05.02 - Emotional Impact - The Foundations of Typography

Chapter 05 - Utilization
Lesson 02 - Emotional Impact

Type carries an emotional component with it. The type that is chosen and the way it is arranged play a big part of how we feel about type on our first impression. Identifying this power of emotional impact is important, because it enables designers to amplify the message of the content, and create a response with their target audience.

The strongest emotions can be triggered by repetitive associations or iconic references. This is what branding and identity accomplishes. Popular brand names can be identified by even just small components of their logo, triggering a sense of nostalgia and whatever emotional impact that nostalgia holds.

High quality typography can actually improve the mood of the viewer, making your message more impactful and meaningful. People exposed to a well-designed layout will have higher cognitive focus, more efficient mental processes, and a stronger sense of clarity than people who are exposed to the same message with a poor use of typography as discovered in a recent study by psychologist Kevin Larson.

Just take a look at these paragraphs once more. Does the one on the bottom just stress you out before you even read it?

The key to emotional impact is communicating to the subconscious.

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