Welcome to “Font Forward: Typography in the Digital Age,” the podcast where we explore the transformative journey of typography and its powerful impact on communication. Hosted by Eman, this episode dives into the basics of typography, the crucial elements of legibility and readability, the emotional power of different fonts, and how the digital revolution has reshaped the world of type. We’ll also discuss the challenges and innovations in mobile typography, the importance of consistency in branding, and current trends in the typographic landscape. Join us for an educational and fun adventure into the world of fonts and discover how typography continues to shape our digital age. Don’t forget to subscribe and share your thoughts!

Font Forward: Typography in the Digital Age

In Episode 3 of Discussing Stupid Season 2, host Virgil Carroll, along with Cole Schlotthauer from High Monkey, dives into the topic of content readability. They focus on how overly complex or technical language can turn users away and make it harder for people to understand.

The team discusses common readability mistakes like using too much jargon, confusing sentence structure, and not keeping the audience in mind. Virgil shares examples from government and education where content wasn’t simple enough. They explain why it’s important to know your audience and keep language clear, especially for government websites that need to be at an 8th-grade reading level.

The episode also includes a demo using Readable.com, where Virgil and Cole show how to take a sentence and make sure it is clear and easy to read. This example shows why keeping content simple helps people understand and stay engaged.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have tips to make your content easy to read and understand, reaching a wider audience.

Join us every two weeks for new episodes, and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. For more resources and updates, visit www.discussingstupid.com.

LINKS

Tools Mentioned:
Readable.com: https://www.readable.com/

Readable.com Demo Clip:
Watch a clip of Virgil and Cole using Readable.com to enhance content clarity:
https://www.discussingstupid.com/p/episode-3-readablecom-demo/

Subscribe for Email Updates on Our Website:
https://www.discussingstupid.com/

Watch Us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@discussingstupid

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:
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https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0
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S2E3: If you want people to read your content, make your content readable!!

In Episode 5 of Discussing Stupid, host Virgil Carroll and co-hosts Chad Heinle and Cole Schlotthauer from High Monkey explore the often-overlooked mistakes organizations make with typography and the significant impact it can have on user experience and performance. From excessive font usage to unreadable design choices, this episode dives into the dos and don’ts of effective typography.

The team discusses:

- Why using too many fonts on a website creates confusion and slows down performance.
- The importance of keeping fonts readable and how font size and weight affect usability.
- Real-world examples of font mistakes, including when and where decorative fonts can work—and when they don’t.
- How poor typography choices can kill website performance, particularly through improper font loading.

To wrap up, they discuss actionable best practices, including limiting font selections, optimizing font files for performance, and always keeping your audience in mind when choosing typography.

By the end of this episode, you’ll gain practical insights to help your website achieve both aesthetic appeal and functional clarity—without sacrificing performance.

This marks the final episode of 2024, and we want to thank all of you for joining us this year! We’ll be taking a short break for the holidays but will return in 2025 with more episodes, more “stupid,” and more expert advice to help you avoid common digital mistakes.

Until then, like, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, and visit www.discussingstupid.com for updates and resources.

Happy holidays, and see you in the new year!

(0:00) - Intro & holiday spirit
(1:44) - Welcome back, Chad
(2:20) - Too many fonts = chaos
(4:05) - Learning from print design
(5:25) - Typography as Art vs. Function
(6:23) - The hidden cost of fancy fonts
(8:04) - Should some fonts be banned?
(10:11) - Know your audience and the context
(12:06) - With fonts, less is more 
(14:28) - Outro & happy holidays!


LINKS

Subscribe for Email Updates on Our Website:
https://www.discussingstupid.com/

Watch Us on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@discussingstupid

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discussing-stupid-a-byte-sized-podcast-on-stupid-ux/id1428145024
https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0
https://soundcloud.com/discussing-stupid

Check Us Out on Socials:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/discussing-stupid
https://www.instagram.com/discussingstupid/
https://www.facebook.com/discussingstupid
https://x.com/DiscussStupid

S2E5: Font mistakes that are costing you big time

Discussing Stupid returns to the airwaves to transform digital facepalms into teachable moments—all in the time it takes to enjoy your coffee break! Sponsored by High Monkey, this podcast dives into ‘stupid’ practices across websites and Microsoft collaboration tools, among other digital realms. 

Our "byte-sized" bi-weekly episodes are packed with expert insights and a healthy dose of humor. Discussions focus on five key areas: Business Process & Collaboration, UX/IA, Inclusive Design, Content & Search, and Performance & SEO. 

Join us and let’s start making the digital world a bit less stupid, one episode at a time.

New tracks tagged #Readability