Take a moment to look around you. From the app notifications on your phone, to the advertisements on the street, typography is everywhere. And while we’re often focused on what a message is saying, most of us don’t take much notice of how it’s being written. The font choices we take for granted are carefully chosen by brands to influence how we think about them.
We’ve previously covered The Psychology of Typography – how every typeface has a different look and feel. A je ne sais quoi that affects our perception of the text. Today I’d like to take it a step further and look at the logos and visual identities of 3 organisations which I’m sure you’ll recognise.
Most of us use it every day. The tech company’s search engine is now ubiquitous with the term to search for something online. And sitting above the search bar is an instantly-recognisable, colourful wordmark.
Some of you may remember the previous Google logo, used from 1999 to 2015. It featured a formal and elegant typeface, but this started to look dated in an ever-more digital world. The logo had to retain clarity not just on desktop screens, but also on mobile phones, TVs, watches, and car dashboards. The current logo uses a custom, geometric font called Product Sans. Its rounded, playful feel isn’t just a design whim; it communicates approachability and modernity. Google wants to seem professional, but still playful and user-friendly. Modern, but not intimidatingly high-tech.
This typeface, which later evolved to be called Google Sans, is now used across most Google products, from their search results to Android’s UI. Previous fonts which Google have used are Roboto and Open Sans, which have been made available on the Google Fonts website. All these fonts share something in common: clean and simple designs, with open curves for versatility across screen sizes. The fonts Google use are utilitarian but not cold – just like the company wants its services to be.
IKEA
IKEA’s visual identity is as iconic as its meatballs. The Swedish flat-pack furniture retailer uses a distinctive emblem that places the brand name front and centre.
An Extra Bold weight of Futura was used to create the logo back in the 1960s. Little flourishes were added to the corners of the letters – serifs which give the wordmark a sturdier appearance. This was originally a practical choice from the days when printing presses were needed to mass produce advertisements. A unique block was used to stamp on the logo, and the serifs allowed more ink to stay in the corners so the logo wouldn’t appear fuzzy after printing thousands of copies. Now retained as a stylistic choice, it gives the IKEA logo a unique look of bold confidence with a touch of elegance.
IKEA has paired its striking logo with gentler typefaces including IKEA Sans (a variant of Futura), Verdana, and since 2019, a variant of Noto Sans. These typefaces have a clean and versatile appearance – modern and minimalistic, allowing images of IKEA’s products do most of the talking. The font in current use, Noto Sans, is notable for its availability in many languages and scripts, a key consideration for a global brand. Whether you’re reading a product manual in Poland or Japan, it looks unmistakably like IKEA.
Australian Government
The Australian Government isn’t selling search engines or sofas; it’s selling trust, stability, and authority. That’s why the official-looking Commonwealth Coat of Arms is paired with the official-looking serif typeface Times New Roman Bold.
If you didn’t know, serifs are the little “feet” you sometimes see on the edges of letters, often giving the characters a sturdier base to stand on. In contrast, modern typefaces tend to be sans serif (literally meaning “without serifs”). Serifs have been popular for hundreds of years, since the invention of the printing press. Originally inspired by calligraphy, serif typefaces are now a stylistic choice. Brands will use them to convey a sense of history, tradition, or formality.
In June of 2003, the Australian Government decided to use a common and identifiable brand for clear and consistent messaging across all departments and agencies. Back then, Times New Roman was THE serif typeface to use, probably because Microsoft Word had it as their default font from 1993 to 2007. A silhouette of Australia’s coat of arms was chosen, and Times New Roman was appropriately utilised to create an emblem that Australian citizens could easily recognise and trust.
In the digital world, Australian Government websites use sans serif typefaces such as Arial, Lato, or the previously mentioned Noto Sans. What they all have in common are web-friendly and accessible appearances. The combination of serif logos and sans-serif digital content balances tradition with modern functionality – exactly what you want from a government that’s embracing the future while upholding the past.
