assignment.009

Web typography is moving to become mostly client-side fonts, meaning fonts are rendered on the client's end. If a user visits a website in which the website's HTML calls for a font that the user's computer does not recognize, the computer automatically uses a font to fallback on to replace the original font. This is most apparent between Apple and PC computers as each has their own family of web-safe fonts that differ from the other.

While most people (including myself) don't even notice these changes, I can definitely see how it can actually make and huge difference in the look and feel of a page. Even with the neutral fonts that fall in the web-safe font families, there is much variation between spacing and width of each of the fonts. This can throw off the general feel if a website deliberately picked a font to fit with the aesthetic of a website.

I guess the only way to fix this and to be able to guarantee a particular font to show up exactly as intended on the client-side is to embed whatever the text is in an image and then placing that on the website. Otherwise, the client will only see what their computer will allow.

Honestly, with as far development we've gotten so far in internet technology, I would have thought fonts would be standardized - especially for the most simple fonts - for all computers created. On top of that, I find it bizarre that there isn't a way to "code" a website that calls upon a sort of bank of fonts known to the internet - instead of a client side vs. creator side deal, more of a third reference to go off of to grab and standardize fonts? I don't know. I don't code and I don't know how that works, but really? really?

assignment final 002

Bleed (Design agency)

Eyeball (Design company)

Glitchscape (Just a really really cool website...)

An example of the amazingness that can be done on this site can be found HERE

assignment final 001

Quirky Commerical Websites

Nooka Watches

Uber trendy Nooka watches I would only expect to have a website to match. It is oriented to be above the fold only. The front page of the store has columns differentiating between product lines while the navigation bar is located on the bottom of the frame.

Urban Outfitters Bikes

This section of the Urban Outfitters website features an interactive flash element allowing you to visually customize a bike for purchase.

Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty Remastered

The Beastie Boys rereleased Hello Nasty on this website. It is super colorful and trendy and the side bar opens up in the middle of the page in an almost old school yet futuristic sort of way. You can stream the album right from the site as well as visit the site as a normal band website.

I also came across this cool article entitled The Myth of the Page Fold: Evidence from User Testing that makes an argument for why it isn't necessary that all of the most pertinent information is above the fold. First it states that if there is less content above the fold, it encourages scrolling. It also Gives tips on how to encourage scrolling:

1. Less is more – don’t be tempted to cram everything above the fold. Good use of whitespace and imagery encourages exploration.
2. Stark, horizontal lines discourage scrolling - this doesn’t mean stop using horizontal full width elements. Have a small amount of content just visible, poking up above the fold to encourage scrolling.
3. Avoid the use of in-page scroll bars - the browser scrollbar is an indicator of the amount of content on the page. iFrames and other elements with scroll bars in the page can break this convention and may lead to content not being seen.