The space between us: how designers and the general population see typographic emphasis

Abstract

The typographic emphasis of headings in a document clarifies the structure of the content for the reader as well as assisting them with locating information. The visual presentation of these headings is important so that they are effective visual markers. The typographic methods used to emphasise these headings can vary greatly and are potentially perceived different by those consuming the document compared to those who are designing it. The research presented in this paper investigates through a paired comparison study whether designers perceive the typographic emphasis methods used for headings in the same way as the general population. While the effectiveness of heading styles is generally agreed between both groups, the greatest discrepancy occurs regarding the use of spacing. Through the comparative study assessing seven methods of typographic emphasis, it was found that designers consider spacing to be more effective for indicating typographic hierarchy than those in the general population.