How to choose a typeface for your brand (without a design degree)

Typography is one of the most powerful tools in visual communication. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Here is a practical guide to making good decisions about type without needing to be a designer.

The typeface you use says something about your organisation before anyone reads a single word. A playful rounded font communicates something very different from a serious serif. Getting this right is not complicated, but it is worth being intentional about.

The basic categories

Typefaces fall into a few broad families. Understanding the main ones is enough to make informed decisions.

1. 1

   Serif typefaces have small decorative strokes at the ends of letters. Times New Roman is the classic example. They tend to communicate tradition, authority, and heritage. They are often used by legal, financial, and heritage organisations.

2. 2

   Sans-serif typefaces have no decorative strokes. Arial and Helvetica are the most familiar examples. They tend to feel modern, clean, and approachable. They are the most commonly used category for contemporary branding.

3. 3

   Script typefaces mimic handwriting. They can feel personal and human, but are easily overused and should generally be deployed sparingly if at all.

Pairing typefaces

Most brands use two typefaces: one for headings and one for body copy. The most reliable approach is to pair a more characterful typeface for headings with a clean, neutral typeface for body text.

Google Fonts (fonts.google.com) is a free resource that contains hundreds of typefaces you can use without paying licensing fees. The site also includes popular pairing suggestions.

A common and safe pairing: a bold, distinctive sans-serif for headings paired with a simple, highly readable sans-serif for body copy. Many excellent brand identities use nothing more complex than this.

Questions to ask yourself

When evaluating whether a typeface is right for your brand, ask:

1. 1

   Is it readable at small sizes? A typeface that looks beautiful at display size may become illegible in body copy.

2. 2

   Does it work in bold? You will need to use it at varying weights. Check that the bold version looks as intentional as the regular.

3. 3

   Does it convey the right feeling? Show it to someone who does not know your organisation and ask what it communicates.

4. 4

   Is it licensed correctly? If you are using a typeface commercially, ensure you have the appropriate licence.

When to leave it to a designer

Typography is a discipline designers spend years studying. If your brand is going to be used extensively across print and digital, investing in professional typographic choices as part of a brand identity project will pay back over years of consistent, cohesive-looking materials.

If you are making a quick decision for an early-stage organisation, choosing a clean, free typeface from Google Fonts is a perfectly reasonable interim choice.

About the Author

Dan Deveney is a digital designer, educational specialist, and developer based near Dartmoor in Devon. Through Granite & Glitch, he works with small businesses, charities, and community groups to create accessible, high-performance digital projects, drawing on more than 15 years of experience across design, education, and development.