Type Casting

With typography, as in architecture, every detail makes a difference. One of the first steps in constructing your firm’s graphic identity will likely be developing an appropriate logo.

 

1. First Impressions

It makes sense to select a typeface that reflects your firm’s outlook and positioning. To communicate expertise and capability, classic yet versatile fonts like Times New Roman, Palatino, Helvetica, and Futura can convey your get-down-to-business attitude.

If your organization cultivates a creative image—like the Victoria and Albert Museum—there’s plenty of opportunity to put that idea across with a more disruptive design.

 

 

2. Ready for Digital

When letterpress ruled the world, ornate and finely-delineated fonts could make a singularly artistic impact. Today, such typefaces would be blurred and pixelated beyond recognition when viewed on a computer screen. Branding fail! It’s critical to work with fonts that are optimized for digital use.

Your graphic designer will—or should—completely understand this concern. Lucida and Verdana are among fonts that have been designed exclusively for on-screen reading.

 

 

3. Think Ahead

Before committing to a font, think of the future. Will your graphic identity be able to age gracefully over time? Of course, it’s hard to anticipate if such a transition should be gradual and nuanced, or, in light of yet-undiscovered opportunities and events, it may need to make a big break from the past.

 

 

4. Think Even Farther Ahead

There’s an interesting new class of typefaces—let’s call them fonts with a conscience—that organizations which are serious about saving the world and/or saving a dollar might want to investigate.

Ecofonts are designed with tiny holes in the letter forms; virtually invisible, the little voids reduce the amount of ink needed for printing. (Full disclosure: Hausman LLC uses Garamond, a font which an intrepid young student has determined has both bottom-line and environmental benefits.)