As a designer for over a decade now, I’ve heard and seen a lot — and there’s one common mistakes so many business owners make over and over again.
The mistake? Shaping their brand to please their own likes and dislikes, rather than aligning with their actual brand and audience.
Just this week, I received feedback on a new website design that wished to include cursive, script-style fonts to help it appear more “feminine” — the problem? This is not their brand.
Cursive fonts speak to a very specific audience, and carry such a strong sense of style and emotion.
Some might think, “But I like cursive fonts”!
Guess what? Your audience doesn’t actually care what you like — they are trying to buy your product/service, not buy into your likes and dislikes.
The impact that font choices have
When you choose a font for your brand, you are dedicating that font to be the font you will use everywhere — so this font needs to look, feel and speak who your business is.
Here are a few ways your font choice matters:
- Fonts shape perception: professionalism, trust, playfulness, luxury, etc.
- Readability and accessibility can impact your users experience
- A disconnect between the brand voice and font can confuse visitors — and even worse, lose credibility.
How to choose fonts that work
So if you’re thinking now — how can I avoid this mistake?
Well, first and foremost, you should consult with a designer since their expertise will help you align your brand with the right font.
But if you’re implementing on your own, here’s some tips to consider:
- Prioritize clarity over creativity: don’t use your font as the vehicle for getting too wild, this can be done in other ways.
- Consider brand personality first (e.g., luxury vs. tech vs. casual).
- Think of your audience demographic and determine what meets both your brand and their needs (e.g. if your audience is 55+, you’ll need clean, simple fonts that are sized large enough for readability)
- Stick to a simple font pairing (one for headings, one for body copy) for consistency.
A well-chosen font improves user trust, readability, and engagement.
The wrong font, however, decided by your own likes and dislikes, creates friction and dilutes brand recognition.
Bad fonts can cost you money — but the right fonts can make you money.
At the end of the day, typography isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about communication and conversion.
So before you pick a font just because you “like it,” ask yourself: Does this font serve my brand and my audience?
See you next time,
