Comments on: Why Text on the Web is Getting Smaller http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/2009/11/09/why-text-on-the-web-is-getting-smaller/ Adam Darowski is a daddy of two and User Experience Designer for BatchBlue Software. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:29:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jeffrey Chupp http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/2009/11/09/why-text-on-the-web-is-getting-smaller/comment-page-1/#comment-172638 Jeffrey Chupp Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:52:46 +0000 http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/?p=983#comment-172638 Interesting post that provides some hard data on something we're all suffering from. LFC looks compelling. I'm a big fan of the <a href="http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/" rel="nofollow">Readablity bookmarklets</a> by Arc90. Thanks Interesting post that provides some hard data on something we’re all suffering from. LFC looks compelling. I’m a big fan of the Readablity bookmarklets by Arc90.

Thanks

]]> By: Fred LeBlanc http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/2009/11/09/why-text-on-the-web-is-getting-smaller/comment-page-1/#comment-172509 Fred LeBlanc Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:42:41 +0000 http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/?p=983#comment-172509 It's funny when I tell people about the 16px rule of the <a href="http://largefontcoalition.org" rel="nofollow">Large Font Coalition</a>. It can also be described in your stylesheet as 100%. Pretty amazing, eh? 16px only looks gigantic because people trying changing their design's content to 16px when it was say 12px before. Of course it looks gigantic and out of place. For one thing, you've gotten used to the 12px. Secondly, the other elements of the design were built with the assumption of a 12px context. If you start your designs with 16px in mind, it looks as normal as any 12px would. (Or, for example, once you've built a design with 16px in mind, change the font size to 12px. You'll hear the same number of complaints of "too tiny" as you did during the previous attempt of arbitrarily switching 12px to 16px which was said to be "too large.") Large fonts are awesome. It’s funny when I tell people about the 16px rule of the Large Font Coalition. It can also be described in your stylesheet as 100%. Pretty amazing, eh?

16px only looks gigantic because people trying changing their design’s content to 16px when it was say 12px before. Of course it looks gigantic and out of place. For one thing, you’ve gotten used to the 12px. Secondly, the other elements of the design were built with the assumption of a 12px context.

If you start your designs with 16px in mind, it looks as normal as any 12px would. (Or, for example, once you’ve built a design with 16px in mind, change the font size to 12px. You’ll hear the same number of complaints of “too tiny” as you did during the previous attempt of arbitrarily switching 12px to 16px which was said to be “too large.”)

Large fonts are awesome.

]]> By: Marc Amos http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/2009/11/09/why-text-on-the-web-is-getting-smaller/comment-page-1/#comment-172508 Marc Amos Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:37:26 +0000 http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/?p=983#comment-172508 <em>Very</em> nice post here, Adam. I'm proud to say that I dabble with 16px and 14px font-sizes on the few websites I'm in complete control of. Large Fonts 4 LYF. Very nice post here, Adam. I’m proud to say that I dabble with 16px and 14px font-sizes on the few websites I’m in complete control of.

Large Fonts 4 LYF.

]]> By: Coryndon Luxmoore http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/2009/11/09/why-text-on-the-web-is-getting-smaller/comment-page-1/#comment-172505 Coryndon Luxmoore Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:18:02 +0000 http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/?p=983#comment-172505 Yup totally agree. I am the bain of many graphic designers as I do all my wireframes with a base font of 14pt. Once the client has gotten used to that size they resist going back ;) 14pt btw was very well received in some usability tests I conducted with 35-50yr old users. 50-70yrs old did not complain or comment (probably due to almost all having reading glasses or bifocals. Yup totally agree. I am the bain of many graphic designers as I do all my wireframes with a base font of 14pt. Once the client has gotten used to that size they resist going back ;)

14pt btw was very well received in some usability tests I conducted with 35-50yr old users. 50-70yrs old did not complain or comment (probably due to almost all having reading glasses or bifocals.

]]> By: TJ Kelly http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/2009/11/09/why-text-on-the-web-is-getting-smaller/comment-page-1/#comment-172504 TJ Kelly Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:04:25 +0000 http://www.darowski.com/tracesofinspiration/?p=983#comment-172504 Wow, that's really cool. I kinda wondered about pixel-shrinking (no double entendre or pun intended), but I was never sure how to calculate it. To be honest, I thought a pixel was a fixed measurement, like a bit, byte, or meter. My standard font size is typically 14px. Not quite at LFC standards, but closer than most. Thanks for sharing! Wow, that’s really cool. I kinda wondered about pixel-shrinking (no double entendre or pun intended), but I was never sure how to calculate it. To be honest, I thought a pixel was a fixed measurement, like a bit, byte, or meter.

My standard font size is typically 14px. Not quite at LFC standards, but closer than most.

Thanks for sharing!

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