In the controlled environment of an office, subtle typography and delicate font weights look elegant. However, the Hawaii web experience rarely happens in an office. It happens on a smartphone screen, often fighting against 10,000 lumens of direct tropical sunlight. If a potential customer has to squint or shade their screen to read your menu or booking details, they will likely bounce to a competitor with a more legible site. Readability in Hawaii is not just an aesthetic preference; it is an accessibility requirement.
1. The High-Contrast Mandate
Mainland design trends often favor “soft” aesthetics, using dark grey text on off-white backgrounds to reduce eye strain indoors. In Hawaii, this low-contrast approach is a liability. The intense ambient light washes out subtle contrasts, rendering light grey text invisible.
- The Rule: Use pure black (#000000) or extremely dark charcoal (#111111) for all body text.
- The Background: Stick to pure white (#FFFFFF). While cream or beige backgrounds can feel “sandy” or organic, they reduce the contrast ratio. If you must use a colored background, ensure the text is dark enough to pass WCAG AAA standards for outdoor visibility.
- Avoid “Ghost Buttons”: Buttons with a thin outline and transparent background are difficult to see against complex photos or in bright light. Use solid, filled-colored buttons for your primary calls to action (e.g., Book Now) to ensure they stand out visually.
2. Size Matters: The Mobile Standard
Since the majority of visitor traffic in Hawaii is mobile, font sizing must be calibrated for small screens held at arm’s length. The old web standard of 14px or 16px is often too small for comfortable reading on the go.
- Body Text: Set your base paragraph font size to a minimum of 18px, or ideally 20px. This allows tourists to read your content without pinching and zooming.
- Line Height: Tight spacing makes text blocks look like solid walls. Increase your line height (leading) to 1.5 or 1.6. This extra white space between lines helps the eye track text while walking or moving.
- Headings: Ensure a clear hierarchy. Your H2 and H3 headers should be significantly larger (e.g., 28px to 32px) to allow users to scan the page quickly for keywords like “Pricing,” “Location,” or “Hours.”
3. Cultural Competence in Font Selection
Typography is a subtle indicator of local authenticity. Using the wrong font can signal that a business is out of touch with the local culture.
Respecting the Diacritics
If you use Hawaiian words—which you should, for place names and cultural concepts—you must use the correct diacritical marks: the ʻokina (glottal stop) and the kahakō (macron). Many trendy display fonts do not support these characters. When a font lacks these glyphs, it often substitutes them with a generic square box or a default font that breaks the design flow. Test your chosen font with words like “Kāneʻohe” or “Pāʻia” before committing to ensure the marks render correctly.
Avoiding the “Tiki” Cliché
Avoid “bamboo” style fonts, distressed “Castaway” typefaces, or the infamous Papyrus font. These are widely regarded as kitschy and inauthentic by locals. They signal a tourist trap rather than a legitimate local business. Instead, opt for clean, modern sans-serif fonts (like Lato, Roboto, or Montserrat) that convey professionalism and clarity. Let your photography provide the tropical context, not your font choice.
4. Formatting for Scanners
Visitors planning a trip or looking for lunch are rarely reading every word. They are scanning. Your typography should facilitate this behavior.
Break up long blocks of text. No paragraph should be longer than three to four sentences. Use bullet points heavily to list amenities, menu items, or tour inclusions. This “snackable” formatting allows users to extract the information they need in seconds, increasing the likelihood of a conversion.