Building A Brand: Expressing Your Voice With Typography

In the process of building a memorable brand identity, one of the most important graphic elements of your website design is the typography used to spice up your site. Though the recent advent of google fonts has made it easier to use a wider variety of web safe fonts than a few years back, the palette is still limited for uber creatives. So, like the delicious frosting on your artisanal cupcake, finding some typographic elements will add some delightful eye candy to your blog.

 

You can use these elements in posts, to add text to photos, to create word art, transform inspirational quotes, create sidebar widgets, and more! In your hunt for these embellishments I think its important to take into consideration a few important points.

WHAT IS THE BRAND ESSENCE YOU WANT TO CONVEY? You have to spend time thinking about this. I suggest writing it down old school style in a book and doing some creative brainstorming to really figure out who you are and what you want to share with the world. Remember what your teacher used to say in the fifth grade….”A picture is worth a thousand words” and I think cool typography is like wearing designer jeans.

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WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE? What is their lifestyle? What are they into? Where do they shop, and what other blogs or websites do they read? What kind of typography are they used to seeing, and how can you bring something new to the table. I think it is an absolutely worthwhile investment to purchase some fonts that are not as widely used as the free fonts, to distinguish yourself from the crowd.

If you are targeting your work towards people who appreciate one-of-a-kind handmade creations, let your typography connect with them through typographical elements like beautiful handwritten fonts. You could even get a Wacom Bamboo Tablet and add that personal touch yourself. A great source online for some free cool handwritten fonts is Dafont. Depending on your community/audience, make sure your fonts will speak to your tribe.  These typographic elements enhance your readers experience, and help define your brand. On the other hand, it’s like a recipe gone bad when I see really great written content with awful visual elements.  It hurts my eyes, and I think it can even make some potential readers click away from your website!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE? I wholeheartedly believe in personal and creative evolution & I am certain that your vision and your brand  will change over time as you and your ideas transform. I think its crucial to begin with a clear set of intentions and values that are true to who you right now and express them in your website/branding.  You have to ask yourself – What is my core vision, and what message do I want my audience to come away with? In just a simple phrase – what do I want my tribe to know about my mission. What visual elements help bring that vision to life?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether you are a business wiz, a life coach, a creative visionary, a performer, an artist – you have core beliefs and values that are integral to who you are as a person. You have something no one else in this world has. YOU. There is only one of you. Though you may be a diamond in the rough, I assure you, if you are reading this right now – you have something extraordinary to share with the world. It’s yearning to be born into this world. Get that old school notebook out again and start spilling open on the page. Do it Julia Cameron “Artist’s Way” style – 3 pages every morning when you first wake up. Burst open on that page! Do it as a practice, as a meditation, as a discipline, as a commitment to your creativity, and your personal evolution. Somehow your voice will emerge. It might surprise you one day, but the more you keep expressing your ideas in words, the easier it gets, and eventually your original spirit will shine through.

If you want to learn how to access your original voice – download my FREE ebook “The Seven Samurai Secrets Of Creativity & Productivity” HERE!!!