I have a huge pet-peeve when it comes to design. One that I often see other designers overlook: the use of line-breaking hyphens. To say I hate them is an understatement. I think they are ugly and unnecessary, and as such you will never see them in my finished design projects. Today's desktop publishing software has advanced enough, developing tools that allow for a fluid and balanced character placement without the need to use line-breaking hyphens. Designers who clutter up their layouts with hyphens show nothing but a lack of attention to detail.
I think unfortunately the simple beauty of the written word itself is often overlooked as a graphic feature on a page in the world of graphic design. To a non-designer's eye, the words are just text. But for most designers, text when seen as a collective unit, has its own defining artistic elements. How you set the leading, how tight you make the kerning, determine an overall look. Do you full justify or leave a ragged right edge, or left? Knowing how much, or how little, to say on a page not only defines its readability, but also its beauty. I think these elements of design apply both online and in print.
It is easy to get "too close" to a design. After a while all of the elements on the page start to meld together. That is why it is so important to take a step away from it awhile, particularly in the editing phase, so you can see with fresh eyes. When doing so, look at the whole page, large detail and small, and look for those dangling hyphens jumping out at you. Getting rid of them will take your layout to a higher level of perfection. I promise.
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