What do you know about typography and different fonts?
A group of friends sit around a café table where the conversation is easy and effortless. In the distance, we can hear the hum of words with variations of tone of voice. We see hands gesturing, changing facial expressions and heads nodding affirmatively. We quickly assume that these are people who thrive in each other's company. Not because we hear what is being said, but because we read the mood based on body postures and facial expressions.
But, imagine if the faces of the same gang were expressionless, the conversations in a monotonous tone of voice and the postures stiff as sticks. In that case, we will probably be unsure whether these are friends and whether they thrive in teams. When the conversation lacks emotional signs, we also lose the opportunity to interpret the intention behind the words. According to Marcel Danesi, most people are capable of about 700.000 such characters, a professor of semiotics at the University of Toronto. Of these, he lists 1.000 different postures, 5.000 hand movements and 250.000 facial expressions in the book "Of cigarettes, high heels, and other interesting things." The overall message is that communication between people is as much non-verbal as verbal; the two are entirely dependent on each other.
It is in this perspective that typography is interesting. The fonts add the necessary emotional signs to the message that simplify the interpretation and reinforce the meaning. Now it is not certain that the number of different fonts can match the amounts of physical signs, but it is the closest we come to surfaces where the font dominates. We do not count the number of gestures in the meeting with other people, nor do we count the facial expressions. These slip imperceptibly into the subconscious and leave a certain feeling. It is the same with typography. It is at its best when we do not notice it. For the typographer, the rule will always be that it is the message that counts, never the messenger.
For such reasons, typography can be our reliable guide into the world of brands. We can sense a nature and personality through the fonts that characterise the various brands. If you take a closer look at each letter, you will also see the differences in shape and colour. Some are thick, others thin, angular, round, slender, full-bodied, tall and short. All of these are physical forms that are easily associated with other properties. Each font has, for that reason, an inherent meaning that can give depth and resonance to the message. In cases where the brand name makes no sense, it is the typography that saves the brand and gives it its distinctive character.
The German typographer, Erik Spiekermann, compares typography with shoes. This is not an unequal comparison, given the practical significance of the fonts. No one wants to wear the same shoes for sports, parties, everyday life and walking. The same goes for the style. The fonts must be chosen with a professionally competent care for what they are to perform. A text with a lot of numbers and facts will require a tight grip. Others may need to be looser in the snippet or simply look nicer to the reader.
Typography is also a time travel. The Art Deco script sends you back to the 30s, and the Fracture script (also called Gothic) places you safely in the Northern European Middle Ages. That writing went out of fashion at the beginning of the last century and is today associated with old church books and black metal music. It is worth mentioning that the German splendour book "Futura. Die Schrift", which topped the European Design Award a few years ago, presents a unique European cultural history from the interwar period based on the font Futura. Incidentally, it is not without ideological undertones. In its time, it was perceived as the very symbol of the liberal open-world spirit of the time in confrontation with the growing fascism — incidentally, an excellent example of the many meanings, possibilities and practical skills of typography.
Like our friends at the cafe, we do not laugh at sad stories, or cry when someone tells something cheerful. We also do not use a cheerful typography on a message that oozes seriousness. If in doubt, try putting an obituary in the Comic Sans font.
Words mean something, and so does the way they are presented.