In the modern digital era, businesses have learned that if they are not online, across popular social media platforms, they are not on par with their direct competitors, and thus, they are missing a big opportunity to compete on a level playing field.
However, even if your trade is regularly on the internet, with a vibrant website and a dynamic, interactive profile, it does not mean guaranteed success, as your rivals in the niche are also doing the same or at least trying to attain similar goals.
So, what to do to stand out? To differentiate and be original to attract attention, turn heads, and get more eyeballs to your court? Well, as experts will tell you or suggest/recommend, there are those fine tweaks that, although they could seem frivolous at first glance, do carry substantial weight and yield advantages to assist you in leveraging your reach for the ultimate targets in the form of clients and revenue. One of these, believe it or not, comes as one of the simplest yet strongest items – fonts.
Hear us out, as we explain why fonts can be the key for your company to get noticed more, which ones to apply, the why, how, and when.
What to Consider When Choosing Fonts
As designers would probably tell you, fonts are one of the key design elements; they provide the necessary information to the audience and can highlight, complement, and even transform your project`s mood by placing accents, for example. That is why they are crucial. So, which is the best choice of fonts from numerous options, and what criteria should you rely on?
While there is no exact equation or tailor-made set of fonts for each trade or brand, we will outline the basic principles which will assist you in choosing the right font for your brand.
First things first, determine the purpose this particular font will fulfil in your project and the idea you want it to emphasise. Do you need a font for your logo or identity? Do you want it to attract attention or just to communicate information? Could it be that you need a font pair to handle more than one task? So, this is the brainstorming and study or research prior to targeting a particular one or set of fonts.
Determining the Fonts` Purposes
The criteria which a font must comply with can be determined after deciding which goal you want your font to achieve. We can segment typefaces into two tiers – display and text.
Display – this is mainly used to attract attention, such as fonts can be used in logos, large expressive texts, signs, and headlines, among others.
Text – first and foremost, used to convey information in the form of running text.
Keep in mind that when choosing fonts, the main criterion is readability, keeping it simple and clean, without decorative elements, with neutral proportions, and medium glyph width and line weight.
Finding the Project Mood & Style
Understanding what stylistic category your font belongs to will narrow down the search. To achieve that, you must first determine the character and aesthetics of your project. Will it have a calm or active impact? Which mood and values will it transmit? What look do you want it to be, friendly or audacious? Historical or ultra-modern?
Settle on the main idea, and choose the nearest font to go with it. The typeface description will tell you more about its mood and references used in its creation, so do your homework well before purchasing.
Focus on Technical Characteristics
Check beforehand which languages your project will support, to name one, and see if the fonts chosen have this included in line with your needs. If your project requires more than one font, choose typefaces with numerous font styles to cater for your tasks while keeping within the stylistic framework.
If you want to mould the font to your liking, you can also choose a font with assorted stylistic alternates and variable options. Moreover, opt for technically advanced quality fonts to add variety to the design and make it truly unique.
Choosing Fonts – Hot Tips!
We have gathered some quality suggestions which will help you in choosing the best font for your logo or brand design, and also how to combine different fonts in your project.
Get Inspired – Analyse what your successful competitors are doing, choose the ones you like the most and get your muse going. Finding out which fonts are being used in top-tier projects will set you on the correct path and assist you in filtering/selecting hot or trendy fonts in the sector.
Hierarchy Planning – Determine the function of each typeface if you want to use several ones. Which one should handle the practical functions, and which will attract attention? Look out for a complementary font that pairs well with the main font.
Don`t Use Too Many Typefaces in One Project – To avoid overloading the design, we recommend sticking to one, two, or a maximum of three font options for one project. Do you recall the `less is more` rule? Keep it in mind.
Combine Fonts Correctly – Check that they hold both similarities and differences. We recommend that you use font styles from one typeface as they will be slightly different while maintaining the same style. Also, classic combinations will still be available, like serif plus sans serif.
Avoiding Anachronisms & Cliches – Don`t use outdated fonts as they will look stale and shabby. At the same time, don`t go for too popular and trendy as you are trying to make your product stand out for its uniqueness.
Break the Rules! – Follow the advice of experienced designers, but never forget to experiment, as this will be the only way to discover your style and create something new.
In Conclusion
It is fascinating how in the digital world these seemingly small things can affect the whole business strategy. That is why trades need to remain up to scratch and innovative, consulting with experts in the field to remain attractive, trendy, and relevant, while keeping loyal customers who will be spreading the word (thus free publicity), engaging new clients and boosting income.
So, there you have it. We bet you were not aware of what sheer power the fonts hold. Now that you are knowledgeable, start crafting, and maybe slowly at first, but surely, results will start coming your way.
The tools are there to use, but not everyone knows about them or is applying them correctly. So, revise your brand`s fonts and enhance your business possibilities, make them shine and prosper. You are welcome, and good luck!