Modern Title & Emphasis Standards (Digital-First)

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1. Never Use Underlining for Emphasis

Rule:
Underlining is reserved for hyperlinks. Full stop.

Why?

  • On screens, underlining = clickable.
  • It creates visual noise.
  • It reduces readability (especially for letters like g, j, p, q, y).
  • It comes from typewriter limitations — not modern typography.

Underlining for emphasis is obsolete in professional digital documents.

Exception: hyperlinks only.

2. Use Bold Intentionally — Not Emotionally

Bold is not decoration. It is structural.

Good uses of bold:

  • Headings
  • Key terms at first definition
  • Important labels
  • Short emphasis inside a paragraph (very sparingly)

Bad uses of bold:

  • Whole paragraphs
  • Multiple sentences in a row
  • Emotional stress (“this is VERY important”)
  • Random phrases because they “feel important”

If everything is bold, nothing is.

3. Title Hierarchy Should Be Structural, Not Decorative

Use consistent heading levels:

  • H1 → Document Title
  • H2 → Major Sections
  • H3 → Subsections
  • H4 → Supporting detail (rare)

Don’t mix size, colour, caps, underline, and bold randomly. Pick a structure and stick to it.

Example:

Data Quality Policy

Purpose

Scope

Governance Model

Roles

Review Process

Clean. Calm. Structured.

4. Capitalisation Standards for Titles

Two main acceptable approaches:

Option A – Title Case (Common in reports)

Capitalize Major Words in Titles

Example:

Data Quality Review Framework

Option B – Sentence case (Common in policy documents)

Only capitalise the first word and proper nouns

Example:

Data quality review framework

Both are correct.
Pick one. Apply it consistently across the organisation.

Mixing them looks chaotic.

5. Colour as Emphasis (Use Carefully)

Colour can:

  • Support hierarchy
  • Indicate status (Red = Risk, Green = Confirmed)
  • Reinforce branding

Colour should NOT:

  • Replace structure
  • Be the only way information is communicated
  • Be used randomly

Accessibility matters (contrast, colour blindness).

6. Italics – The Quiet Emphasis

Use italics for:

  • Subtle emphasis
  • Document titles within text
  • Technical terms (occasionally)

Do not combine:
Bold + Italic + Underline + Colour + Caps

That’s typographic shouting.

The Golden Rule

Emphasis should be:

  • Minimal
  • Purposeful
  • Consistent
  • Hierarchical

Not emotional.

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