Fonts & Feelings
Typography is one of the most underestimated parts of branding. People treat fonts like decoration… like the final flourish you add once you’ve done the “real” work.
But fonts are not the sprinkles. They’re the flavour.
Typography is emotional communication. It’s tone of voice before a single word is read. It’s the difference between “professional and trusted” and “I’m not sure this is legit.” Between “calm and safe” and “my eyes are stressed.”
If colour is mood, typography is personality. It’s the way your brand speaks without speaking. And your audience is listening through their nervous system, instincts, and pattern-recognition brain.
So let’s discuss fonts and feelings: what typography signals, why it matters, and how to choose type that fits both your brand and your people.
The Emotional Toll
When someone lands on your website or sees your social media posts, they don’t read it like a novel. They scan. They sense. They decide in seconds whether they trust you, whether you feel “for them,” and whether it’s worth staying.
Typography influences that decision because it affects three things instantly:
Perception of credibility (does this look professional?)
Ease of processing (is this comfortable to read?)
Emotional tone (what does this feel like?)
In psychology, there’s a concept called processing fluency: when something is easy to read and understand, it’s more likely to feel trustworthy and “true.” When something is hard to read, the brain works harder, and that effort can translate into tension or doubt. In branding terms: if your font choice makes people strain, they leave.
Typography can lower friction or create it. It can soothe, energise, or overwhelm. And it can signal who you are.
Fonts as Identity Signals
Every font carries cultural baggage. Not necessarily in a bad way. It’s just the truth. Fonts have history. Associations. Context. And we subconsciously interpret them.
Here’s how that tends to play out.
Serif Fonts: Thoughtful, Established, Intimate
Serifs are the fonts with “feet.” You know? Those little strokes at the end of letters. They often feel traditional, credible, and grounded. Depending on the serif, they can also feel romantic and literary.
Common emotional signals:
Trust
Sophistication
Heritage
Depth
Stability
Great for:
Writers, coaches, consultants
Premium service brands
Therapists and practitioners who want a calm, steady tone
Brands with an “editorial” or story-led feel
Watch-outs:
Some serifs can feel too formal or old-fashioned if paired poorly
Thin serifs can be hard to read on mobile if you use light weights
Sans-Serif Fonts: Modern, Clean, Accessible
Sans-serifs don’t have the extra strokes (my website’s body copy font is a sans-serif font). They often read as contemporary and clear, and they’re typically very legible on screen.
Common emotional signals:
Clarity
Simplicity
Friendliness (especially rounded sans)
Confidence without fuss
Great for:
Health and wellness brands that need clarity and trust
Modern studios, agencies, product brands
Accessibility-first brands
Anyone who wants “clean and calm”
Watch-outs:
Some geometric sans-serif fonts can feel cold or corporate if there’s no warmth elsewhere (eg. tone of voice, imagery, spacing)
Script & Handwritten Fonts: Expressive, Personal, Creative
Scripts can feel intimate and human, like a signature. They can also feel chaotic, inaccessible, or overly “pretty” if used in the wrong context.
Common emotional signals:
Softness
Romance
Creativity
Personality
Great for:
Select accents (logos, headings used sparingly)
Artists, makers, beauty brands
Brands built around personal touch
Watch-outs (big ones):
Many scripts are difficult to read, especially for people with dyslexia, low vision, ADHD, or cognitive fatigue
Scripts use for body text almost always create strain
Overuse can make a brand feel less credible especially in health or professional services
For your audience includes overwhelmed, neurodivergent, chronically ill, or anxious humans (which is… most humans these days), readability isn’t optional. It’s care.
Display Fonts: Bold, Strong, High Impact
Display fonts are designed to stand out. They can be quirky, edgy, retro, luxurious, and rebellious.
Common emotional signals:
Confidence
Individuality
Creativity
Attitude
Great for:
Headlines, campaign graphics, posters
Rebels, creators, niche brands with a strong point of view
Watch-outs:
Display fonts can date quickly
Too many display fonts can make your brand feel inconsistent and loud
They need strong pairing with a readable body font
Typography & Your Audience
Typography isn’t just aesthetics. It’s physical. Your eyes and brain are doing labour. If your audience is:
Reading on mobile between appointments
Exhausted after work
Living with chronic illness or pain
Neurodivergent
Anxious, burnt out, or overwhelmed
…then your typography needs to be kind.
“Kind typography” looks like:
Generous line spacing (so text can breathe)
Readable font sizes (especially on mobile)
Strong contrast (so people don’t squint)
Clear hierarchy (so scanning is effortless)
Simple pairings (so the brain isn’t decoding style changes constantly)
This is why typography is a human-centred decision. It’s not about what you like, but rather what people are able to process on even their worst days.
How to Choose Fonts That Actually Fit?
Here’s a simple, practical method I use in brand strategy work that might help you to choose fonts that actually work for your business, all the while without spiralling into a deep depression.
Step 1: Name the feeling you want your brand to evoke
Choose 3 words. For example:
Calm, credible, warm
Bold, modern, rebellious
Playful, welcoming, energetic
Romantic, luxe, intimate
Your font choices should support those words (not fight them for attention!)
Step 2: Decide your role in your client’s life
Are you a guide? A challenger? A comfort? A catalyst?
Guide brands often suit clear and steady typography
Challenger brands might suit bold, high-impact, and confident typography
Creative brands might suit playful and expressive typography
Step 3: Pick one “workhorse” font first
Start with body text. Always.
If your body font is readable and comfortable, everything else becomes easier.
Step 4: Add one supporting font for headings
Your heading font carries the personality most. Pair it with the body font for contrast.
Classic, safe pairings:
Serif headings and sans-serif body (editorial and readable)
Sans-serif and sans-serif body (modern and consistent, use weight for contrast)
Display headings and sans-serif body (expressive and stable)
Step 5: Create rules (so you aren’t changing every week)
Typography becomes calm when it becomes a system.
Set simple rules like:
Headings: Font A, bold, sentence case
Body: Font B, regular, 16-18px
Buttons: Font B, semi-bold, high contrast
Accent: Optional, used only in 1 place (not everywhere)
Rules reduce decision fatigue. This is where the “feelings” stay consistent.
If your branding feels “off” but you can’t explain why, it might be your typography.
Typography can make your audience feel held or hurried. It can make you feel confident showing up or stuck in redesign loops.
And when your fonts are aligned with your story and your audience, everything else clicks faster.
What help choosing fonts that feel like you (and work for your people)?
If you’re tired of overthinking typography, second-guessing your designs, or cycling through fonts every time you make a post, I can help.
My human-centred branding process includes typography selection that’s equal parts emotional and practical. It means fonts that match your brand personality, support accessibility, and create consistency across all your touchpoints.
Book a discovery call to work together (or enquire about a Brand Audit if you want clarity first).
