The purpose of this talk is to explore icon fonts and how they are beneficial.
- Performance: single font file / HTTP request
- Aesthetics: vectors instead of raster images
- Cross-browser Compatibility: all web browsers including IE have the ability to render embedded fonts (unlike SVG or PDF)
- Flexibility: endless scalability, easy to change size and add effects like text-shadow
- Accessibility: ligatures can allow text versions of the images which are visible to search engine spiders
- Workflow Efficiency: save time without having to generate sprites, type in a word and the image is ready
- Single design for different sizes
- Single color (though it is easy to change color and color emoji may remedy this)
- Any CSS effect that can be applied to fonts (text-properties)
- Google font effects (beta)
Create a bio page for yourself that uses font icons for the following:
- describe your interests or items that you own
- buttons that link to your body of portfolio work
- your location, where you’ve traveled or where you want to travel
- social media icons
You are not limited to only using icon fonts, but try to avoid using image files other than your bio photo.
A List Apart: The Era of Symbol Fonts