EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGY OF FONTS, INCLUDING THE DEFINITION, A BREAKDOWN OF TYPEFACES, AND TOP TIPS FOR LEVERAGING TEXT ACROSS PLATFORMS
Every element of graphic design is purposeful, especially fonts and typefaces. With font psychology, marketers and graphic designers can attach precise feelings to their brands without speaking.
Maya Angelou, American memoirist and poet, said it best, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Fonts tell the brand story in a way that elicits emotion, boosting brand recognition and ultimately resulting in conversions. Understanding how different fonts generate feelings through the human subconscious will help brands shape their target audience’s perception of them. Font psychology ensures brands make the most informed and effective decisions around typography, font psychology, and copy.
What is Font Psychology?
Photo credit: @shotbynw
Font psychology analyzes how people perceive different typefaces or fonts and how it impacts their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It’s human nature to anthropomorphize non-living things, especially text. Giving a human-like personality to a font helps the human mind make sense of non-verbal communication. Therefore, different fonts have the power to create diverse emotional responses in audiences.
Any invitation, advertisement, or article with comic sans text evokes playfulness, comedy, and carelessness. Yet, when using Times New Roman, the text reads serious and sophisticated. When choosing fonts, brands adopt all the subconscious emotions, personalities, and perceptions attached.
Font psychology uses specific fonts and human nature to elicit desired emotional responses. The study of typography is a different practice involving crafting other elements of text like color, shape, layout, texture, and space to produce visually pleasing type designs. Still, aspects of typography heavily impact the psychology of fonts. Marketers must consider how typography and font psychology can work harmoniously to generate the brand image and voice they desire.
Font Styles and How People Perceive Them
Fonts break down into five styles, each rendering different emotions, perceptions, and voices. From comical to elite, font styles help brands express their personalities through text. Between serif, sans-serif, slab serif, script, and decorative or display, marketers and graphic designers have various options to choose from to communicate the desired voice of their brands.
Serif
Throughout history, people printed books, newspapers, and advertisements in serif typefaces like Times New Roman, Garamond, and Baskerville. The small decorative strokes, also called serifs, taper off the tops and bottoms of the characters to add more personality to otherwise simple text. Years of usage among publications and academic institutions give serif typefaces the classic and traditional personality people associate with prestigious brands like Wells Fargo, Harvard, Dior, and Rolex. Financial companies, law firms, insurance companies, and consultants favor serif typefaces because they communicate tradition, respect, sophistication, trust, and authority.
Sans-Serif
Modernity and clarity are the two main traits people associate with sans-serif typefaces. Google, Apple, Netflix, Spotify, and Microsoft are just a few brands that have amplified using san-serif typefaces in branding. As the namesake states, san-serif typefaces lack serifs, making them easier to read and condense. Tech companies, fashion brands, and start-ups favor sans-serif typefaces because they represent cleanliness, efficiency, straightforwardness, and innovation. Popular sans-serif fonts include Arial, Helvetica, Futura, and Calibri.
Slab Serif
Slab serif typefaces command more attention than serif typefaces. With more robust and chunky serifs, slab serif typefaces replace traditional with daring. Brands like Marlboro, Volvo, Sony, and Arby’s utilize bold slab serif typefaces to their advantage.
Slab serif typefaces work best with sporty or outdoorsy brands. Automotive companies and manufacturing industries also lean on slab serif typefaces to show they are contemporary, solid, reliable, and vigorous.
Script
Script is traditionally a handwritten, calligraphy-style typeface. Today, there is a duality to the popular yet friendly typeface. Some are elegant and refined, like the typefaces associated with Caddilac and Cartier, while Coca-Cola and Pinterest have more personable script typefaces. The hand-written style of script typefaces like Pacifico and Caveat Brush adds a touch of whimsy and personalization. More elegant typefaces like Edwardian or Vladimir Script represent elegance and exclusivity.
Typography advises against using script typefaces for body text because of the intricate lines, but they make a unique statement for a brand logo. High-end fashion and food and beverage brands rely on script typefaces to show elegance, individuality, expression, refinement, and luxury.
Decorative or Display
Graphic designers often create decorative or display typefaces for branding and advertising purposes. Decorative fonts blend multiple typefaces to curate a memorable, customizable look. Brands like Lego or Disney have a unique brand identity and a logo style to match. Children’s brands, marketing and advertising agencies, and musicians typically choose decorative fonts to portray creativity, originality, playfulness, and enjoyment.
How To Optimize Font Psychology
Like typography, font psychology works better when all text is consistent, pleasing, and easy to interact with. Font psychology is a powerful tool, but it’s most potent when thoughtfully integrated into marketing and branding strategies.
Foster Web Browser Compatibility
No matter what typeface brands choose for their logo or websites, if the text is illegible or not web-safe, it will be offputting and disturb the customer experience. Testing how fonts translate on different platforms will prevent any blunders in places where text appears. Brands that opt for system or web-safe fonts can avoid the chance of disarray altogether.
Research and Test to Find What Works Best
Conducting thorough research and A/B testing can fine-tune font choices to align with marketing goals and resonate with target audiences. Brands will find that, through research, they can quickly identify which fonts and typefaces connect most to the target audience.
Prioritize Consistency
Once brands pick a typeface, they must use it on all print collateral and online platforms to maintain uniformity and boost brand recognition. Attention to details like kerning, leading, and tracking ensures readability and visual harmony. Consistency in font size and spacing across various marketing materials will reinforce the brand’s identity and message.
Photo credit: Wendy’s on Twitter
Call in a Font Psychology Agency
POLA Marketing’s team has extensive knowledge of font psychology and uses it in marketing, branding, and visual identity. We use our expertise to represent our clients’ brands with the proper visual identity to convert target audiences into customers. For more information, contact us at (www.polamarketing.com/contact/).
