The psychology of the serif
Fonts carry hidden meaning – your brain makes unconscious assumptions about a brand based on many things, including the style of typography used.
Research suggests that using a serif font could make your school appear more academic, with heightened authority and gravitas.
The research
Intuitively we know that serif typefaces are associated with academia and knowledge. Their historic use in weighty broadsheet newspapers and by learned institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard universities has much to do with this. But what research exists that supports the idea that serifs convey academia?
Sarah Hyndman has co-published studies with a professor from Oxford University. In her book ‘Why Fonts Matter’ she says: Serifs are the small feet on Roman type styles, which were first printed in the late 1400s. Serifs may look like tiny details, but they can have surprising emotional impact.
The research found:
- The top traits for serif fonts were ‘intellectual, academic and informed’, as well as being considered ‘trustworthy’ and ‘classic’.
- For sans serif fonts, traits such as ‘confident, friendly and honest’ were more widely identified.
Additional research findings:
- An experiment run by the New York Times revealed a serif font (Baskerville) to be the most trusted and believable of six fonts tested with its readers. The top three most believable fonts were all serifs, with the sans-serifs carrying the least authority.
- An anecdotal example of poor font choice undermining academic credibility came from CERN’s historic announcement that it had proved the existence of the Higgs boson. The announcement was made in Comic Sans, and the subsequent online backlash almost overshadowed the incredible discovery.
What this means for school brands
Most schools want to convey academic rigour, so if you follow the logic presented in the research, you should be using a serif font.
But that is a massive over-simplification of what branding is and highlights the need for a well thought through brand strategy.
For example, you should consider the starting bias of your brand and how you want to shift this (positioning strategy). If you have a strong academic reputation, but are seen as a bit stuffy and old-fashioned, a sans serif font could make you appear more modern and approachable.
On the other hand, if your true academic credentials are being hidden by inaccurate historic perceptions, a classic serif may encourage people to rethink what they know about you.
You also need to consider font choice in the context of your ‘brand world’. Brand identities are a complex melting pot of elements, and your font is only one part of this. Pair an ultra-modern sans serif with a classic shield and you can create the image of a historic institution, rooted in tradition but full of innovation and moving with the times.
The bottom line
Fonts are a powerful design tool and can change the way current and prospective families perceive your school. But font choices should be done using a considered, strategic approach as part of the bigger branding picture.
Spot the difference?
A reminder of the difference between serif and sans serif fonts
Serif fonts have small decorative strokes or “feet” extending from the main strokes of letters (like Times New Roman), while sans-serif fonts lack these embellishments and have clean, straight edges (like Arial). The word “sans” means “without” in French, so sans serif literally means “without serifs.”
