Say It With the ‘Right’ Typeface

In 2012, CERN announced the discovery of the Higgs boson, a particle that gives mass to all other particles. They did this using Comic Sans font. The use of the font caused a (then) Twitter storm. People said it was totally inappropriate. Later, in a very tongue-in-cheek fashion, Cern announced:

From today, all of Cern’s official communication channels are switching to exclusive use of the font Comic Sans... According to our calculations, 80 percent of the success of the presentation came not from the discovery of a fundamental particle that explains the Brout-Englert-Higgs mechanism for how particles get mass, but from the choice of font.

Product details matter. The shape of a box, the color, and even the type of ribbon used—it can all change a consumer’s perception. All aesthetic components can change how much people like an item as well as whether they decide to engage with it or possibly buy it. And as the Cern story tells us, the font matters too.

Just as any other aesthetic element, the font used on products can influence how something is perceived. It appears that different types of typefaces have different kinds of personalities, and Comic Sans tends to rate low on looking professional and high on being seen as friendly. Not the best fit for an announcement of a serious scientific discovery.

The fact that typeface influences the reader’s perception means that it can be used to convey or reinforce a particular brand image.

Source: Lum3n / Pexels

Fonts have traits, too

When people read, they simultaneously process what the typeface looks like: this, in turn, can change how they think about what they are reading. Generally, it is easier to read words that are shown in a typeface that has a personality that matches the words’ meaning.

This is consistent with other types of consumer designs, whereby it has been found that congruency is often key for easy processing. For example, if the visual appearance of a product also feels the way it looks, it is easier for consumers to process the information and determine if they like it.

Fonts with tick lines have been found to signal strength; perhaps this is simply a reflection of real life, in that materials that are thicker are usually stronger. This may also explain why thin fonts are not perceived as weak, as there can be strength of sorts in thin matters such as spider webs and human hair. The fact that irregular font strokes, such as Bradley Hand, are perceived as weak also supports the idea of real-life associations—an irregular leaf that is fragile or a pinecone where the dry scales may easily snap.

Emotional representation

As with many aesthetic concepts, typeface is also aligned with emotional meaning. This is notable from a study where participants were presented with ambiguous messages in several different typefaces. It was found that a happy-looking font led to a positive interpretation of the message, while a negative-looking typeface generated a more negative perception of the message. Thus, a specific typeface can be used to influence consumers’ emotional responses. Imagine if someone has a negative view of counseling—using a positive typeface in a brochure may help to generate a more positive perspective on what they are reading.

When communicating with consumers, it may also be a good idea to stay away from typefaces where the letters are closer together, such as Helvetica Medium Condensed, as it tends to signal sadness. Something that may be more suited for personal communication between two people.

The font may influence you, but it will most likely happen subconsciously and in conjunction with other design factors. From a product design perspective, it should be of interest to utilize the “right” kind of font as it will have the ability to reinforce a particular brand or product perception.