One function of typography is to serve as a part of an identity, whether it’s for a business or even just a personal brand. What you end up using should represent what your brand is all about and resonate with other people. Apple Inc., for example, currently uses Myriad as its typeface.
Here are six criteria that will tell you the typography that’s right for your brand:
Readability
Text has one undeniable purpose—to be read. If you can’t read a piece of text, it’s useless. The art of typography is about achieving a balance between aesthetics and readability, and that should be what you look for in your design as well. This is true for either body text, headings, or logos and other applications.
A lot of things can make text unreadable: The font size being too small, line height being too cramped, or the font just being downright ugly and hard to distinguish. It’s surprising just how many business stores out there commit these violations, so making your text readable will earn you points, especially from potential customers who browse your website online.
In addition, if your website statements can be read clearly and you are using the right words, you’ll build trust with your target audience.
Personality
The appearance of a font can give off a certain mood and feel that can dictate how the text is read and perceived. While there are no set guidelines to what personality each font has, growing up in modern culture may have developed a way of thinking that fosters association between inanimate and abstract objects like fonts with various human personalities.
When you advertise on social media, your typography should always have personality as each typeface reflects a certain personality that may be open to interpretation for most, but can certainly dictate the feel of your design.
Clarity
The chosen typeface must be able to convey your message as clear as the content. There must be little to no deterrent imposed by the typeface on the content that may hinder the reader’s comprehension. If someone with reasonably clear vision has to squint or tilt his/her head in order to understand what is written, even if it’s just a label on a logo, and it was intended to be easily understood, then it has failed.
While expressing personality and creativity are perfectly fine with the use of a typeface, its clarity is of utmost importance. You can’t sell an ice cream if you can’t convey that it tastes good and is cold.
Tone
Different typefaces have different tones that can affect all other parts of the design. For instance, serif fonts evoke professionalism and a more classic look, thus they’re best for more formal-looking designs. Many of the sans serifs give off a more modern and simplistic look, thus making them good for cleaner and more minimalistic designs.
Narrow fonts give off either elegance or relatability due to how it packs more in a smaller space, making them great for designs that don’t leave as much room for text.
Bold and heavy fonts are great for clarity, making them either generic, friendly, or dramatic depending on the context. They can be great for logos and headings.
Handwritten fonts are quirky and fun, but not very readable unless blown up in size. They’re best for logos and other visual applications and are discouraged for body text. They can be great for blogs and other designs that wish to convey a positive, lighthearted, and fun-loving nature.
Colors
While color is not of utmost concern when it comes to choosing a typeface, it does matter when talking about the end result. For instance, avoid using light colors for thin and light fonts since that would make them even less readable.
Whatever color you choose for a specific text, go with what contrasts with the background and nearby elements while still making sure everything is balanced so that the text is legible and doesn’t clash with the rest of the design at the same time.
Brand/Logo
Look at the previous five criteria to figure out what typography is best for your brand or logo. It’s not exactly a cut-and-dry process, so focus on what looks and feels right. Depending on what your brand is about, you can have the typeface reflect more of either personality or practicality. In the end, what matters most is that the logo represents your brand and everything it stands for.
Choosing the font, or typeface, for your design is a crucial process, but it’s also something you shouldn’t overthink. The best one you can choose is the one that satisfies all the aforementioned criteria and looks right for your particular design.
Read more about building your brand at Tech.Co.
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