Did you ever wonder, if Times New Roman is the standard font that everyone uses, what on earth are all these other fonts for? Imagine what a bland world it would be with just one standard font. Take the Netflix logo for example. If it was just in Times New Roman typeface in black, it wouldn’t be memorable, would it? That’s where Typography comes in! Typography is important in everyday life. Without it we wouldn’t be able to communicate messages effectively!
So, what is Typography? “Typography is the strategic arrangement of type in order to make written language readable and visually appealing.” Some may think typeface and font are the same thing but they’re not. Typeface consists of a family of fonts that express different styles for that typeface. Some styles are bold, italic, regular, etc. Using features like Contrast, Hierarchy, Color, Alignment, and Consistency, we see elements of typeface design. With Contrast, a designer will change or work with various typeface styles and color to make the design stand out.
With Hierarchy, Graphic Designers arrange typefaces and use font sizes to create dynamic designs that grab the viewer’s attention. Color helps establish the tone of the message and helps it pop. Alignment helps make sure there is the same amount of space between fonts and images to create a neat design. Consistency between your typefaces ensures a clean and messy-free design and helps create a visual pattern for viewers.
In Typography we use typefaces to convey different ideas, feelings and emotions. For example, the Serif family of typefaces conveys respectability and reliability, the Sans Serif family conveys stability and clarity, the Script family conveys elegance and creativity, the Modern family conveys strength, and the Display family conveys friendliness and expressiveness. Picking your typeface is an important part of the design in creating your message.
Typography is important for Media and Marketing whose primary function is to communicate, advertise and sell to consumers. It helps to build brand recognition, show personality, deliver an effective message, and make an impact. Helping to build brand recognition is a vital component of Typography. Using the appropriate typeface helps to convey a mood or tone for that brand that is memorable and conveys what the brand is about. As a consumer you are attracted to a brand without realizing what got your attention. Consistent use of a typeface in logo design helps to reinforce brand identity. “The Coca-Cola typeface script for example is instantly recognizable because they have been so consistent in applying it for so many years.” If you consider the Disney logo, it’s memorable because it’s playful and friendly. They want to appeal to young children and adults alike. That’s the power of Typography!
There is more to typography than just choosing a font. Typography teaches us how to arrange type in order to make written language readable and appealing. With all the tools available to us today, we have the ability to create messages that create an emotional connection to the consumer to make the consumer interested. Typography is essential to Media and Marketing because it helps build a brand. Without Typography building brand recognition with a clear, concise message would be very challenging.
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