In the digital world, there is an increase in awareness about logo design and typography. When a customer sees a logo, the only way to make them remember it is, with a creative logo design. In this article we discuss Why Typography Plays an Important Role in Logo Design.
Typography plays a very important role in design, which is evident from websites, logos, CD covers, and billboards. However, one may wonder what role it plays in logos, and if the right typography is necessary or not.
There are several reasons as to why typography is important for logos, and must be considered when a marketer wants to make an effective and appealing logo.
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Successful branding
A brand is the unique personality of a business. A brand can also be defined as the psychological and emotional relationship that a brand has with its customers. It is the gut feeling that a person has towards its products and services.
If the company has a clear perception of a brand, then it will help the brand understand the importance of using typography in logo design.
When it comes to a business, the main objective is to attract people and generate profits. Typography plays an important role in invoking feelings and emotions, creating an image for the brand.
When typography is implemented in a logo design, then the marketer has to choose the font which will create a feeling of trust between the brand and the customer.
For example, when customers look at the Virgin logo design, they will see that the slant logo design displays self-assertiveness, and self-confidence.
The use of red colours shows the courage of the brand, and the confidence that it has about its place in the overall industry.
Correct font
It is very important for logo designers to use the correct font. For example, there are many logo designs, which use the Avenir font. The Avenir font was created by Adrian Frutiger, in 1988. He was impressed by the sans serif typeface, and felt an obligation to design liner sans.
The word Avenir means future in French language, holding the interpretation that this font has some kind of relation to Futura font.
However, Avenir font free is not just geometric, but contains vertical strokes as well. They are thicker than horizontal strokes, like when a person types an O, it won’t be a perfect circle.
Avenir is not only used in logo designs, but for texts and headlines as well. Avenir is a premium design, which comes in bold, regular, black, medium and other weights.
Even though companies can use this font in their wesbites, they can host that font on their own, unless and until they get permission from the creators of the font.
Readability
When choosing a typeface, the designer has to make sure that the font is readable. One of the rules of typography is to use a typeface, which the reader can easily understand.
This is why, typography plays an important role in logo design, because it sets the rules for how a logo should be designed.
When designing a logo, the designer should the right colors and graphics, which will make the typeface more readable.
Logo Voice
When good typography is used in logo design, then it adds an advantage to it. It provides a direction to the voice and the message of the logo, and significantly influences the audience, inducing the right emotions from both the readers and the viewers.
If a logo is unable to deliver the right message to the public, then all the efforts of a designer will go to waste.
This is why it is best if the designer learns about the different ways typography can help improve a design.
A Less Complicated Design
When designing a logo, don’t make it too complicated. If a designer uses complex fonts within the logo design, then it will destroy its main purpose.
People won’t be able to relate to the brand, and during the printing process, it will be difficult to print a complex logo.
If a logo is difficult to apprehend, then the brand won’t be able to get its identity across to customers.
It is always better to not include fonts in logos like Comic Sans and Papyrus, because they don’t integrate well with graphic design.
For example, if you look at Coca Cola’s logo design, which uses Spencerian Script typeface, it is very easy to read, and has a very playful appearance to it.
This sets it apart from the other logos, and sends a clear message to the customer about the brand.
Unique Logo
If the logo is not unique, then it might disappear between all the other logos that customers see on banners or posters.
The success of a logo depends on how unique it is, so that when customers see it, they immediately know the brand or business it represents.
If designers use the right typeface, then they can make their logo look unique and distinctive. It will appear to be different from any other brand, and will help create the designer a distinguishable identity.
People will relate to the brands services and products and the brand will be able to establish its identity.
Establishing an identity is very important in today’s competitive business, because if a brand logo is not unique, it might go unnoticed by customers.
For example, a unique typeface would be a handwritten logo, which is of an informal nature. This kind of typeface can be used for an email newsletter platform.
Sending the Right Message
Those who don’t pay much attention to the design of a logo, should consider a different situation. When they have to go to a meeting, would they go dressed up like they are going to a party?
If they don’t wear something appropriate for an occasion, then it will make them look out of place, and they will be sending the wrong message. Similarly, if the right font is not used for a logo, then they would be sending the wrong message to the customer as well.
Similarly, if it is a financial firm, and they want people to feel secure with their services, then they have to choose a font accordingly.
The designer representing the financial firm will use a design, which conveys the message of confidence and trust. There are fonts which display this kind of message, like Optima, Interstate and FF Kievit.
Whatever typeface the designer chooses for the financial firm, it should have serious appeal for the target audience. If a financial firm uses the same typeface as Baskin Robins use for their ice-cream company logo, then that would send a really bad message to the potential customers.
Immediate Attention
Using the right typography would grab the attention of the customer, right away. Businesses would love it if their logo design was created in such a way that it appeals to the customer as soon as he sets his on it.
It is very important to choose a logo design carefully, because that logo design will be incorporated into business cards, letter heads, brochures and website headers.
If a designer is using two fonts, instead of one, then he needs to make sure that they complement each other well. The right size, leading and tracking are very important for typographic logo.
The designer has to find the perfect font that represents the business and the brand, which is why he can’t do it all in haste and has to be careful about it.
For example, consider the Facebook logo design. The characters attract the attention of customers, because they are easy to read, the font and the background complement each other, and they have become familiar with it.
However, the main reason the Facebook logo stands out is because of its legibility.
Aesthetic Appeal
A designer puts a lot of hard work in logo designing, because they want it to create aesthetic appeal. The logo should be pleasing to the eyes, and must attract the customer’s eye.
Consider the FedEx logo design. The ‘d’ and the ‘E’ are joined in a way that creates a really unique look for the logo.
For those who see the logo, it might create an instant feeling of liking and trust among them. It is a simple design, but it is creative, because it has connected two words together.
Moreover, if you pay more attention to the FedEx logo design, you will see there is a hidden white arrow, merged between the letter E and X.
The main reason why that arrow is there is because the brand wants to communicate the message that their service is quick, they move to deliver packages and their business has a dynamic nature.
Typography design does play an important part in logo design. Consider the logo of IBM; it is a very famous typography example. The logo gives off a very professional and firm look.
It shows that the logo represents a corporation, and they have maintained the main idea behind the logo for years now.
Many famous brands invest money and time in designing their logo, because that is something they will have representing their business, for a long time.
If the typography design of a logo is not done well, and not by a professional such as The Logo Creative, then it will send the wrong message to the customer.
This is something no company would want.
We hope you have enjoyed this article about Why Typography Plays an Important Role in Logo Design, and if you’re looking for a great read about everything Logo Design, then be sure to check out The Ultimate Guide to Logo Design eBook by our good friend Kyle Courtright is pack full of everything you will need.
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