Giant kudos to Scott Jehl on releasing his new Web Components De-Mystified online course! Eight full hours of training from one of the best in the business.
Quick Hit #12 originally published on CSS-Tricks, which is part of the DigitalOcean family. You should get the newsletter.
Eric gifting us with his research on all the various things that anchors (not links) do when they are in :focus.
Turns out, there’s a lot!
That’s an understatement! This is an incredible amount of work, even if Eric calls it “dry as a toast sandwich.” Boring ain’t always a bad thing. Let me simply drop in a pen that Dave put together pulling all of Eric’s findings into a table organized to compare the different behaviors between operating systems — and additional tables for each specific platform — because I think it helps frame Eric’s points.
That really is a lot! But why on Earth go through the trouble of documenting all of this?
All of the previously documented behavior needs to be built in JavaScript, since we need to go the synthetic link route. It also means that it is code we need to set aside time and resources to maintain.
That also assumes that is even possible to recreate every expected feature in JavaScript, which is not true. It also leaves out the mental gymnastics required to make a business case for prioritizing engineering efforts to re-make each feature.
There’s the rub! These are the behaviors you’re gonna need to mimic and maintain if veering away from semantic, native web elements. So what Eric is generously providing is perhaps an ultimate argument against adopting frameworks — or rolling some custom system — that purposely abstract the accessible parts of the web, often in favor of DX.
As with anything, there’s more than meets the eye to all this. Eric’s got an exhaustive list at the end there that calls out all the various limitations of his research. Most of those notes sound to me like there are many, many other platforms, edge cases, user agent variations, assistive technologies, and considerations that could also be taken into account, meaning we could be responsible for a much longer list of behaviors than what’s already there.
And yes, this sweatshirt is incredible. Indeed.
Basic keyboard shortcut support for focused links originally published on CSS-Tricks, which is part of the DigitalOcean family. You should get the newsletter.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, brands are constantly seeking innovative ways to engage their audience. Across channels of email marketing, social media and within the marketing funnel, creative content is a key way that brands can build a relationship with their audiences.
This creates a challenge for brands: your social media content needs to renew itself daily, based on the latest memes and trends. Your website blog needs impactful bottom-of-funnel content to remind your customers that your products exist to change their lives. You need unique, powerful imagery to capture your customers’ imaginations. You may even need several iterations of all of this to A/B test!
Generative AI (GenAI) could be the solution, and everyone from ecommerce giants to small businesses is looking to streamline their marketing efforts with this powerful tool. But recent research has revealed a contradiction: 49% of consumers think that GenAI use harms brand authenticity.
As much as customers love engaging content, they also love authenticity. Any brand integrating generative AI in their marketing must be proactive to earn and keep the trust of their audience. Here’s how.
Consumers have more choice than ever about the brands they choose, meaning brands have to work harder than ever to create a connection with their audience that runs deeper than the price tag. Authenticity is a vital component of engaging your audience, generating trust and creating an emotional connection that integrates your products or services with your customers’ lifestyles.
Strengthening perceptions of authenticity leads to:
90% of millennials say authenticity is key when choosing a brand and authenticity is so important for brands that it’s become a topic of academic discussion. Authenticity should be at the heart of any brand strategy, and particularly when integrating AI into your marketing efforts.
Generative AI allows brands to create high-quality content quickly and in a scaleable way. Producing creative content is hard — with generative AI, there’s no such thing as a blank page. First drafts are ready-made, allowing you to get the ball rolling before adding a human touch. Here’s how brands are integrating GenAI into their marketing efforts:
Naming and Brand Strategy: AI can generate catchy brand names and build a coherent brand strategy in seconds, eliminating the painstaking initial brainstorming stages in brand building.
Creative Ad Copy: Writing persuasive ad copy that resonates with diverse audiences can be time-consuming, particularly when we’re A/B testing copy to hone in on the best results. GenAI can generate multiple variations of compelling copy, allowing marketers to test and optimize their campaigns efficiently.
Captivating Image Production: GenAI tools can edit and enhance images, helping brands maintain high visual standards without the constant need for professional designers. This can streamline your campaigns, allowing you to react to news, current affairs and trending memes with highly engaging, speedily produced visual content.
Engaging Social Media Content: A consistent stream of engaging content is essential in an algorithm-powered era. From generating witty tweets to creating engaging Instagram posts, GenAI can assist in maintaining a consistent and captivating social media presence.
GenAI is a powerful tool for brands looking to stay current and stand out. But according to our survey, nearly half of the respondents feel that generative AI harms perceptions of brand authenticity. This statistic highlights a significant challenge for marketers: How can brands leverage GenAI’s efficiencies without compromising the authentic connection with their audience?
Just one-third of consumers are confident they can spot GenAI content, creating an atmosphere of suspicion online. From political deep fakes to airbrushed ads, consumers might not always spot AI-generated content, but they will be questioning whether it’s there.
In this climate, one of the most effective ways to maintain authenticity when using GenAI is to be transparent about its use. 77% of consumers expect brands to be transparent about AI usage, and brands that openly disclose their use of AI are more likely to maintain trust.
While GenAI can generate content, adding a human touch is crucial to ensure it resonates authentically with the audience. Personalize your content by tailoring AI-generated content to reflect the brand’s unique voice, and targeting your customers’ specific needs.
Coca-Cola is one brand going all-in on the power of AI, but not forgetting that all-important human touch. “It’s all about AI and HI, artificial intelligence and human ingenuity”, said Europe CMO Javier Meza.
Using GenAI doesn’t mean brands should distance themselves from their audience — in fact, using AI to generate content can create another opportunity to ask your customer’s opinions. By encouraging discussions about AI and its role in content creation, and by staying open to feedback, you can strengthen perceptions of authenticity and reinforce trust.
Regularly ask your audience about their perceptions and comfort levels with AI-generated content, through polls and questioning social media posts. You can foster community discussions around the use of GenAI, and meaningfully address any concerns.
Brands should ensure that their use of GenAI aligns with their core values. Misalignment can lead to a perception of inauthenticity, so ensure you have a brand style guide in place that outlines your brand tone, and use it when creating prompts for GenAI content.
You might even reject generative AI altogether to emphasize your values, like Dove — a brand known for its commitment to natural beauty. Dove has publicly stated that they will never use AI-generated models in their advertising, and this stance reinforces their brand values and strengthens their authenticity in the eyes of their consumers.
Generative AI offers huge potential for brands to streamline content creation and enhance their marketing efforts, but it can’t come at the cost of authenticity. Through transparency and an alignment with brand values, brands can leverage GenAI whilst maintaining, or even strengthening, perceptions of authenticity.
Brand-building is a two-way street, a call-and-response act with your customers. When you’re integrating AI into your marketing efforts, be ready to listen to what they have to say.
Featured image by Google DeepMind
The post Winter of Discontent? How Brands Can Retain Authenticity While Using GenAI appeared first on noupe.
Shopify apps are like power-ups for your business, transforming your Shopify store from a basic online shop into a high-performing eCommerce powerhouse. In 2024, utilizing the right Shopify apps can give your store the competitive edge it needs.
This blog highlights the top seven Shopify apps that can elevate your store. Each app brings unique features and benefits, turning potential challenges into opportunities for growth.
Let’s get started!
The StoreRobo Import Export Suite helps store owners better handle data by facilitating the import and export of products, collections, customers, orders, and discounts using CSV files.
Bulk import and export using custom CSV files allows you to migrate data between stores. StoreRobo also allows you to schedule import and export actions by setting intervals for them.
StoreRobo facilitates transitioning from WooCommerce to Shopify by supporting bulk CSV imports and API connections to bring over products, customers, orders, and discounts. Store owners can also export products to the Google Shopping feed to easily integrate with Google Merchant Center. StoreRobo ensures that the export files include all necessary metadata and related information, supporting both simple and variable products.
If you prefer using FTP or SFTP, the app provides great support, letting you add multiple FTP accounts for data migration. You can also import data from public URLs like Google Sheets with ease.
Top feature: This import-export app from WebToffee lets you schedule the data migration process later.
StoreFrog Product Recommendations app uses algorithms to offer personalized product recommendations tailored to each visitor’s behavior and preferences. Store owners can decide on strategies like upselling and cross-selling, and then set up rules and filters for recommendations to manage what products are shown to which customers.
With automated recommendations, you can ensure that customers see relevant products without any manual configuration. This saves time and helps customers easily find what they’re looking for.
The app integrates into various store pages and showcases related products, best sellers, recently viewed items, and new arrivals. Presenting the right products at the right time encourages customers to explore more.
StoreFrog’s analytics measures the effectiveness of their recommendation strategies and offers insights into what works best for your audience. You can also customize recommendation widgets with regards to text and color to layout and font to best align with the branding.
Top feature: This Shopify recommendations app has advanced recommendation filters allowing store owners to customize which products must be displayed in the recommendation widget.
Genuine reviews and testimonials are a great way to drive sales in eCommerce. But, collecting them from customers can prove cumbersome for the average store owner. This is where Judge.me comes in. The app automates and customizes review requests through multiple channels, including web, email, push notifications, and SMS.
You can engage with reviewers by replying directly to their reviews and rewarding them with coupons. This encourages more feedback from customers while fostering stronger connections.
Judge.me supports unlimited review requests and includes free photos and videos in reviews for all users. Once generated, social proof can be promoted for increasing conversions.
With Judge.me, reviews can be shared on social media and you can also enhance SEO through rich snippets and Google Shopping. The option to create a carousel of featured reviews, with six different themes to choose from, allows for easy integration of reviews into any store design.
Top feature: You can automate review requests across various channels. It also includes an in-email review feature allowing customers to share their feedback directly within the email.
Privy automates marketing efforts and boosts conversions through popups, email and SMS. From email signup popups and abandoned cart emails to welcome messages and purchase thank-yous, the features of this app help in timely communication.
The app simplifies the creation of email newsletters with a drag-and-drop email editor and pre-built templates. You can also integrate products from your Shopify catalog directly into your emails.
Top feature: With Privy, you can utilize the power of SMS to send reminders after sign-up and cart abandonment. This helps you retain and better engage customers.
The PageFly Landing Page Builder helps users design their Shopify store with templates for a variety of pages and sections therein, all the while optimizing them for SEO. The drag-and-drop editor allows you to easily create your dream store.
Templates include those for landing pages, home pages, product pages, collections, blog posts, FAQs, etc. The app also allows the integration of conversion-focused elements like countdowns, sales banners, cross-selling widgets, and color swatches to improve customer engagement.
Responsive design ensures your store works great regardless of the device, with added customization options for each screen size. The tool is compatible with all Shopify themes. This enables in easy addition of sections without affecting the existing structure. It also integrates with other apps.
Top feature: PageFly simplifies customization with the no-code approach—making it accessible to all.
SearchPie SEO & Speed Optimize focuses on enhancing search rankings which results in more traffic and sales. When you integrate this comprehensive SEO solution into your Shopify store, your store will be sure to attract the attention it deserves.
Some features include identifying ideal keywords through Keyword Explore, generating optimized meta tags using AI, maintaining high image quality and decreasing the page load times. This optimization also extends to URLs, AMP, and Schema. A dedicated team of SEO experts supports you in resolving any issues promptly and maintaining smooth operations.
Daily reports highlight SEO issues, offering clear instructions for fixes. This saves time with one-click solutions for meta tags, alt tags, and images.
SearchPie provides an effective approach to improving SEO and page speed, making it an invaluable tool for store owners aiming for higher rankings and visibility.
Top feature: SearchPie addresses page speed with AMP and image compression, enhancing both desktop and mobile experiences. This improved performance helps retain customers, contributing to higher retention rates.
Order Printer Pro is a great solution for handling all your store’s documentation. From branded invoices and packing slips to returns forms and receipts, the app streamlines the process with automated printing and delivery.
You can add your brand’s logo and colors to professional templates for a quick setup, or fully customize them using code.
For efficient order management, the app supports bulk printing and exporting of draft orders. The automatic inclusion of a PDF link to the invoice in the order email helps improve order fulfillment. It also supports multiple languages and currencies.
The app’s flexible features also accommodate various order types. Moreover, you can send PDF quotes, include “pay now” links, generate necessary documents, and easily handle translations and tax information.
Top feature: This Shopify app allows to add a “pay now’ link in the PDF documents. This feature speeds up the payment process.
In summary, the right Shopify apps can transform your online store into a high-performing eCommerce platform. Such tools are integral for smoothening the store’s operations and driving sales growth. With solutions that cover everything from marketing and customer service to inventory management and fulfillment, Shopify apps offer the flexibility to scale with your business needs.
Investing in these apps is crucial for creating a competitive Shopify store.
Drop a comment if you found this blog insightful, and keep checking this space for more updates.
The post 7 Best Shopify Apps You Will Need for Your Store in 2024 appeared first on noupe.
A gem from Chris Ferdinandi that details how to use custom events to hook into Web Components. More importantly, Chris dutifully explains why custom events are a better fit than, say, callback functions.
With a typical JavaScript library, you pass callbacks in as part of the instantiate process. […] Because Web Components self-instantiate, though, there’s no easy way to do that.
There’s a way to use callback functions, just not an “easy” way to go about it.
JavaScript provides developers with a way to emit custom events that developers can listen for with the
Element.addEventListener()method.We can use custom events to let developers hook into the code that we write and run more code in response to when things happen. They provide a really flexible way to extend the functionality of a library or code base.
Don’t miss the nugget about canceling custom events!
Callbacks on Web Components? originally published on CSS-Tricks, which is part of the DigitalOcean family. You should get the newsletter.
If you have a small business or want to start one, conducting marketing research is vital to making informed business decisions. It’s a critical process that involves taking the time to understand your market, customers, and competitors to ensure your business is successful. Let’s take a closer look at how market research can help you make better business plans, develop products, and beat out the competition.
There are two main types of market research strategies:
Ideally, you should conduct both quantitative and qualitative research for your small business to get a complete understanding of your customer’s needs and the overall market.
Small business owners can greatly benefit from proper market research in a variety of ways:
It’s not enough just to do market research. To find the best insights, it’s critical to do it correctly.
Before you decide to start, take the time to clearly spell out your goals. This includes writing down the questions you want answered when you’ve gathered all your data, which can help streamline the process and give you direction.
Some examples include:
Market research can be time-consuming and expensive, especially if you want to have focus groups or conduct extensive studies. However, there are also affordable options, like asking for opinions on free websites such as Quora or Reddit. If you have an email list, a Facebook group, or an Instagram community, you can send out surveys or ask for feedback.
Regardless of the path you take, it’s essential to create a budget ahead of time. Market research is supposed to help you give insight into your customers, not create bad spending habits that might prevent you from hiring key staff or developing new products.
Finding out data about your target customer is important. Once you learn things such as how old they are, where they live, and the types of products and services they need, create a buyer persona.
This means creating a detailed profile of your ideal customer. You can even give them a name, hobbies, specific pain points, and an age. After all, millennial marketing will be different from marketing to Gen Z.
Use this persona whenever you think about building something to help your customers. You can use one (or several) buyer personas and ask yourself if you think it’d be a good fit for them. Even better, look for opportunities to find your customer’s unmet needs so you can develop ways to help them.
Researching your competition is an excellent way to determine what works with customers. There are likely companies with products and services similar to yours. Once you identify them, do what’s called a SWOT analysis, which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Look at your competition’s social media profiles, their marketing tactics, how they price their products or services, and their reviews. Use this information to see how you can better serve your customers, whether it’s with more competitive pricing, better customer service, or something else.
When you’re completing your research, gather several types of data using multiple data collection methods. Here are some examples of the types of research you can try:
Last but not least, regularly update your data. The market changes rapidly, and there are a variety of factors that can impact a business’s success. Once you take the time to conduct market research, make it a point to refresh it periodically. Look to see which products or services are performing best, and regularly read through customer feedback to see where you can improve.
Although running a small business can be challenging, being open to new ideas and staying on top of your industry can go a long way in ensuring you can keep growing your business for many years to come.
Featured Image by Arlington Research on Unsplash
The post 6 Tips for Conducting Effective Market Research for Small Businesses appeared first on noupe.
Picture this: You open Netflix, and it’s like the platform just knows what you’re in the mood for. Or maybe you’re browsing Amazon, and the products displayed feel like they were picked just for you. This isn’t just a happy coincidence — it’s machine learning-powered AI working behind the scenes to create a personalized experience just for you. In today’s digital world, where user experience (UX) can make or break a product, AI-driven personalization is changing the game.
Your company’s sensitive data is at a greater risk than ever before. Modern cyberattacks rarely look like questionable email attachments. Sophisticated hackers disguise malicious programs, hiding them deep in systems. Or they might create fake accounts that mimic real ones to fool your employees.
No matter its size, you must protect your business against cyberattacks on your systems, devices, and websites. In addition, a data recovery plan is necessary to recover after a potential breach.
Every company is vulnerable to attacks. The key is determining if any data threats are unique to your business. To understand this, you must assess all data risks in your company’s functions.
Any breach in financial, legal, and confidential data can put your company underwater or out of business. This is even more critical when customer data is compromised, which could be a primary threat for e-commerce and digital advertising projects. Data protection affects your company’s marketing efforts. Areas of concern include:
Additionally, smart cameras pose cybersecurity and privacy concerns. Any device that transmits video over the internet, like security and doorbell cameras, employs AI so that users can use footage. Some of the vulnerable functions these AI-powered cameras perform include:
When transmitted across the internet, this data is vulnerable to hacking, malware, and other data breaches. Since it’s password-protected, easily cracked passwords pose a risk. Some of these devices also lack encryption, which protects transmissions sent over the Internet. Finally, unauthorized users may illegally access these lines, providing them with a view of your facilities.
These security challenges aren’t impossible to overcome, however. Protect critical data by working with IT firms that have a solid track record in cybersecurity. Use secure cloud services to protect your data. Additionally, select smart cameras and other devices that use encryption. Your management teams should also write comprehensive security policies and train your staff on them.
There is no greater risk to your data than breaches. However, there is another area that is critical to safeguard: your website.
Websites are especially vulnerable to data breaches since they are often the primary point of contact for customers and consumers. It takes investment to website data breach-free, but the alternative is much more destructive.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a set of standards adopted in the European Union in 2016 to regulate data that can notify you of a breach. It is meant to protect customers, and companies worldwide often comply with these standards.
Beyond that, it may be difficult to assess if your systems have been breached without the best monitoring and prevention systems. Essential security elements include:
Management can take additional steps to protect sensitive data by creating policies to safeguard against cyberattacks, such as banning social media and putting corporate data on personal devices. Take the time to educate employees on these policies, as well as topics like GDPR and secure password creation.
Be sure that your IT department is following safe data protocols, too. Software and plugins must be up to date. If a system is too old to update, consider replacing it. Take any such recommendations from your IT department seriously and adjust your budget accordingly. Finally, have a reliable data backup system to restore lost or corrupted data.
Preventive measures are necessary but even so, you may still experience a cyberattack. That’s why every company should have a data breach recovery plan.
When a breach happens, a data breach recovery plan will help you spring into action immediately should something go awry. It provides a recovery process to quickly solve the breach and secure your data. It can also help your company weather legal ramifications, reduce consequences, and regain trust.
Start your preparations by defining a breach so that you can take the right actions at the right time. These plans should document the steps to contain and manage a data breach, including staff assignments and the chain of command. They should also cover various approaches to secure the breach and the requisite staffing to deal with the problem.
Assign a point person to manage notifying the affected stakeholders, including customers. It’s crucial to define the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in the recovery process and to document and track any incidents. This can help you refine the process and potentially implement additional security procedures.
How do you recover from a data security breach? Take action as soon as you know about the breach. Time is of the essence. It can take an average of 200 days to become aware of the security issue and over two months to resolve it. Once discovered, you must report the breach to the required regulatory authorities, if any, to safeguard your company from additional legal ramifications. Notify your legal team right away. You will need their guidance to steer through the crisis.
You also must step up security around all your systems, especially in affected areas. This may involve budgeting for a systems overhaul and hiring a cybersecurity specialist. In addition, the parties who had their data breached will need your support with resources like credit monitoring and identity theft protection. The more you can offer, the faster you can reclaim your reputation.
The only way to protect data from cyber threats is to build comprehensive data protection systems. Assess your vulnerabilities, defend your systems with protective measures, and have a plan for potential data breaches. Together, these preparations will safeguard your firm and see it through any crisis.
Featured image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
The post Essential Steps for Comprehensive Data Protection in Businesses appeared first on noupe.
Typography is much more than just text on a page — it forms the core of your design. As a designer, I always approach selecting types from two angles: as a creative adventure and as a technical challenge.
Choosing the right typeface for a company, product, or service is an immensely important task. At that moment, you’re not only aligning with the brand’s identity but also laying the foundation to reinforce the company or service’s brand. Finding the right typeface can be a time-consuming process that often begins with an endless search. During this search, you can get tangled up in the many different typefaces, which, over time, all start to look the same.
In this article, I aim to provide you with the essential background and tools to enhance your typography journey and apply this knowledge to your logo design. We will focus on three key pillars:
We will travel back in time to uncover the origins of various typefaces. By exploring different categories, we will illustrate the distinctions with examples and describe the unique characteristics of each category.
Additionally, we will discuss the different font weights and offer advice on when to use each variant. We will delve into letter-spacing and kerning, explaining what they are and how to effectively apply them in your logo designs.
Finally, we will examine how the right typeface choices can significantly influence the impact and success of a brand. With this structured approach, I will show you how to create a logo that is not only expressive but also purposeful and well-thought-out.
Understanding Typography in Logo Design
From the invention of the Gutenberg press in the mid-15th century through the creation of the first Slab Serif in 1815 and the design of the first digital typeface in 1968, the number of available fonts has grown exponentially. Today, websites like WhatFontIs, a font finder platform, catalogs over a million fonts.
So, the one downside of not being born in the 15th century is that your task of choosing the right font has grown enormously. And once you’ve made the right choice out of a million-plus fonts, there are still many pitfalls to watch out for.
Fortunately for us, all these fonts have already been categorized. In this article, we refer to the following four categories: serif, sans serif, script, and display typefaces. But why do we have these categories, and how do we benefit from them today?
Each category has its specific uses. Serif typefaces are often used for books due to their enhancement of readability on paper, while sans serif typefaces are ideal for screens because of their clean lines. Different typefaces also evoke different emotions: for example, script can convey elegance, while sans serif offers a more modern look. Additionally, typeface categories have a rich history, with Old Style Serifs inspired by Roman inscriptions and Modern Serifs designed for greater contrast.
Today, these categories provide a fundamental basis for choosing the right typeface for any project.
As mentioned, different typefaces evoke different emotions; like people, they convey distinct characteristics:
Historically, typefaces reflected cultural identities, but the “new typography” movement sought a universal style. Designers emphasized that typefaces should match the character of the text, a view also supported by the Bauhaus school.
We have touched upon the history of different typeface categories. Now, to make a good font choice, we need to explore these categories and see what sets them apart, as each one has specific characteristics. In this article, we refer to the following four categories:
Let’s take a closer look at each category.
A serif typeface is a typeface that features small lines or decorative elements at the ends of the strokes. These small lines are called “serifs”.
A sans-serif typeface is a typeface that lacks the small lines or decorative elements at the ends of the strokes, resulting in a clean and modern appearance. The term “sans-serif” comes from the French word “sans,” meaning “without,” so sans-serif translates to “without serif.”
A script typeface is a typeface that mimics the fluid strokes of handwriting or calligraphy, featuring connected letters and flowing strokes for an elegant or artistic appearance.
A display typeface is a typeface designed for large sizes, such as headlines or titles, characterized by bold, decorative elements that make a striking visual impact.
Experts link typeface characteristics to physical traits. Sans serif faces are perceived as cleaner and more modern, while rounded serifs are friendly and squared serifs are more official. Light typefaces are seen as delicate and feminine, and heavy ones are seen as strong and masculine. Some typefaces are designed to be child-friendly with smoother shapes. Traditional serifs are often considered bookish, while sans serifs are seen as modern and no-nonsense.
Based on the provided context, we can assign the following characteristics per category:
Let me provide you with a real real-life logo example to help visualize how different typeface categories convey these characteristics.
We’re focusing on ING, a major bank headquartered in the Netherlands. Before we dive into the logo itself, let’s first zoom in on some brand values. On their website, it is stated that they “value integrity above all” and “will not ignore, tolerate, or excuse behavior that breaches our values. To do so would break the trust of society and the trust of the thousands of colleagues who do the right thing.”
Given the strong emphasis on integrity, trust, and adherence to values, the most suitable typeface category would likely be a serif.
The serif font in the ING logo conveys a sense of authority, professionalism, and experience associated with the brand.
Let’s choose a different font for the logo. The font used in the example is Poppins Bold, a geometric sans-serif typeface.
The sans-serif typeface in this version of the ING logo conveys modernity, simplicity, and accessibility. These are all great traits for a company to convey, but they align less with the brand’s chosen values of integrity, trust, and adherence to tradition. A serif typeface often represents these traits more effectively. While the sans-serif version of the logo may be more accessible and modern, it could also convey a sense of casualness that misaligns with the brand’s values.
So let’s see these traits in action with a game called “Assign the Trait.” The rules are simple: you are shown two different fonts, and you choose which font best represents the given trait.
Understanding these typeface personas is crucial when aligning typography with a company’s brand identity. The choice of typeface should reflect and reinforce the brand’s characteristics and values, ensuring a cohesive and impactful visual identity.
We covered a lot of ground, and I hope you now have a better understanding of different typeface categories and their characteristics. I also hope that the little game of “Assign the Trait” has given you a better grasp of the differences between them. This game would also be great to play while you’re walking your dog or going for a run. See a certain logo on the back of a lorry? Which typeface category does it belong to, and what traits does it convey?
Now, let’s further explore the importance of aligning the typeface with the brand identity.
Brand Identity and Consistency
The most important aspect when choosing a typeface is that it aligns with the company’s brand identity. We have reviewed various typeface options, and each has its unique characteristics. You can link these characteristics to those of the company.
As discussed in the previous section, a sans-serif is more “modern” and “no-nonsense”. So, for a modern company, a sleek sans-serif typeface often fits better than a classic Serif typeface. In the previous section, we examined the ING logo and how the use of a sans-serif typeface gave it a more modern appearance, but it also reduced the emphasis on certain traits that ING wants to convey with its brand.
To further illustrate the impact of typeface on logo design, let’s explore some more ‘extreme’ examples.
Our first ‘Extreme’ example is Haribo, which is an iconic gummy candy brand. They use a custom sans-serif typeface.
Let’s zoom in on a couple of characteristics of the typeface and explore why this is a great match for the brand.
The second up is Fanta, a global soft drink brand that also uses a custom sans-serif typeface.
Using these ‘extreme’ cases, we can really see the power that a well-aligned typeface can have. Both cases embody the fun and friendly values of the brand. While the nuances may be more subtle in other cases, the power is still there.
Now, let’s delve deeper into the different typefaces and also look at weight, style, and letter spacing.
Now that we have a background of the different typeface categories, let’s zoom in on three other elements of typography in logo design:
Each category of typefaces has a multitude of options. The choice of the right typeface is crucial and perhaps the most important decision when designing a logo. It’s important to realize that often, there isn’t a single ‘best’ choice. To illustrate, we have four variations of the Adidas logo below. Each typeface could be considered a good choice. It’s crucial not to get fixated on finding the perfect typeface. Instead, ensure it aligns with the brand identity and looks good in practical use.
These four typefaces could arguably all be great choices for the Adidas brand, as they each possess the clean, bold, and sans-serif qualities that align with the brand’s values of innovation, courage, and ownership. While the details of typeface selection are important, it’s essential not to get overly fixated on them. The key is to ensure that the typeface resonates with the brand’s identity and communicates its core values effectively. Ultimately, the right typeface is one that not only looks good but also embodies the spirit and essence of the brand.
Let’s zoom in on the different weights and styles each typeface offers.
Each typeface can range from 1 to more than 10 different styles, including choices such as Roman and Italic and various weights like Light, Regular, Semi-Bold, and Bold.
Personally, I often lean towards a Roman in Semi-Bold or Bold variant, but this choice heavily depends on the desired appearance, brand name, and brand identity. So, how do you know which font weight to choose?
When to choose bold fonts
An important aspect of typography is overall word spacing, also known as tracking. This refers to the overall spacing between characters in a block of text. By adjusting the tracking in logo design, we can influence the overall look of the logo. We can make a logo more spacious and open or more compact and tight with minimal adjustments.
Designer and design educator Ellen Lupton states that kerning adjusts the spacing between individual characters in a typeface to ensure visual uniformity. When letters are spaced too uniformly, gaps can appear around certain letters like W, Y, V, T, and L. Modern digital typefaces use kerning pairs tables to control these spaces and create a more balanced look.
Tracking and kerning are often confused. To clarify, tracking (letter-spacing) adjusts the space between all letters uniformly, while kerning specifically involves adjusting the distance between individual pairs of letters to improve the readability and aesthetics of the text.
In the example shown below, we observe the concept of kerning in typography. The middle instance of “LEAF” displays the word without any kerning adjustments, where the spacing between each letter is uniform and unaltered.
In the first “LEAF,” kerning adjustments have been applied between the letters ‘A’ and ‘F’, reducing the space between them to create a more visually appealing and cohesive pair.
In the last “LEAF,” kerning has been applied differently, adjusting the space between ‘E’ and ‘A’. This alteration shifts the visual balance of the word, showing how kerning can change the aesthetics and readability of text (or logo) by fine-tuning the spacing between individual letter pairs.
Essential Techniques for Selecting Typefaces
As we discussed earlier, different categories of typefaces have unique characteristics that can align well with, or deviate from, the brand identity you want to convey. This is a great starting point on which to base your initial choice.
A large part of the creative process is seeking inspiration. Especially now that you’ve been able to make a choice regarding category, it’s interesting to see the different typefaces in action. This helps you visualize what does and doesn’t work for your brand. Below, I share a selection of my favorite inspiration sources:
Some typefaces are used more frequently than others. Therefore, choosing typefaces that have been tried and tested over the years is a good starting point. It’s important to distinguish between a popular typeface and a trendy one. In this context, I refer to typefaces that have been “popular” for a long time. Let’s break down some of these typefaces.
One of the most well-known typefaces is Helvetica, renowned for its intrinsic legibility and clarity since its 1957 debut. Helvetica’s tall x-height, open counters, and neutral letterforms allow it to lend a clean and professional look to any logo.
Some well-known brands that use Helvetica are BMW, Lufthansa, and Nestlé.
Futura) has been helping brands convey their identity for almost a century. Designed in 1927, it is celebrated for its geometric simplicity and modernist design. Futura’s precise and clean lines give it a distinctive and timeless look.
Some well-known brands that use Futura are Louis Vuitton, Red Bull, and FedEx.
That said, you naturally have all the creative freedom, and making a bold choice can turn out fantastic, especially for brands where this is desirable.
Combining typefaces is a challenging task. But if you want to create a logo with two different typefaces, make sure there is enough contrast between the two. For example, combine a serif with a sans-serif. If the two typefaces look too similar, it’s better to stick to one typeface. That said, I would never choose more than two typefaces for your logo.
Let’s Build a Brand Logo
Now that we’ve gone through the above steps, it seems a good time for a practical example. Theory is useful, but only when you put it into practice will you notice that you become more adept at it.
TIP: Try creating a text logo yourself. First, we’ll need to do a company briefing where we come up with a name, define various characteristics, and create a brand identity. This is a great way to get to know your fictional brand.
Bonus challenge: If you want to go one step further, you can also include a logo mark in the briefing. In the following steps, we are going to choose a typeface that suits the brand’s identity and characteristics. For an added challenge, include the logo mark at the start so the typeface has to match your logo mark as well. You can find great graphics at Iconfinder.
Company Name: EcoWave
Characteristics:
Brand Identity: EcoWave is committed to a greener future. We provide sustainable and eco-friendly products that are essential for a better environment. Our advanced technologies and high-quality solutions enable customers to save energy and minimize their ecological footprint. EcoWave is more than just a brand; we represent a movement towards a more sustainable world with a special focus on combating marine pollution.
Keyword: Sustainability
Now that we’ve been briefed, we can start with the following steps:
Let’s go over the steps for EcoWave:
1. Sustainable, Trustworthy, Innovative.
2. The briefing and brand focus primarily on innovation. When we match this aspect with the characteristics of typefaces, everything points to a Sans-Serif font, which offers a modern and innovative look.
3. Example Mood Board
4. Ultimately, I chose the IBM Plex Sans typeface. This modern, sans-serif typeface offers a fresh and contemporary look. It fits excellently with the innovative and sustainable characteristics of EcoWave. Below are the steps from the initial choice to the final result:
IBM Plex Sans Regular
IBM Plex Sans Bold
IBM Plex Sans Bold & Custom letter-spacing
IBM Plex Sans Bold & Custom edges
5. Here, you see the typeface in action. For me, this is a perfect match with the brand’s identity. The look feels just right.
Expert Insights and Trends in Typographic Logo Design
Those interested in typography might find ‘The Elements of Typographic Style’ by Robert Bringhurst insightful. In this section, I want to share an interesting part about the importance of choosing a typeface that suits the specific task.
“Choose faces that suit the task as well as the subject. You are designing, let us say, a book about bicycle racing. You have found in the specimen books a typeface called Bicycle, which has spokes in the O, an A in the shape of a racing seat, a T that resembles a set of racing handlebars, and tiny cleated shoes perched on the long, one-sided serifs of ascenders and descenders, like pumping feet on the pedals. Surely this is the perfect face for your book?
Actually, typefaces and racing bikes are very much alike. Both are ideas as well as machines, and neither should be burdened with excess drag or baggage. Pictures of pumping feet will not make the type go faster, any more than smoke trails, pictures of rocket ships, or imitation lightning bolts tied to the frame will improve the speed of the bike.
The best type for a book about bicycle racing will be, first of all, an inherently good type. Second, it will be a good type for books, which means a good type for comfortable long-distance reading. Third, it will be a type sympathetic to the theme. It will probably be lean, strong, and swift; perhaps it will also be Italian. But it is unlikely to be carrying excess ornament or freight and unlikely to be indulging in a masquerade.”
— Robert Bringhurst
As Robert Bringhurst illustrates, choosing a typeface should be appropriate not only for the subject but also for the specific task. What lessons can we draw from this for our typeface choice in our logo?
The typeface must be legible in various sizes and on different mediums, from business cards to billboards. A well-designed logo should be easy to reproduce without loss of clarity.
Suppose we have a brand in the bicycle industry, an innovative and modern company. In Robert Bringhurst’s example, we choose the typeface Bicycle, which, due to its name, seems to perfectly match bicycles. However, the typeface described by Robert is a serif font with many decorative elements, which does not align with the desired modern and innovative look of our brand. Therefore, this would be a mismatch.
“Styles come and go. Good design is a language, not a style.”
In this part, we discuss some new trends. However, it is also important to highlight the above quote. The basic principles we mention have been applicable for a long time and will continue to be. It can be both fun and challenging to follow the latest trends, but it is essential to integrate them with your basic principles.
Minimalism in Logo Design remains one of the major trends this year. The most characteristic aspect of this style is to limit the logo to the most essential elements. This creates a clear and timeless character. In typography, this is beneficial for readability and, at the same time, effectively communicating the brand identity in a timeless manner. We also see this well reflected in the rebranding of the fast-food chain Ashton.
Another growing trend is customization in typography, where designers create personalized typefaces or modify existing typefaces to give the brand a unique look. This can range from subtle adjustments in letterforms to developing a completely custom typeface. Such an approach can contribute to a distinctive visual identity. A good example of this can be seen in the Apex logo, where the ‘A’ and ‘e’ are specifically adjusted.
Conclusion
We now know that choosing the right typeface for a logo goes beyond personal taste. It has a significant impact on how powerful and recognizable a brand becomes. In this article, we have seen that finding the perfect typeface is a challenge that requires both creativity and a practical approach. With a strong focus on three key aspects:
We have seen that finding the right typeface can be a quest, and personal preferences certainly play a role, but with the right tools, this process can be made much easier. The goal is to create a logo that is not only beautiful but also truly adds value by resonating with the people you want to reach and strengthening the brand’s key values.
We also looked at how trends can influence the longevity of your logo. It is important to be trendy, but it is equally important to remain true to timeless principles.
In summary,
Truly understanding both the technical details and the emotional impact of typefaces is enormously important for designing a logo. This knowledge helps to develop brands that not only look good but also have a deeper strategic impact — a strong brand.
And for those of you who are interested in diving deeper, I’ve tried to capture the fundamentals we’ve discussed in this article, focusing on good typeface choices, font weights, and letter spacing in a tool huisstijl. While it’s not perfect yet, I hope it can help some people create a simple brand identity that they love.
Hey look at that, the State of CSS Survey for 2024 is open and taking submissions.
Quick Hit #11 originally published on CSS-Tricks, which is part of the DigitalOcean family. You should get the newsletter.
