WTF? What the Font?

Font always fascinated me. I remember when AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was extremely popular all throughout junior high and high school. Your font represented your personality. Comic sans used to be the coolest font and you could choose your favorite colors. Ah, brings me back.

In Spiekermann and Ginger’s, "Looking at Type", the authors create an academic perspective on why font is so important. In visual design, font is like a first impression, it can really make or break your opinion about your design. Using a shoe analogy, Spiekermann and Ginger compare the uses of fonts as dynamic and crucial as wearing the right shoes to the right event.

"Sometimes the letters have to work hard to get across straight facts or numbers, or they may need to dress up the words a little to make them more pleasant, more comfortable, or simply prettier" 

I took a Global Writing class last Spring and the Professor stressed the importance of using a clean visual, streamlined font especially for resumes! I never fathomed that font had such power. But reading, "Looking at Type", I see that there are endless varieties and choices when it comes to font. The choice is more important that I ever thought and now I will think twice about my designs. I guess even font has the ability to get your resume in the door for a entry level job. 

In terms of more creative outlets of design, the font can be as vibrant as your personality. I think that while it is still important to use fonts that are readable and easy on the eyes, the fonts can put in a strong narrative for your piece. For example, in an announcement flyer I made for my campus club, I used contrasting fonts to relay important information. I try to use fonts that match the image and my personality. 

I'm excited to try out more contrasting fonts and experiment with this mode of communication!