How web typography will save us from the machines

The machines are here and they want our design and typography jobs. Everywhere you look, algorithms are writing the beige our web is turning into—boring image headers, thin white type (usually Open Sans), newsletter popups. It's boring and it's wrecking our expression.

But we have an advantage: type with emotion, editorial design, truly connecting with our content... These things make us better than the machines. They'll never be able to emulate the mushy bags of emotion that we are that allows us to make unique projects They'll never be able to connect with other humans the way that we do.

Learn why the current model of creation is leading us further away from meaningful digital work, find out tips to incorporating editorial design into your web projects, and realize the power of type, colour, and expression that will take back the web.

Transcript

2. Web typography is boring.
3. Web typography is boring.
4. Web typography is boring. We create terrible experiences Every Company
6. EVERYTHING LOOKS THE SAME
7. PRESSURE
8. Metrics-obsessed pseudo science.
9. Copycats.
10. Crap content selling crap.
11. Crap content selling crap. Stop reading this crap we’ve produced and sign up for our crappy newsletter so you can receive more crap.
12. We don’t care about content. We only care about what it can do for us.
13. WE DESIGN LIKE MACHINES.
14. THE MACHINES ARE HERE. AND THEY WANT OUR JOBS.
18. “Among web-publishing tools, I see Medium as the equivalent of a frozen pizza: not as wholesome as a meal you could make yourself, but for those without the time or motivation to cook, a potentially better option than just eating peanut butter straight from the jar.” Matthew Butterick The billionaire’s typewriter practicaltypography.com
20. But…
21. Humans are unpredictable mushy bags of irrationality and emotion.
22. Junk science can’t replace human experience, intuition, emotion, and expression.
23. We need to be better than the machines.
26. Web vs Editorial
27. Web vs Editorial Design systems Content Collaboration 1 2 3
28. Design systems 1
29. Built for automation. Built for repetition. Built for consistency.
30. Systems designed for variation. Not prescription.
31. Web stops at the system. Editorial starts there.
32. How we treat content 2
33. Content first.
34. Content first. So we know how big to make the boxes.
35. Content design
36. Content design Do we even need boxes?
37. Design with expression to augment the message of the content
38. Collaborating 3
39. Typography Colour Shape Illustration Photography Detail Layout Interaction Information architecture Wireframing Prototyping Research Testing “UX design” “Visual design” ARBITRARY Design divided by job title
40. Typography Colour Shape Illustration Photography Detail Layout Interaction Wireframing Prototyping Quality research Proper testing Research Design Content Content Strategy Copywriting Editing Journalism Illustration Photography
41. Flow
42. Design divided by component Global systems Design Content Research Overall issue Design Content Research Features & departments Design Content Research
43. How do we do it?
44. Design flexible systems 1
45. Understand the medium.
46. Prototype for variation. livewires.io
47. Build software that anticipates variation.
48. We like Craft buildwithcraft.com
49. Not just for web
50. Treat content with respect 2
51. Don’t just read the text. Think about how you can… the content. EXPRESS
52. Work directly with the content creator
53. Graphical media that works exclusively with the content.
54. TYPE makes great graphics Interesting
55. Play with size style and
56. Change the institutions 3
57. Destroy the barriers. UX Visual
58. DEMAND better content.
59. Don't let metrics do your job.
60. LEARN HOW TO PUSH BACK We’ve got the scripts: louderthanten.com/resources
61. Support great content and design
62. Support great content and design
63. The machines are here. It’s time to revolt.
64. Thanks! @travisgertz travisgertz.com @louderthanten louderthanten.com Resources: lt10.co/breakpoints Colophon Calibre by Klim Harriet by Okay Type Neo Deco by Alex Truchut