HOW LANGUAGE + FONT STYLES EVOLVE WITH TECHNOLOGY
The other day, we were proofreading an email newsletter. About halfway through, we paused, hovered the mouse over a sentence, and clicked. Nothing happened. The section had been underlined for emphasis, not as a link. But that didn’t stop us from instinctively trying to click on it.
It was an interesting moment, and we noted how common this reaction has become. That underline had nothing to do with the internet, but our brains didn’t care. In our digital-first world, underlined text doesn’t just look clickable; it feels clickable. And when it’s not, we get a little confused, even frustrated.
That small moment sparked a bigger conversation about how digital design has reshaped not just the way we build websites, but how we read, interpret, and interact with language itself.
The evolution of emphasis
Before the web, underlining was one of a handful of ways to emphasize text. Alongside bold and italics, it helped signal importance in print and typewritten documents. But with the rise of the internet, the underline took on a new job: marking hyperlinks.
What was once a visual cue for pay attention became a prompt to click me. And that subtle shift has reprogrammed our instincts. Now, even in other contexts — PDFs, printed flyers, or shared Google docs — an underline feels interactive. It's no longer just a style; it's a symbol.
Fonts, behavior, and changing expectations
As designers and communications professionals, we work at the intersection of form and function. Typography isn’t about picking the “prettiest” font [sometimes, it’s about picking anything but!]; it’s about meeting user needs and expectations, and guiding behavior.
Serif fonts once signaled authority and tradition — think newspapers and legal documents — while sans-serif fonts suggested modernity and clarity. But beneath that surface is a deeper layer: what have users been trained to recognize? The same way underlines now feel like links, certain font choices carry emotional weight and subtle messages. Now, typefaces like Roboto or Inter are designed specifically for digital readability. They're not just fonts; they’re experiences. And we see evidence of that in the way people interact with them. Think of how many people trust a site more when it uses clean, open typefaces because that look now feels secure and professional.
Language evolves with culture, and so does design. Emojis, abbreviations, and interactive elements all shape how people absorb information. Even something as small as the difference between “Learn more” and “Click here” can influence whether someone takes action.
Why this matters in website design
In a world where every pixel communicates something, these design details matter. Understanding these subtle shifts is crucial, especially when building websites. An underline in a navigation menu signals action. But in a block of text? It might cause confusion if it’s not actually clickable. A font that looks beautiful but reads poorly on mobile might drive users away.
As designers, it's our job to stay ahead of these shifting norms, not just to follow trends but to understand why they emerge. We have to constantly consider what a design element means to someone today, what expectation it creates, and whether we are delivering on that expectation or causing confusion.
Just like language is constantly changing, design does, too. It’s alive [or should be], shaped by the tools we use and the habits we form. The simple act of underlining a word used to be just that — simple. Now, it’s loaded with digital history and user behavior. So we have to adapt accordingly.
Remember: Design is never just about how things look. It’s about catering to how people think.
