Video Lesson
Establishing Visual Hierarchy
Type hierarchy is how you signal importance. Size, weight, color, spacing, and position all contribute to how readers scan content. The inverted pyramid — largest/boldest at the top, smallest at the bottom — is the most common pattern.
AI design tools can analyze existing designs and suggest hierarchy improvements. We will explore how Figma’s AI features and standalone tools can optimize your typographic layouts.
Spacing and Rhythm
Kerning (space between letter pairs), tracking (overall letter spacing), and leading (line spacing) dramatically affect readability. AI-powered optical kerning in tools like Adobe InDesign automatically adjusts spacing based on the visual weight of characters.
Vertical rhythm — consistent spacing between elements — creates a sense of order. We will use modular scales (typically based on ratios like 1.25 or 1.5) to establish harmonious spacing systems.
Responsive Typography
Modern typography must work across screen sizes. Fluid typography using CSS clamp() and viewport units ensures text scales smoothly. AI tools can generate responsive type scales automatically.
We will build a responsive typographic system that adapts from mobile to desktop without breakpoint jumps.
Hands-On Exercises
- Create a typographic hierarchy for a blog homepage using only 2 fonts and 4 sizes
- Use an AI tool to generate a modular type scale and implement it in CSS
- Redesign a text-heavy webpage focusing solely on hierarchy improvements — document before/after