Improving learning through thoughtful design using type.
The role of typography in educational materials
Typography plays a crucial role in educational publishing, it is the foundation for how information is presented and digested. The careful selection and arrangement of type can greatly influence readability, comprehension, and the retention of material, making the learning process more efficient and enjoyable.
Good typography enhances the visual hierarchy, guiding readers through the text with clear distinctions between headings, subheadings, and body content. Thoughtful typography can engage and motivate learners by making educational materials more aesthetically pleasing and less intimidating. In essence, the role of type in educational publishing is integral to creating effective, accessible, and engaging learning experiences.
In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of typography design within educational publishing including some thoughts and considerations our team use when designing feature spreads.
Top tips when designing with type for educational publishing
1. Consider the context
What are you designing and who is the target audience? These questions are a good starting point when thinking about the typographic elements of your design. Choose an appropriate set of fonts for the subject matter. A poster for an event will have different requirements, to an educational workbook, and the fonts used can help to convey the information in the most effective way possible. Elements such as serif, sans serif, monotype and display fonts will all bring a different quality to the design and information on display.
2. Limit your font use
Just like a colour palette, the number of fonts present in a design should be limited to prevent the different design elements from clashing and the space from looking cluttered and busy. That being said, some form of contrast can help bring dynamism to the design and help create a sense of hierarchy. If there are multiple levels of information, consider using a font family with a diverse set of weights and styles, this can add some more subtle variety, as opposed to using radically different fonts.
3. Be mindful of leading, kerning and tracking
The spaces between your letters and lines can be as important as the letters themselves. Experimenting with, and adjusting these factors, can radically alter the legibility, rhythm and flow of how information is read. A wide spacing can make wording disparate and difficult to follow. Similarly, closed-up text can feel cramped and confusing. Try to find a sweet spot between the two, though it may be subtle, it will make all the difference.
4. Accessibility
Accessibility should be a priority in educational publishing. Typography choices should cater to the widest group of students possible. For example, using dyslexia-friendly fonts, adequate spacing, and high-contrast color schemes can make materials more accessible to ALL learners. When discussing educational design it’s important to mention letter shapes, particularly for younger leanrers where choosing a font with infant letter shapes can help reduce time consuming global amends later on in the design process.
5. Use alignment to your advantage
In addition to leading, and kerning, alignment of type is also an important factor in how information is conveyed. In Western convention, horizontal and left to right is our natural reading order, so this can either be adhered to or challenged, depending on what you are trying to achieve. Justified type may fit column spaces more consistently, but is generally harder to read and can look less consistent. Centralised text works great for titles, but creates ragged column edges when used in body copy, which is again hard to follow. Pick the options that best suit the information and design.
6. Record your discoveries and experiment
When you find a combination of typefaces that work well together, make a note of them, or create a visual reference. This allows you to refer back to occasions where fonts you have used, have been effective and help inform your choices in future projects. On the flip side of this, don’t rely too much on a particular set, otherwise, your designs will begin to look too similar. It should be the qualities in the fonts that you recognise, that can help you pick new and exciting options. Type is a rich and diverse element of design, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
In summary
Typography design plays a vital role in the effectiveness of educational publishing. By prioritizing readability, creating a clear hierarchy, and adhering to best practices, we can create material that not only looks great, but also significantly enhances the learning experience. We hope these few basic tips help you create better pages and layouts for your learners.
At our design studio, we have a passion for designing with the right font for the audience. We believe that the right choice and use of font can make or break a design. A project that perfectly illustrates this is the Oxford Repetytorium Maturzysty. This extensive project, comprising over 500 pages filled with text, required a fine balance of form and function. You can check this project out in more detail here.
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