The evolution of typefaces in brand.

Many businesses have decided to take the step to update their brand identity through a small change, a font change.

Companies have been changing their fonts to improve their brand, either by emphasising its strength and age such Volkswagen or by focusing on refreshing their look to reach younger audiences such as Pepsi.

Just as people have certain tendencies to feel a certain way when seeing a specific colour, people also feel different emotions when it comes to fonts. However, in this article we will be discussing the impact our fast economy has had on typography and design where accessibility, modern utility and simplification prevails over a unique identity.

Differences between Serif and Sans-Serif

For those who may not know, here’s a quick typography lesson: Serif and San Serif fonts, are the two biggest categories of fonts. Serif fonts are fonts such as Time New Roman and Garamond, with text that is not consistently the same thickness and have small embellishments; these are considered classical fonts and are usually used to boldly state class, timelessness, and old-school style and thinking.

Sans Serif, French for no serif, simply means that they do not have small embellishments at the end of texts, they also have more evenly distributed thickness throughout the text. Sans Serif is considered the font type of the new generation; it has been considered to emphasise youth, and a minimalist nature, and is current and fashionable. Famous logos that use Sans Serif fonts are Vodafone, Pepsi and Facebook.

Other font families include Script, Modern and Display. These can be sorted into Serif and Sans Serif categories if need be, but are mostly in their own categories.

Evolving brands

Brands have always been evolving, of course. We’ve all watched as famous brands changed their logos, tried out (and sometimes failed with) new product offerings, and kept themselves fresh and relevant to their customers. Two great examples are Netflix and Gap. Where Netflix succeeded without barely a mention, Gap experienced backlash and outrage, so much so that they changed their logo back to the original.

The difference is that, in the past, brands more or less controlled this evolution. Major inflection points, like the introduction of television, were followed by long periods of sameness that allowed brands to take measured, controlled risks when they rebranded.

They didn’t know how good they had it.

So why do so many brands look the same these days?

As you may notice here, there is a trend in logo design that started around 2017-2018. It’s as if many companies decided that being unique was a handicap and that it was better to be like everyone else. Or at least, that’s how it may come across.

The reality is that the leisurely pace of yesteryear had spun up into what feels like a week-to-week blitz of emerging trends, new apps, and expanding expectations. Brands had to adapt and position themselves to meet customer requirements and to whatever comes next.

The trend started with fashion logos. Many iconic fashion companies ditched their recognisable logos and switched to a minimal and very similar version of a sans serif font. The technology sector followed soon after.

The reasons pointed out are below. I’ve taken the liberty to add some counterpoints to act as food for thought.

‘Modern utility’

Branding specialists point to the practical benefits of what they call the ‘modern utility’ of sans serif typefaces. Cleaner and more legible, they are better suited to a variety of media and work particularly well online. The purity of these fonts allows the brands to be an empty vessel, ready to accommodate rapidly shifting trends.

Counterpoint: That may be true, but isn’t the whole value of a brand to not an empty vessel? The big brands have worked for decades for their identity and recognition, only to throw most of it away.

Simplification

Another reason cited by brand specialists is that it’s a natural step for brands to take as they grow from scrappy startups into established brands. The goals have shifted from making noise and standing out to be a trusted, dependable part of people’s everyday lives. That heartfelt personality and idiosyncrasy that defined a brand as it started out, and won over its early adopters, can be a limitation as they aim for broad appeal and bigger revenue.

Counterpoint: Simplification as a reason to blend in for broad appeal? Logos should be simple, yes, but they should be simple in a memorable way. Think more in terms of Nike swoosh (simple, memorable),  and less in a one-size-fits-all sans serif font.

Brands are more than logos.

People at the head of these powerful brands know that they are not defined by their logo anymore but by the product or services they provide. They are strong thanks to what they allow you to do with them.

Before, logo designers would look for a ‘concept’ when designing a logo. That is not necessary anymore: The brand is the concept.

Their thinking goes that logos may look similar, but what they offer is completely different and effective, and that’s what ultimately counts for the consumer.

As some brands become words (or even better, verbs) in our daily language (to Google, to Uber, to Skype), they have a lesser need for a recognisable logo. Many of those brands now spend on designing custom typefaces instead of logos: a custom typeface becomes their recognisable voice on every platform or device. Do you agree?