10 Web Font Mistakes | Tokyo Web Designs

Is Your Website Still Doing the Macarena?

August 17th, 2009 2 Comments » We DoFollow comments

macarenadance

5 Questions to see if you remember the 1990’s!!!

Who killed LAURA PALMER IN TWIN PEAKS?
What was X-Files Fox Mulder’s nickname?
Where was the hangout of the 90210 gang?
What was the name of Martin Krane’s dog in Frasier?
WHO SHOT MR. BURNS IN THE SIMPSONS?

Sure, in the 90’s some of us had our youthful indiscretions. Experimented with piercings. Grew mullets. Bought cow print car seat covers or even listened to Michael Bolton. But the point is that most of us came to realize with time and maturity how embarrassing those things were.

Unfortunately, some websites look like they have never grown up and are still stuck back in the nostalgic 90’s. Poor use of fonts and other content presentation mistakes are usually to blame.

In our 90’s Trivia Quiz example how many web design font crimes can you pick out?
(Scroll down a bit for the answers).

Give yourself one point for each of the following:

1. Blinking text

2. Scrolling text

3. Text that changes font size when you mouse over it.

4. Using Comic Sans font.
Never use Comic Sans – unless you are making a site for kids.

5. Mixing serif fonts with sans-serif fonts in the same paragraph.

6. Using more than two different colors in a paragraph.
Use two at most. And only sparingly when you need to highlight something important.

7.

Center justified
text in a
paragraph.

Text is more readable
justified to the left
like this.

8. Overusing italics.

9. OVERUSING CAPITALIZED FONTS.

10. Overusing exclamation marks !!!

If you scored 5 or less it might be time to take another look at your website (and possibly consult your barber about that mullet ).

And by the way, here are the answers to our 90’s trivia quiz.
1. Her father Leland Palmer.
2. “Spooky”.
3. The Peach Pit.
4. Eddie.
5. Maggie Simpson.

CONCLUSION

There are many things that contribute to a pleasing web design. Intelligent use of font formatting is often one of the most important. Simple and consistent style choice will go a long way to making your site easier for your web visitors.

In case you are not convinced that using “exotic” formatting is a bad idea, please check out this video by web usability expert Vincent Flanders.