Custom Typography

At Lien Design, we take our typography very seriously. The custom typography on any given packaging design can literally make or break a brand’s success, and we take that into consideration on every new project. 

Now of course there are a lot of different factors that attribute to a brand’s success, such as the photography, coloring, appropriate selling-points, overall brand positioning, targeting the correct demographic. Also there are external factors like the price-point, the competition, the markets current need for your product, etc. But for this page, I want to focus on the role typography has in making a package design successful. 

So why does custom typography matter?

Typography is one more way to connect with your consumer. When creating a brand’s logo, that is going to be attached to that brand for possibly decades, it’s important to pay attention to the details. Such as, is the type going to be timeless enough for the product? Is the type an appropriate font for your specific demographic? Will your customers associate themselves with your typography? In other words, if you have a slick, modern product, your typography needs to be modern. Likewise, if you have a product for kids, your typography should be fun, young and approachable. 

Is your brand easy to shop? 

The consumer is going to have a fraction of a second to scan it, so it better tell them exactly what it needs to in that fraction. So instead of searching the label closely, the new logo typography should hit them over the head, BAM! And I don’t mean that the logo needs to be necessarily “loud”, but it does need to quickly communicate to your specific audience exactly what your product is and does. 

Think of it like this. If your logo was written in a completely gibberish language that nobody could understand, would your target audience still get that the style of the logo is for them? That’s a good way to discern if the typography on your logo is doing its job. 

DIFFERENTIATE, but don't ALIENATE:

Your packaging design should be something that looks different than the competition, it should always look like it’s own unique brand. BUT, I never like to alienate the consumer to what is visually comfortable within a brand segment. 

Some clients that are new to branding don't like to hear that. But I chuckle when I see these far-out, crazy designs that young, hot-shot designers have created (and maybe even won awards for). But then the product doesn't sell... and a year later it's off the shelves. Not good. They didn’t do their jobs. Because they alienated the audience to what they were comfortable with buying. So it's a matter of balance, pushing the limits absolutely, but not throwing them off a cliff. 

The devil’s in the details:

Having small touches of uniqueness in your logo typography is key to a brand that is going to be memorable. Sometimes the details are subtle, barely noticeable (unless you’re a designer). But the consumer subconsciously makes a connection to your brand when they see these little differences in your typography. They may not even know it, but when you have a logo that is unique to your company, the consumer can connect it to your brand, and remember it, and that’s one more tool to making your product successful!
 

Tags: custom typography, custom illustration, type, branding, logo design, logo development