I learned about combining fonts in my Digital Writing and Publishing class this semester. It was my first intorduction into to typography and "font studies". When creating my OPP and the deliverables for my SLP, it was something I had to actively compare because I wanted everything to look cohesive. Your eye doesn't really pick up on appropriate combined fonts, but it DOES pick up on inappropriate combined fonts and it's jarring.

I found this really helpful. On my resume, my name on the top of my resume is really spread out. While it is readable by any formal definition, it didn't fit the professionalism that a resume needs to have in order to be effective. I changed the spacing and now it looks very professional and easier to read.

My 'go to' fonts are Arial, Georgia, Calibri, and TNR. I really definitely look into making sure they can be used in all occasions and expanding my list just in case.

This shows that rhetorcial analysis is not only used in rhetoric studies, but interdisciplinary. If you can state and argue your purpose and also keep it in mind throughout the creation and evolution of your text, effectiveness is easier to maintain.

Wonderful way to understand why fonts are so important! Of course, no one would ever wear such inappropriate clothing to job interview, but it can also be correlated to fonts. If an document is official, academic, or professional in manner, you would want to you a font that is easy to read and professional and mature looking. There is a reason that government documents aren't in Comic Sans.

I never knew the words weren't interchangeable. This article is providing us with lots of great and useful information that is easy to digest.

The "Font Categories" graphic is an essential reference guide to the four basic categories of fonts. I can definitely see myself using this in my career as a producer of text and content creator.

This is great information to know. If a producer of text/content creator can make long paragraphs of text "easier to navigate" that is sure to come in handy. This is especially great to know from a technical writing viewpoint. Oftentimes, we are challenged to make a long text seem not as daunting without compromising any of the information. It's cool to know that the answer might be simply to change the font.

It's interesting to me how all the fonts in Microsoft Word can be sorted into, more or less, four basic categories.

I, for one, didn't even know about the effectiveness of typography and font styles until I started this semester. One would think that with so many font options that are readable and "nice" that it wouldn't matter. I'm excited to read about how to "use" fonts effectively. Isn't that what rhetoric is all about?

This article is a guide on font terminology, application, and general rules and guidelines.

Be aware that fonts that you download might not necessarily be accessible to other computers. Thus, sent data to other computers in your downloaded font might encounter format errors.

There's never a one-size fits all to this. I recommend playing around with everything until something looks right. Generally, I endorse two fonts, Header and Body, because they reduce headaches.

This is my biggest headache.

This is also one of the biggest design flaws of 60 percent of the resumes I see.

My go-to test for this is the "zoom" test. Generally, if I can zoom out to a large extent and still read the text clearly, it probably is readable to most people.

These are the default "professional" fonts that tend to have a lot of universal design elements. For example, Word tends to offer these before all else: Calibri, Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial, etc.

There's a lot of trends where people mix and match sans serif and serif fonts for this reason. The contrast really serves to highlight the serif headers and catch attention.

I actually use Georgia on my resume. It is a lot better than Times New Roman. I think they mention that you should avoid Times New Roman as it often is overused. I agree. I think it also subtly makes people upset because it reminds them of writing essays in school.

I wish I could go back in time and tell my middle school self this when he was working on Power Points.

Learning what kinds of fonts are best for body text was probably the most useful tip from all the readings in relation to my service learning project. As making a presentation all the text had to be treated as a visual element.

It is interesting how the rhetorical situation has so many applications, from politics to design, thinking about context and audience will always be crucial. Aristotle would be proud.

This ties in with the Kimball article on design lore, as it brings up the debate about whether design can be measured scientifically or is more of a matter of intuition. As in what personality does this font have to you? Or does a certain design always have a certain effect on people? I feel like this also has to do with the culture that one is in.

This is interesting, as some people argue that worrying about design is superfluous. As long as something is functional then why should design matter? But this makes a good point that bad design choices, even if they do not get in the way of usability, can still distort clarity, which is an aspect of functionality.

I think the equivalent of beach vacation font would be comic sans. Although, maybe not since there is almost no situation where comic sans is an appropriate choice of font.

It is also a little sad that this is the case. Also, I feel like women get judged a lot more based on what they wear, which I think ties into sexism talked about in the Durack article on gender in technical communication.

Jessica Hische is also a famous designer. Here is a link to her wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Hische And here is a link to an interesting/funny flowchart she made called "Should I work for free": http://www.shouldiworkforfree.com/

Dan Mayer is another famous designer from the US. Here is a link to his online profile: http://portfolio.danmayer.com/

Erik Spiekermann is a famous German typographer. Here is a link to his wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Spiekermann

This is exactly what we've found appropriate and effective for GCCA's website. We are using sans-serif for general information while serif will highlight more important information and headers.

These questions should also be kept in mind while designing a website or template. As we discussed in class during our presentation, GCCA is working for the children, but that doesn't mean their audience consists of children or anyone child like. It's a serious organization that deals with state funding and law making so the design must be suitable for potential members who come from a professional background. Not all graphics should include children in them. They should also show judicial officials and businessmen who all work simultaneously to make GCCA a success.

As a tech writer, you should ask yourself these questions when trying to figure out what font size is appropriate for the project you are working on. On GCCA's homepage, we decided to make sure that the font on the main picture was bold and attention grabbing because we want to focus on having our audience sign up for memberships. The rest of the info on the homepage is normal, except for headers which are bold as well.

The quote above does a great job explaining how imperative your font choices are on the overall look and feel of the website. If you get too carried away with aesthetics than you can add too much excitement to a page or the opposite effect, confusion, either way it is preventing your reader from actually being able to take in the information because of a "visual disconnect" or a design overload. Just how you can walk into a clothing store and get easily overwhelmed because it has too many trends going on at once and it's too crowded with too many different kinds of looks that you'll walk out, the same can be applied to a website. If your choice of font(s) are too much and are causing a visual disconnect, then your audience will leave before they even got a chance to read the information to retain anything from the website. It might also cause them to not want to return to the site because of some visual disconnect PTSD. In simple terms, less is more and make sure it's cohesive with the overall tone of the company.

Again, continuing the conversation about what fonts are appropriate for GCCA's website, it's true that certain fonts have an undertone to them and they influence or stimulate certain feelings in your readers. If the organization that you work for is more on the artsy side, than perhaps that can give you some leeway to play with script and display fonts. But for the more serious businesses like law or medical offices, I would definitely stick to simple serif text. There's a time and a place to be the center of attention by being weird and eclectic, but your client's font (in my case GCCA) isn't one of them.

Yes! I like this analogy a lot! This goes back to what I was saying about how I wouldn't choose script or display fonts for GCCA's website because it's inappropriate. This is a serious organization that works hard to gain legal rights and government funding for childcare facilities. They cannot be turning in legal forms or own a website with frilly fonts because that's not going to help them to be taken seriously.

This font also has an aesthetic that I would stay away from when it comes to GCCA's website. Again, it just doesn't set the right tone and takes away from the ethos and logos that this organization is trying to convey. I think the best options here would be a combination of serif and san-serif because they're both more involved in the "universal design" in which GCCA isn't trying to have an artsy website, but more a site where information is easily accessible and aesthetics don't take away from the content.

Script font reminds me of Pinterest worthy thank you notes or cute headers for personal blogs or online boutiques. I wouldn't use this font specifically on GCCA's website because it doesn't set the right tone for the type of information we are dealing with. GCCA has very important state juridical matter and also legal terms, business information, etc that are all serious. Like we talked about during our presentation in class, although they deal with children, it's still a very serious organization and everything must have a professional look and feel to it and script doesn't do it here.

As a technical writer, you must use a variety of fonts in order to stimulate your audience. You want to be able to help them distinguish between what certain information is more important than others. For the information that is general and isn't imperative nor irrelevant, you want to stick to a font that has a neutral undertone and serifs are great for that.

I can apply this article to my service learning project with GCCA because using a variety of fonts can attract readers attention to important information. When designing a website. it's imperative that we highlight certain information by changing the font in order to make the reader know that some information is more important than others, like for example GCCA's mission statement on the homepage in serif font.

You should ask yourself this question all the time when you are typing something important or making a design. Does the style or font go with the purpose of the design? What kind of font would combine well with the design? These are the basic questions that you should be asking yourself when you are looking for a font for the design. You don't want a font that doesn't go well with your design. First, it would not only look good when you see it, but it would also not look good when other people are looking at it. Fonts are a very important part in making the design look good.

It is good to know the definition of both of these words. A typeface would be the style that you choose to type something up while, a font would be the particular size of that style like, 12 or 14 point. To me, it seems like a font is just like a part of typeface. You first need to choose a typeface in order to figure out what kind of size or font you would like it.

I agree with this section of the article. You can't get too caught up when thinking about what kind of font you are going to use for each occasion. If that happens, then the design that you are working on and the font might clash together. You have to think about the people that you are working with, and what they would think about font. You also have to think about the audience of your design. Who is going to view your design, and how would you want them to view it? You can not just think about how you like the font and how you want to portray it because, other people might not like the way that you portrayed it.

This type of font would be perfect if you are making a flyer for a special event like someone's birthday party or a wedding. This decorative/display font would be perfect at grabbing someone's attention. It would not be perfect for a business type of design. Business type of designs need a more serious and readable font. They don't need a decorative/display type of font since it will only distract the viewer away from the main point.

This is one type of font that I would not use for my Service Learning Project in class. Script is the type of font that would not go well with GCCA's(Georgia Childcare Association's) website. Script is the type of font that would look good if you are trying to catch someone's attention for a party or an event. Georgia Childcare Association is looking for a more informative and serious font. I also think that Script font would not be readable for GCCA's website. Their website needs a more readable font, so that the people who are visiting their website are aware of what is happening when they visit it.

I honestly have never heard of typeface being used in context, so I don't really don't understand the difference between a typeface and font. Do they mean the same thing? In my opinion, I still think that they mean the same thing, but like the person wrote in this article they are used interchangeably. I prefer using the word "font" since, I've grown to see the word, and I use it all the time whenever I am typing something up.

This is a very interesting statement. I have never heard of this test before. I think that this would help everybody a lot. It would help everybody determine what kind of font they should use for any special occasion. Because if the I/1/l all look the same then the people looking at the design would start to get confused at which one is which. Everybody should use this test when they are stuck about which font they want to use.

We must also consider this comment whenever we are designing something for a project. We must think about the audience and how they would view our design. Would it fit with the audience, and would it catch their attention? Or, is there a certain audience that we are trying to reach when we are designing this project? For example if you are making a flyer for a tutoring session, you would want it to appeal not only to parents who are looking for knowledgeable and professional tutors, but also the parents' kids who are going to take the class. You want to make it informative and appealing, so that parents will want their kids to join the class and the parents' kids will also be excited and eager to join it.

I agree with this statement. It is necessary to dress appropriately for each occasion that you encounter like it is to choose the right and appropriate font for each occasion. For example, you wouldn't wear a winter jacket and boots during the winter. Likewise, you would want to think about what kind of font would fit for your resume that your'e sending for your dream job. You wouldn't choose some crazy unreadable font. Instead, you would choose a font that is readable and stands out from the rest of the other resumes, but not too much.

I believe that points like these are crucial when creating a website. In our last set of readings we discussed how elements of universal design and fonts are an easy way begin down that path.

In our own Service Learning Project, one of the areas we believe that we can help our client is by implementing an easier to read font. Currently the letters are very thin and to some, could be hard to read. But like this article discusses, just by doing something as simple as emboldening the typeface/font can improve the ability of those who might be visually challenged to read and comprehend the material on the website.

Another great point about type faces and fonts is that they make content easier to read across multiple types of devices such as smart phones, laptops and desktop computers. We should all as technical writers and future content managers be cognizant of how our content appears on different platforms.

This is something that I believe is very important when thinking about content strategy and also user experience as well. By displaying different typefaces and fonts in different ways, we as technical writers are able to choose where our readers place their eyes. By using multiple font sizes and thicknesses we are able to create a hierarchy within our content and writing.

By thinking in this way we are able to create content that is easy to navigate. Using size and boldness can inform the reader what the important parts of the content are. This is also great for segmenting content by informing the reader what each section may be about so they know if they should keep reading or skip to the parts that they find more interesting or important.

Also, just like the quote above states, these decorative effects should be used sparingly so that their importance is not deluded. If every word is bold, then that effect is meaningless and the article is not easier to read and digest. We as content creators should always be looking for ways that our content can be more easily read and understood.

I believe this is very important to consider when thinking about how we wish to display our content. In this passage Klienman discusses how our fonts and typefaces are similar to the clothes we wish to wear and I believe that this is true.

This reminds me of something I've learned/overheard many times from my wife: don't use Comic Sans. Anytime someone uses Comic Sans, the author will lose credibility. Unless writing an actual comic book, the font is useless. In my humble opinion.

I believe that when working in the professional world, especially when that work uses design in anyway, the technical writer needs to understand how the content they are creating looks. If that content looks unprofessional, that content will lose credibility. So by having a firm grasp on fonts and typefaces we are working towards implementing better design, more effective content and a brighter future.

This seems like a simple thing to do, but planning what exactly we want our content to achieve is a great idea. This includes of course, planning what we are going to write, but also what that writing is going to look like. We can plan around images and page sizes, but we also need to plan on how the user reads our content.

For example, if we are writing for a new part of the AARP website, we should probably choose a font that is thicker and stands out for those who may have trouble seeing. If we look back at our previous reading this is also a tenet of Universal Design. If we're going to be thinking about audience and how we can reach as many people as possible, fonts and type faces have to be a part of that discussion. How we emphasize certain words and sentences with fonts and spacing can determine how easy a user can skim through the content we create.

But, back to the beginning, planning. Fonts can seem like something to think about last, but the crux of this reading so far, to me, is that this should be a part of the design process from the beginning since it can inform the reader so much about not only the content, but the author as well.

This quote points out what I hope should be obvious to us now: we must consider who our audience is before we start creating our content.

If we are going to be competent writers in any realm, our audience needs to guide how and what we write, regardless of the platform. In my own project with The Center For Civic Innovation, we initially focused on a younger audience since their over all vibe, branding, and (seemingly) tech focus seemed to trend that way. But during our pitch presentation and the feedback after, our client informed us that they did indeed want to be more inclusive to more than just the young, but older patrons as well as anyone who had a civic minded venture and needed a work space. Moving forward this has informed some the design choices we have made, which interestingly enough was choosing fonts and type faces that are easy to view for anyone who may happen upon the CCI website.

I believe this passage is important for us as technical writers because we can choose what our words look like. We have the option to choose a font or typeface that flows with the overall design which can prevent it from ending up distracting.

In writing for the web, succinct writing is king (or queen). Users want to read quickly, get to the meat of the article, skim it and then leave. By using the right fonts we are able to catagorize our content so that it is easy to skim and the reader can obtain the information they came for as quickly as possible. This also helps as the screens people will be experiencing the content on will vary in size. While some may be using a phone, others may be using an I-pad or Kindle Fire. I believe both sets of readers will be subconsciously looking for cues that will allow them to skip ahead without feeling like they have missed anything. An easy step in that process is to use fonts effectively.

As the quote mentions, font size can vary by purpose. This is specifically true in my service learning project. One of the deliverables we are charged with creating is a more streamlined newsletter. The current newsletter is too long and because of that length, users are not reading the entire newsletter and missing out on pertinent information that is cultivated just for them.

One area in which we could help is the size of the lettering and spacing throughout the newsletter. While this may not fix the entire problem of the newsletter length, by choosing a small font size we would inevitably condense the newsletter. This approach could also be brought to bear on the images of the letter. By condensing these as well, the over all length of the newsletter is shortened without removing or redesigning any content.

Thinking about the size of the font also helps as Kliever mentions when considering how the content will be viewed on other devices. Large print on a small screen could be disorienting, but print that is too small would also be unreadable. This brings us back to a point we've discussed in class which is product testing. The best way to learn if one of these fonts works is by testing it ourselves on as many devices as we can.

This is another passage this semester that blew my mind a little bit. I think many of us have been reading, typing or writing and noticed that our 1's, L's and I's look somewhat similar if not totally identical.

If we are going to be using fonts and typefaces as way to maintain a cohesive design and improve the overall effectiveness of the content, then this test should be tool we all keep in our back pockets. The last thing we want as a content managers is for our content to be confusing. If we look back to elements of universal design, there may be a person who is new to the English language and the similarity of the 1's, L's, and I's may be enough to make the piece to complicated to read or fully understand.

Even if the reader does have a firm grasp of the language, as the article has explained, by making the fonts easier to understand the reader can access the information they need quicker and thus the content is more useful. This is what we as technical writers need to be attempting in our layouts and design.

I found this to be important in that this can help us maintain a cohesive design throughout our content without going crazy picking different fonts.

By picking two or three we can create a hierarchy that is cohesive throughout whatever it is that we are creating. One font for headlines, one for moments of emphasis and one for body copy could easily guide a reader through our immaculate writing so they are able to quickly pick up what we are putting down and not feel as though they have missed anything. While a reader will inevitably miss something by not reading all of our magnificent and colorful prose, they will understand the main points if we the writers allow our chosen fonts to do their jobs. As the article mentions, "Your chosen fonts will need to be different enough so that they create a clear visual hierarchy..."

So we don't need to go crazy, but we do need to be thoughtful and strategic when picking our fonts.

The above quote does a great job illustrating how important a font can be to the overall design of a website or any type of content for that matter.

This seems easy and simple, but I could imagine, also over looked: the font should match the design. To borrow an example, if you are writing for a website that is modeled after the New York Times, there is no reason to use Comic Sans as the font. The author as well as the publication will lose credibility. This disconnect will create confusion.

This is a tip that could help our group for the Service Learning Project. For our Service Learning Project our group is in charge of editing Georgia Childcare Association's(a non-profit organization) website. So before we can begin helping them with their website, we need to think about what kind of designs would be appropriate for their website. We also need think about what their organization is and the goal of it is. We need to think about what kinds of fonts and designs would go with their website.

I agree that readability becomes an important quality to look for in a font. When reading this I immediately thought of butting a small bright font in front of a bright colored background. The message may get across but not have the same impact on the viewer because of its readability.

I think this is something that may come across as obvious to a designer but at the same time how can your font choice determine what feelings a viewer may have? Of course, if you are using a dark thick lined type face it may promote seriousness but will that come through the page and onto the viewer?

This is very refreshing because I figured that they were just interchangeable words.

All these different specific types of fonts can be dictated to help intrigue the reader of a webpage. As a technical writer you have the ability to manipulate different fonts helping the reader engage in multiple ways. This is reminds me of the last article I read on universal design. When it comes to fonts there is a specific most used font that being serif, which can can considerably be font's universal design.

This article seems beneficial to not only our service learning project, where we are learning to make everything user friendly in every aspect and also our professional profiles.