The startup web dev shop I work for is maturing and all the design/branding decisions that were thrown together early on are being reconsidered (logo, typeface, colors, ect…) for a big rebranding. One of the things I’m dealing with now is choosing a new typeface. Does anyone have tips on how to present this to the team for meaningful discussion?
In this day and age the options are so endless it is really tough to focus. I understand enough about typography to realize I’m not an expert by any means but in a company full of developers I’m the most experienced designer.
I understand a typeface with many weights is important and choosing the right character for the type of business ect… But even if we decided on a San Serif Humanist typeface the options are so vast. Going the route of popularity is an easy solution (i.e. Open Sans) but how do you present multiple examples to the team and create meaningful feedback and discussion without overwhelming them? Thank you in advance.
Answer
Limit their options. Lots of people like to think they are knowledgable in design, or typography, because ‘anyone can judge whether something looks good or not, right?’—while they aren’t. Don’t let them do your work for you.
My advice would be to do your research and deliver three options (possibly four), and present those to them, nothing more. Do present each option in a separate slide before jumbling them all together in one for side-by-side comparison. As chris hampshire notes, present the typography in the way (and colours!) it will be used, not just a pangram or two in black and white.
It would help matters a lot if you’d have some options to present that are distinctly different. If you present, say, Akdeniz Grotesk, Frutiger, and Open Sans, lots of laymen likely won’t see the difference. You can fine-tune decisions like those for yourself. That’s why you’re the designer and they aren’t.
Don’t forget that it’s often wise to go for two typefaces in an identity: typically a sans or a classic serif for bodytext, and any type for header text and titles. Do present combinations of those two, but don’t present more than four combinations at most. And don’t let them do the mixing and matching for you.
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : lustandfury , Answer Author : Vincent