On 27 Oct 2011, at 15:28, Don Norman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> why do graphics and communication designers love tiny, tiny type?
I know the answer to this one. It makes it easier to make the page look neat. My old typography tutor recommended as a get out of jail card with tricky layouts, to take the type down a size. It gives you more white space to play with, and white (or empty) space is the most important tool you have in creating a layout where there are clear distinctions between different information components. In some case, it can actually improve legibility, as clear space around a graphic object makes it easier to read. Of course, there are lower limits to legible type sizes, but these can be hard to define as hard and fast rules.
Egregiously tiny type for styling purposes is of course, always wrong, but digital media puts a question against even that statement: Most web browsers, for example, have a 'zoom' function.
Andrew J King
Solving one design mystery at a time
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