Typography. Mar 28, 2026. 6 min read.
Typography does more work than people give it credit for. Before color, before imagery, before layout is even locked, the typeface you pick sets the tone for everything that follows.
The Hierarchy Principle
Minimalist portfolios live or die on hierarchy. With nothing else to lean on, the relationship between heading weight, body size, and line height has to carry the whole page. Pair a strong display font with a quiet body type and you get contrast without adding noise.
Choosing the Right Pair
The best pairings share some DNA without matching outright. A geometric sans headline over a humanist body font gives you tension that reads as interesting instead of clashing. Two fonts with the same personality just compete with each other.
Rules Worth Breaking
Size contrast: Headlines should be dramatically larger than body text, not just slightly.
Weight contrast: If both fonts are the same weight, the hierarchy collapses.
Whitespace: Leading and letter-spacing are as important as the typeface itself.
Get the size and weight contrast right, and most of the rest of the page takes care of itself.