The Destination Matters More Than The Journey

July 16, 2001 12:55 PM

The Destination Matters More Than The Journey is a well-written tutorial on typesetting and other matters typographical having to do with the web authored by Dean Allen. It's a good read, especially coming from someone who has absolutely no design background but who pretends to be one nonetheless. How much attention do you pay to letter spacing, line height, and the like on your websites?
posted by moz (6 comments total)

We prefer our designers without background round these parts. Dean, fer instance, sometimes orders pancakes, just for the pleasure of cutting them up into uppercase letterforms. Now that's a man's man. Dean would kick Jakob's ass any day.
posted by dogmatic at 1:37 PM on July 16, 2001

If only more people thought the way he did.
posted by Mars Saxman at 3:23 PM on July 16, 2001

But Moz! That's the whole point! Good typography is when you DON'T notice things like spacing and height. You don't notice a well built house. But you DO notice when the door doesn't shut right or the floor squeaks.
posted by thirdball at 5:32 PM on July 16, 2001

wow... typography is to summer what usability was to spring. not too big on typography, but this post reminded me that i still have to switch over to curly quotes.
posted by lotsofno at 5:36 PM on July 16, 2001

How much attention do you pay to letter spacing, line height, and the like on your websites?

Not much. On my doctoral thesis, though, where I'm in total control of the delivery medium? Lots. Because making something that's readable, but in university-regulation double-space single-side A4, takes a shitload of work.
posted by holgate at 5:55 PM on July 16, 2001

coming from a design background, my skin crawls when I see poorly designed type - even more so for poorly balanced web pages. transitioning over to the digital realm was a real study in compromise. trying to explain spacing to a web designer who has a degree in History is a study in patience.

damn you, verdana. must control fists of rage.
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 7:50 PM on July 16, 2001