FONTS AND WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS
When you think of the logo for just about any business, you probably see it as just that – a collection of letters, colors, artwork, and shapes in a cohesive design. What you probably don’t know, though, is that there is an entire psychology and thought process behind which font or typeface you decide to use for your company. You’re ultimately communicating your brand message in a visual way, and the typeface is the “face” and personality of your brand. This doesn’t mean just your logo, but in any way you choose to market yourself. Your website, blog, social media profiles, and business cards should all convey the message you are trying to communicate and reflect your personality as a business.
In order to understand the psychology of the different font styles, we have to explore them a little further.
Serif
Serif is the most commonly used font category. They are easy-to-read fonts with short edges coming off the letters and can accompany just about any personality or mood you would like to set. You might associate traits to them such as reliability, dependability, conventionality, tradition, or see them as being neutral. Maybe your company has been established for decades and is something you want clients to feel like they can depend on and trust. You may consider using a Serif font in your content.
Sans Serif
Sans Serif, without those aforementioned short edges, is also widely used as a neutral font but is a little more contemporary than Serif fonts. It is seen as clean, simple, stable, powerful and modern. When choosing a font for body text, you can’t do better than this for readability. Sans Serif fonts can also evoke informality and can be used well online for personal blogs, websites, and casual business settings.
Script
Script fonts look handwritten, friendly, and graceful, and add a human touch to your content. They are seen as elegant and sophisticated, expressing creativity and femininity. You probably won’t see many full paragraphs of script font (and you really shouldn’t!) but these fonts can pack a punch in the emotional response if used well.
Modern
Modern fonts catch your eye and are well-structured. They vary greatly but can be seen as intelligent, determined, progressive, stylish, and chic. You might see a lot of this style in fashion or tech industries.
Display
Display fonts are decorative fonts that can work well in logos because they are easy to tailor to the vibe of your company. They are dynamic with strong personalities and are seen as quirky, fun, and unique. Be careful when using a Display typeface that it truly reflects the vibe for which you are striving.
Other Considerations
There are other factors to consider with the fonts from your logo and content. The space between letters, called kerning, can also say something about your brand. A logo with large white spaces can be seen as modern and mysterious. If you choose to use all caps you can be seen as authoritative. Use all lowercase, and you’re seen as youthful and friendly. Italics can be used to show motion in a logo. The list goes on!
To sum it up, the goal of your business’ font is to capture people’s attention and turn that into a customer relationship. If the font is unreadable or sacrifices functionality for being pretty, your brand’s message will not be delivered to your audience. Because we associate certain feelings and emotions with different font styles, it’s important to figure out the type of message you’d like to share and go from there. Find fonts that match your company’s tone and aesthetic and you can’t go wrong.
Do you need help building your brand and deciding on a font? CAST Design is here to help. We specialize in branding and visual storytelling, creating company identities that stand out against the crowd. Contact us at Cast Design Team for a free assessment and we will get you started on the next step to branding your business.
