Font Size - Individual Needs or Appeal to Masses

[Neruka.]

When I am creating a forum, I always put the needs of future members one of my top priority, then again I myself am Visually impaired, my left eye, is 20/500 when my right eye is 20/100. Along that, I am also Blue/green Yellow/purple color deficient. It may just be from personal experience, but I also create forums with the default font and size.

People can read it, its nice, and simple. If I am RPing or posting with someone using size 1 font, I'll just ask them to change it, I don't bother reading it, because. well its a pain. I have no rules limiting it, because thats just one more rule, and I prefer to keep my rules, short and to the point.

When I am designing the layout for a forum, I ask a friend, or a fellow staff member for opinions, if they believe it would be.. Attractive. I also have them view it with a color blind generator, which would view the forum as a colorblind person, I have them test out all the different types, and see if its viewable. Most of the time it is, but I do that as a extra percation.

But as for different font styles, I just use Ariel. I find Comic Sans, tho readable is too, how to I word it, bold? Along with Verdana, I just use Ariel.

But a Side questions, have you ever thought about colorblind and color deficient people when you design your forum? I believe it is that each guest that views your forum has a 1/10% Chance of being colorblind, tho I'm not sure, I'd have to look it up again.

[ily 'TIL THE end]

May 24, 2008 9:36:40 GMT -8 Enchant said:

So I ask you this, when building or revamping your forum, do you take into consideration the individual needs of your members or do you try to appeal to the masses?

I usually tend to keep it the default size. I tried to make the font bigger by using a simple code. It made the font bigger but it didn't let me use any other font size codes so I could have a bigger font. So, I took it off and decided to let the font speak for itself. I even tried to find font in itself where it was bigger because it was designed to be. I've heard no complaints. Though, if there are any I would most likely look for a solution. Though the most obvious one would be one without having to use any codes and that is zooming in on the internet page. Some browsers, like Firefox, let you zoom in on only the text. It was designed because of the very reason of any small text. Which it makes sense and I would endorse it given the chance to defend it.

But, thankfully, I have had no member of my forum to dislike the font size or what not.

[Owlstar]

If I get multiple complaints about the same thing, then I try to change it. As for font size, I leave it the default size. As I'm near-sighted, I have trouble reading smaller fonts even with my glasses or contacts in. So if I have to squint to read smaller fonts, there's a chance others out there will have trouble as well. So I make it easier on everyone instead of trying to change it to fit just one person's needs.

[Jinzo™]

For me, several variables come into play that help decide if I like or hate the font 1 size. Now, as I said, different variables, but sometimes I can read small text just fine, other times I struggle.

This new trend of forum admins wanting smaller sized text makes me think they want their forum to look like it has more room. In actuality, just because the font is smaller doesn't mean there's more room. Some of these forum admins forget that there are people who have trouble seeing/reading, and need big text. Of course, this is why we're able to make the page bigger. But really, should we have to change a setting on our side just because someone doesn't wish to use the standard size?

The standard text size is not massive, nor is it tiny. It's medium-ish. I find it quite rude when people type in all size 1, or type in all sup.

[jimmuck]

I had a riot on my Board last week over my changing the Font Style, I changed from "Verdana, Arial" and went for a nice wee
"Italic" style? bedlam!! World War III broke out.
All the visually impaired were PM'ing and commenting, NO! demanding I change back to the bigger Text and stop 'messing with their Board!" ha! ha!
I only see out of one eye myself am 70 and I did have a wee bit trouble reading the new style. Not being to Computer literate, I didn't know how to 'enlarge the Text' in the layout, so! I changed the Text back to Verdana Arial right quick! Don't mess with the posters, ha! ha!

I wonder if the 'using tiny text' is to allow for more 'Posts per Page?'
No?? Ha! I told you I was a 'newby' right?

[-!Freedom Wings!-]

When building or revamping your forum, do you take into consideration the individual needs of your members or do you try to appeal to the masses?

I would have to say, that as someone who has horrible vision, I don't mind randomly having a post or two that's tiny. Size one, can affect me after awhile though, and I refuse to type in it unless I have to. To be quite honest, I only know three people who type in small text, and I'm glad I don't post and rp with them often.

It annoys me in forums that have size one text, for the main reason, I have many people around me who cannot see that well. I understand you can zoom in and look at it better, but...what's the point? You aren't going to enjoy doing that. I remember talking to someone who is practically blind in her right eye, and says she sometimes feels even more "handicapped" because of it.

I would say the members on your forum are important. Don't jump onto the bandwagon, thinking it's going to help anything. Default is fine for me to see, and I absolutely have no problem with it. Neither do any of my members or I as a member on other sites.

While it might look pretty...do you really need it?

[DREAM. <3]

It is my opinion that size one font makes a forum look neater. I actually find a bigger font to be less appealing. I have owned a few forums, and I normally put almost everything ( except for category names ) in size one font, and I have never received any complaints about not being able to read it.

In fact, I am legally blind. I can't see a thing without glasses, and I have no problems reading the size one font, and I never have. I personally don't see how people can have trouble seeing it when I don't. I mean, I have astigmatisms in both of my eyes, and I have no problem.

But anyway, on to the question. If you want more members, you have to do what the majority of people like. I honestly don't think font sizes would keep too many people from joining a forum either way. It wouldn't me, unless the forum's font sizes were huge. So, if I had a majority of members complaining about font size one I would change it. I think a forum should do what the majority like.

After all, like someone said, they can always hold down ctrl and scroll to zoom.

[ADNTech]

I love small fonts. They seem to give a very sharp precision appearance to the forum. With that in mind if small fonts are in my blueprint I'll make sure that my color palette includes colors that will work together very nicely.

I also do what I call a multi-print. Where I copy the exact skin only with bigger or smaller fonts. Sure tailoring a forum to one-on-one needs is a lot of work, and I think that it's work well paid off.

To me making mass skins for "one size fits all" takes away from the soul of a forum and makes it feel commercialized. Whereas an one-on-one system gives a forum a caring, personal, and family feel.

In the end, I tend to build with an one-on-one theme set in mind.



Edit: Just grammar... I hate when words don't come out right...

[bedbugshowland]

thanks...for...sharing...

[Sєα]

I usually aim for layout appeal over specific needs. I admit, I'm borderline legally blind myself - my vision is 20 x 200! (Though before you run your mouth with, "Well, then, how do you see small font?" I quite honestly feel that my doctor has mis-diagnosed my vision from a young age... I truly consider myself near-sighted because I can see something fine if I'm close enough. Also, 'legally blind' does not mean I cannot see; it is a term used for any vision that is 20 x 200 or higher.)

I understand where somebody may have to squint an inch away from their monitor to see, but computers do have Zoom buttons programmed into the Toolbar. When I zoom in, I can barely see a difference between the two sizes, both being very easy for me to read at that point. The idea of making vision-impaired members a special skin with larger font just popped into my mind, you know... which would seem like a pretty good solution to me. That way, they can use a layout convenient for their needs, and others can use a more visually-enhanced layout.

[shistavanenjedi]

I've always considered it a good aspect of design that you make text readable on a website and that goes for font type (arial, verdana, tahoma and fonts similar to these I find the best for font type), contrasting colours so that the text can easily be picked out from the background colour scheme (it took ages for me to sort out the font colour so that it actually stood out from the background image on my forum) and of course, font size. Small fonts may look ok, but if they don't do their job and people can actually read them, then it fails in it's design aspects. You can make a website or forum look great without comprimising on how it looks and I find that small fonts should only be used in areas of the design where the text isn't that essential for the running of the site.

[JJ]

I read this whole thread and I am astounded at the differences among the posters. Some are obvioiusly thinking of their members, and some just couldn't seem to care less.

Let me assure you that you could lose a really valuable member who is having trouble reading the font on your site and you would never even know. Why? Because he or she doesn't want to be a nuisance or a bother because the font is so small that is is a effort to read. Yes, you can use the control key and mouse scroll key to enlarge text, but that also makes other things really large and not always very attractive.

Please, folks, it is the members who keep our sites alive and active. Maybe you might want to think of the hundreds of people that popped in to check out your site but found the font so small that it was aimed at ten year olds, not someone well into adulthood. I know, because I am one of those people.

[zaiden]

I think I'd probably appeal to the masses initially but not so that I don't take the individual's thoughts and suggestions into account. I use default font, doesn't bother me or anyone else. I've never even seen size 1 font, I don't care too much for tiny things anyway. I think it's obnoxious to have to make it hassle to see something you're trying to do for fun. When it's no longer fun, you no longer want to be there.

However if someone complained, which no one has yet, I'd gladly accommodate them without a thought if it was within my power. I love constructive criticism, suggestions and even nicely written complaints about my things whatever they might be. It helps me make them better and find out what people need/want.

[Streamstrider]

In creating a forum, I try to make it as friendly as possible for as many people as possible. I've learned that even though smaller fonts give the forum a sleeker look, a lot of people (including myself) have trouble reading them. I leave the forum's font size default, because if a member wishes to have their posts all in a smaller font, they can do that themselves using the BBCode, rather than inconveniencing every single member who views the forum. So, essentially, I make the site itself as friendly to most as possible, while the individual members have the freedom within to make their own changes according to their own preferences.

[LifeOfWylie]

On my forums, I mix it up. But with this modern age of palm-sized media and diminishing 13+ inch viewscreens, I realize that loading/scroll times are increasing. Therefore, I use the standard size, unless something bears noticing, to reduce this and increase navigation. (NOTE: I do not have any RPGs, only fansites of TV shows).