Typography is a tool to get ideas out, to structure them, and to make them look sound and approachable.
When a bad idea has bad typography, don’t waste any effort on it. And maybe it’s not a “bad” idea, it might be an unfinished thought, that needs time to grow?
When a bad idea has great typography, it’s still a bad idea. Even worse, it’s dressed-up shallow nonsense. When people find out, the disappointment is big, because the content does not live up to the expectations the visual had set. I feel misguided and fooled, and get angry. It is unrespectful towards the audience and dangerous for the creator.
When a great idea has bad typography, it’s still a great idea. It is valuable from the inside, a rough diamond. But it might have a harder time connecting with people, and reaching its full potential. This makes me uneasy. I want good content to be seen and having as much impacting as possible.
When a great idea has great typography, it can live its full potential. It just goes boom, shape and content connect, everything aligns. People will be more receptive to it, things can spread more easily. This is the sweet spot I strive for – great content meets its ideal shape.
Get your ideas out first. This is more important, than making them typographically perfect. You can always make it better, and you will always improve. The question is, what typographic effort is it worth taking now?