Discover your design universe: trust your gut and unleash creativity

In the sprawling cosmos of design, typography holds a unique gravitational pull. It influences emotions, communicates intent, and can make or break a visual identity. The act of selecting, designing, and pairing typefaces can be daunting, but it’s also where the magic happens. Trusting your gut, embracing experimentation, and understanding the emotional power of type can transform a simple project into an unforgettable experience.

Follow your instincts.

Creativity thrives when we push boundaries and challenge conventional rules. Feelings of imposter syndrome affect us all from time to time, with around 70 percent of people experiencing it at some point in their lives. It’s important to recognize that feeling uncertain is a natural part of the creative process. Pioneering designer April Greiman once said, “I like to step into areas where I am afraid. Fear is a sign that I’m going in the right direction.” Embracing this philosophy means acknowledging the power of your instincts. When you trust your gut, you allow your creativity to flourish.

Embrace experimentation.

Creativity also thrives on experimentation. It’s a process of discovery that often involves taking risks and making mistakes. With design and typography, experimentation can mean stepping away from your computer to find new inspiration in the real world or putting pen to paper. Take Pentagram’s work for Liberty Fabrics where, “The process began with Pentagram creating dozens of experimental typographic patterns borne entirely from the bespoke Lasenby Sans font designed as part of the Liberty re-brand.” The team used the custom font by Colophon type foundry to create dozens of wild typographic patterns, melding heritage style with modern technology to create bold kaleidoscopic shapes.

Get into your feels.

Typography isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about creating an emotional connection. Us creatives know better than anyone else that fonts have the power to influence response to taglines and slogans. Otherwise, you’d use Helvetica for everything, right? It turns out there’s also a science behind why certain typefaces elicit certain emotional reactions. Over the past few years, Monotype has been collaborating with applied neuroscience company Neurons, to better understand the emotive powers of typographic attributes. Our research has shown that typeface choice significantly impacts how people feel about a brand. And in some cases, the right typeface can boost positive responses by up to 13 percent.

Just as words hold the power to evoke emotions, type serves as a visual voice that speaks directly to the subconscious. The right font can reinforce a message, establish a coherent visual narrative, and even inspire a desired emotional response, but the wrong choice can erode trust, and even upset or shock your audience. Being attuned to these emotional subtleties can allow you to align typographic elements with the core message and essence, resulting in impactful, authentic, and relatable communication.

Explore the typographic galaxy.

The universe of typefaces is vast and can be overwhelming. However, the journey of choosing a typeface should be fun and fulfilling. With tools like Monotype’s AI-powered search engines — WhatTheFont, Similarity Engine, and AI Font Pairing, you can navigate the typographic galaxy with ease.

If you’re ready to delve deeper into the typographic universe, join us at Adobe MAX for Aligning Stars & Serifs: A Guide to the Typographic Universe on Monday, October 14, from 1PM to 2PM EDT. Monotype Brand Designer, Kerry Squires, and I will walk you through tools, techniques, and philosophies that can elevate your design skills. Learn how to trust your gut, experiment boldly, and discover the limitless possibilities within the world of type.

Pre-register here.

We’ll also have plenty of fun happening at our booth, with special activations that pinpoint your unique place in the typographic universe and allow you to experiment with a world of type. Our podcast team will also be on the floor, come by and chat with us to be a part of our special annual Adobe MAX episode.