icon fonts offer rapid
prototyping opportunities and
reduce maintenance.
IN THE
WILD
Be intentional.
THE FUTURE
Type as interface:
what options do our users have?
Hello there!
MAKE
GREATNESS.

Type Trials