Laura Busche
March 31, 2021 · 5 min read
Inferences
Viewers and readers make many inferences about a design simply from the style of the text, often without realizing how it affects their perception. For example, the application of bold styling to text or a typeface that is bolder than average almost universally indicates weight and importance. This gives more prominence to the text in this font than to other text in the same design. Another example of inferences that are made based on typographic design include italics, which can signify a more subtle emphasis or, in some cases, indicate sarcasm. Spend a few seconds noticing the impact that bolding and italicizing certain words had in the last few sentences. Other types of typographic symbolism are also universal, and should be used carefully in design. Script fonts are used to imply elegance or sophistication, which is why luxury brands and many wedding invitations often use them.Visual and Verbal Meaning
Font choice can also serve as a memory aid for viewers, especially when the chosen typeface’s visual style closely matches the verbal meaning of the text. This includes some of the thematic font styles mentioned above, as well as more basic aspects of typography, such as weight and height. According to the Gestalt Theory of Intensity, the word “tall” in an elongated typeface gives an even clearer picture of height than the same word in a typeface with a more average height. This can be seen in a 1986 study showing that a font choice benefited from being similarly featured to the product that it is promoting.Legibility
The legibility of typographic design is important for more reasons than the ability to read the text. Results from studies in this area of type psychology are almost counter-intuitive: most would assume that a more legible font would facilitate easier recall of text. However, typefaces that are difficult to read increase the time spent reading the text they display, causing readers to slow down and read more carefully. This, in turn, improves memory of the text and its meaning. Of course, there is a point where the level of illegibility far outweighs the benefits of a disfluency that benefits memory.
15 Pre-designed Font Combinations
Free Font Pairing Cheatsheet
We’ve curated a list of font styles that work well together so you can design interesting type lockups in minutes.
Download the cheatsheetLook and Feel
This same effect of disrupting fluency — slowing down the readers’ usual speed — is also evident when the typefaces in a design are unique or new to the viewer. The novelty of a typeface naturally causes viewers to take special notice, therefore creating better recall. Even though congruency between a typeface style and what it describes can cement a design’s meaning, dissonance between visual and verbal meaning can result in a longer time needed for the reader to process a design.Conclusion
When it comes to sending a message through design, typeface decisions are just as important, if not more so, than colors. Psychological studies related to typography make it clear that designers must consider the inferences, visual meaning, legibility, and look and feel of selected fonts in order to make their designs as effective as they can be.Products Seen In This Post:

15 Pre-designed Font Combinations
Free Font Pairing Cheatsheet
We've curated a list of font styles that work well together so you can design interesting type lockups in minutes.
Download the cheatsheetAbout the Author

Laura Busche
Brand strategist. Creating design tools to empower creative entrepreneurs. Author of the Lean Branding book. MA in Design Management from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
View More Posts