Limit font weights

How to apply it

1. 1

   Restrict a typeface to two weights: Regular and Semibold.

2. 2

   Never introduce Light, Medium, and Bold alongside them.

3. 3

   Reassign any Medium-weight text to either Regular or Semibold.

4. 4

   Audit a full screen for weight count before adding a new one.

Why it works

Hierarchy works by contrast: two weights, say Regular and Semibold, create one unambiguous distinction between normal and emphasized text. Adding Light, Medium, and Bold into the same interface gives every weight a neighbor close enough to blur into it, so the contrast that signals importance disappears.

What breaks

With five weights in play, a Medium label and a Regular label sit close enough in visual weight that users can't tell which one is meant to stand out, and hierarchy collapses across the screen.

Review questions

1. 1

   Does the interface use at most two font weights?

2. 2

   Is it obvious which text is emphasized versus normal at a glance?

3. 3

   Are there any Light or Medium weights that could collapse into Regular?