February 10, 2017
If you’re not a designer, you might not pay much attention to fonts, typefaces and type families. You may not even know the difference between them. But your brand’s typeface says a lot about who you are and about the message you are trying to convey.
An organization’s type choice is an extension of its brand and is just as important as a logo, tagline or color palette. In many cases, choosing a typeface doesn’t need to be over-thought, so long as it is easy to read and delivers your message clearly. But a well chosen typeface can have a significant impact on your communications and overall brand.
After all, type is the visual communication and representation of words — and a picture is worth a thousand words, right? Choosing a typeface carefully can do a lot to strengthen the message you are conveying and can add context for your audience.
Here’s an example. Imagine you’re a small, friendly ice cream company that specializes in unique, often zany, flavors and choices. You can see from the samples below that the choice of typeface conveys a lot of meaning, regardless of the statement.
Mixing typefaces can also present an interesting challenge. The sample below shows that a carefully selected combination of typefaces can add a lot of narrative to an otherwise simple message. They claim to take ice cream seriously… but do they really?
It doesn’t matter if you’re a global corporation with thousands of employees or a neighborhood coffee shop — your type choice is important.
Here is some additional advice you may want to consider when deciding on typefaces: