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Typography matters!

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Typography matters

Let me introduce you to a critical aspect of your brand: typography! “What is typography?” you ask?

Typography is the style and appearance of written material. And yes, it matters.

For a lot of companies, the amount of thought that goes into their typographic choices extends to the default fonts on their chosen website templates. And if those companies are going to be really strategic, they’ll find out what those fonts are and use them in the rest of their marketing material (although most people don’t get this far).

A majority of companies, however, will settle for about 15 different font choices being used throughout all of their marketing platforms. Why is this a problem? Let me remind you of the importance of brand consistency. If your company is going to maintain its visual integrity across every platform, then you absolutely must pay attention to your typography – and orchestrate it so that it further articulates your company’s personality.

TYPOGRAPHY REPRESENTS YOUR COMPANY’S PERSONALITY

It would be easy to think that typography doesn’t really matter and that “it’s just for those graphic design nerds”. But it really should matter to you if you’re trying to build a cohesive, on-mission brand.

Typographic choices are just one area through which your company’s personality gets fleshed out.

Do you want your brand to be relatable and approachable? Try using (sparingly) a handwritten typeface (the fancy designer word for a specific font choice within a font family):

Typography Example 3

Do you want your company to appear high-end and luxury? Try a tall, thin, sans-serif typeface in all caps:

Typography Example 1

Does your company wink at antiquity and a long history? Try using an established “book-ish” serif typeface:

Typography Example 2

Do you see how each of these examples drastically change the message of what’s written, just by adding a visual layer of interpretation? (In real branding, we would also accompany these font choices with color and some design styles to add an even deeper level of meaning.)

IT NEEDS TO BE CONSISTENT

As with everything else that we ever talk about, constancy is key! Once you (or your brand designer) establishes your company’s chosen typography, as much as it’s within your power, don’t stray from it. It might not be possible to use your font choices 100% of the time (there are certain channels that are limiting with regards to this, such as websites and emails), but when you can, always use your brand’s fonts. Being consistent with your font use familiarizes your clients with who you are, building trust and loyalty.

LIMIT YOUR FONT CHOICES

Yes, there are lots of cool fonts out there, we understand. But please, to keep your designer (and clients) sane, don’t use them all! Following the general rule of brand consistency will tell you that less is more – it’s difficult to be consistent if you’re using a million different fonts as opposed to two or three good ones. And, let’s face it, scrolling through a web page, for instance, that uses 7 different fonts, is confusing and looks rushed and messy. We recommend choosing two main fonts, with a max of three if your third is a decorative font that is used very sparingly.

Your font choices should be strategic. The process of choosing yours should involve time and effort, and the fonts you end up with should be representative of your brand’s personality.

If you’d like help assessing your current font choices, or taking the time to choose new fonts going forward, please reach out to us!

Bring your brand in for a yearly checkup

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Bring your brand in for a yearly checkup

We all know it’s the healthy thing to go and see our doctor once a year for an annual physical to make sure everything is working properly and we’re on the right track physically. It’s the time where we can seek expert advice on our health concerns, get guidance on which supplements we might need to add, and have a doctor’s opinion on any lifestyle changes we need to make to stay strong and keep a healthy diet. It’s also the time when our doctor has the chance to catch any major medical issues that we might have overlooked due to our lack of medical expertise.

The health of your brand deserves the same attention and care that you give to your own body. We discussed in another post that you should approach your brand as though its nature is fluid instead of static. Routine brand assessments, conducted by your designer, are a must because your brand should constantly be growing and changing to best fit your changing industry and the expectations of your audience.

STAYING RELEVANT

Culture is constantly changing and growing, and so is technology. This means that the industry in which you conduct your business is also changing and growing right along with the people in it and the technology it uses.

What worked in your branding yesterday might not be what will work tomorrow. If you’ve come to grips with the idea of viewing your brand as open and ready for change, then it’s important for you to take the time necessary to constantly reassess its effectiveness. You know the expectations of your target market are always shifting, so you need to be able to shift to meet them where they are.

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE SCARY

Conducting routine brand assessments doesn’t need to be drastic; it just needs to be effective. I shouldn’t expect a major organ transplant every time I go to the doctor’s for a check-up. In the same way, you shouldn’t worry about needing a logo re-design or completely new color palette every time your designer re-evaluates your brand.

The purpose is to assess your current strategies, and determine what’s working and what’s not. From there, your designer can tell you whether she thinks your brand needs a major surgery, or just some vitamin supplements to add a different kind of vibrancy than you had previously.

GET A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

If you decide to conduct routine brand assessments, it’s important to ask someone else to help you – preferably your designer. You operate with your brand day-in and day-out, and that kind of familiarity can breed a certain amount of numbness in your judgment of how well your brand is actually working.

Getting your designer’s counsel will bring lots of value to this process. Not only will she be able to ask the right questions to determine effectiveness, but she will also be able to offer clear options with how to proceed.

We would love to help you keep your brand healthy. Reach out to us to request your annual brand assessment!