I've noticed recently that the web is getting more beautiful. Well, what I mean to say is that website designers are starting to pay attention to how the choice of font on their website influences the people who use it, when traditionally it was whatever default the Internet browser set for the web page.
It takes a lot to beat a well-typeset page. It seems that during the last couple of years the improvements in this area of web design has snowballed – admittedly a lot of that has to do with the increasing capability of web browsers. I hadn't really noticed how much it was affecting my attitude towards reading online until I came across an iLT (iLoveTypography) article, 15 Excellent Examples of Web Typography*. Since then, I've been more aware of how the choice of font, size, leading and the length of a typed line used on websites I visit. It has changed reading on the computer from being a bit of a chore to a much more enjoyable experience.
Here's an example of a site that is typographically easy-to-read (and with a relevant interview as well). There is a lot more consideration for choice of font, font size, column width and overall visual layout of the written word on-screen.
Meanwhile, I really must finish reading The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst, the definitive guide for typophiles and anyone working with text-design.
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*John Boardley, the man behind iLoveTypography.com, is the best source out there for web typography. I was signed up to his newsletter but he posts so frequently that I couldn't keep up, so now I satisfy myself with occasional visits to his site. He recently wrote an article on the current status of fonts on the web (found here) which goes into the technical whys and wherefores for ways to make fonts accessible to websites. Worth a read if you're interested.
