Put Your Best Font Forward: What Your Typeface Says About You

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:

• Does it connect with your brand? Your typeface should match who you are and what you want to say. Is your brand/message friendly? Confident? Serious? Zany?

• Does it function the way you need it to? The script typeface in your logo may be perfectly on-brand, but can it be read easily as a paragraph or on a billboard? In this case, you’d want to select a secondary typeface that pairs well.

• Is it distinct? Don’t restrict your organization’s first impression or message to the hottest, trending typeface. If it’s hot now, it probably won’t be in two years. Pick something that feels fresh and timeless.