

Users don’t bother to adjust the font display settings in the browser, our work is done here!” Some of the rebuttals for using relative CSS units were: “Yes, browsers handle page zoom for us, yet there’s a difference between how the UI appears when the page is zoomed, depending on whether the default browser size has been adjusted as well. Some of the arguments for using pixels in CSS were: “Browsers handle all the font zooming for us, so we don’t have to convert our typography to relative units in CSS.


In fact, our team had a very spirited debate about this when our design system was being rebooted - and I noticed that our typography CSS styles were using px-based line-height values as defined in Sketch by our designer. The browser zoom debateĪt this point in the design system development process, a debate can ensue. A pixel-based typography approach will not work as a CSS strategy, though, when browsers - and specifically browser zooming - enter the picture. This approach can work well for static layout purposes, but there’s a catch. Oftentimes a designer will begin layouts in Sketch or another design-based program, and specify font sizing and line-height values for typography in pixels. In the case of defining a system’s typography styles, standards are established for things like visual hierarchy and rhythm of typography. That said, the most important thread that connects all elements of a design system tapestry is established accessibility best practices - for colors, typography, components, patterns. Consistency across a system empowers designers and developers to craft great app experiences for the end user. (Level AA)ĭesign systems and threads of consistencyĪs someone who works on the O’Reilly Media Design System, weaving threads of consistency across brand, style, and UI components is a top priority.
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Earlier versions of today’s browsers had limited features, and we had to consider how to work with - or around- those when designing and developing our sites. We seem to be in a golden age where there’s a never-ending stream of new features added for the benefit of the users accessing the page, and really great tools for those creating the page.
