font use
Frighteningly Friendly Fonts
August 06, 2007 Filed in: Text &
Fonts
Have you seen any of Hewlett-Packard's recent print
or web advertisements? These have been around for a
while, but I hadn't really paid too much attention to
them until two things happened: we got new HP's at
work, and I received one of their catalogues in the
mail.
In both cases, I kept getting distracted by their font selection. Here are a couple shots of their web ads to illustrate:
x
Why do I feel a sudden urge to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas?
We're in the heat of summer, and this whole campaign looks like Halloween. Even the colors reinforce that feeling. I don't know what feel they intended for this marketing, but "slightly creepy" was probably not the goal. ("They're creepy and they're cooky, the HP family...")
Font and color use contribute to the overall feel of your work – even in slide presentations. Sometimes, going with a default font is okay, but in other instances, you may want to pick and choose between fonts for the best results. I whipped these alternatives up in just a couple of minutes in Keynote, so they're far from perfect. However, I think they offer an alternate feel to the ads. (I'm partial to the laptop example, personally.)
x
How would you change these ads, or do you think they're fine how they are? Remember, if you are using visuals to communicate a message, every element is important, and this includes the font you choose. The wrong font can send your audience a mixed message, so take some time to browse those many fonts available on your computer.
In both cases, I kept getting distracted by their font selection. Here are a couple shots of their web ads to illustrate:
x
Why do I feel a sudden urge to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas?
We're in the heat of summer, and this whole campaign looks like Halloween. Even the colors reinforce that feeling. I don't know what feel they intended for this marketing, but "slightly creepy" was probably not the goal. ("They're creepy and they're cooky, the HP family...")
Font and color use contribute to the overall feel of your work – even in slide presentations. Sometimes, going with a default font is okay, but in other instances, you may want to pick and choose between fonts for the best results. I whipped these alternatives up in just a couple of minutes in Keynote, so they're far from perfect. However, I think they offer an alternate feel to the ads. (I'm partial to the laptop example, personally.)
x
How would you change these ads, or do you think they're fine how they are? Remember, if you are using visuals to communicate a message, every element is important, and this includes the font you choose. The wrong font can send your audience a mixed message, so take some time to browse those many fonts available on your computer.
Making Over Mitt
July 06, 2007 Filed in: Slide
Makeovers
Right now, a set of bad PowerPoint slides is probably
the least of Governor Romney's public relations worries, but
every little bit helps I guess. Anyway, revising
slides is a good practice, so, regardless of how
you or I might personally feel about Governor
Romney, let's take a look at some slides on his
site and how we can improve them just a little.
(Quick note: I'm checking all political opinions
at the door for this post, and I ask you the
courtesy to do the same. This is merely an
academic exercise on improving some common
PowerPoint mistakes.)
From the first slide, it's possible to predict some of the issues we're going to run into while going through Mr. Romney's visuals. Too much text is on the slide. The planet graphic is obviously clip art, and overall, the slide is pretty hard on the eyes.
x
Even though the title slide is unnecessary in and of itself, using it sets a tone for the entire presentation. You want it to look nice. In this alteration, most of the text has been cut from the slide, focusing on two words: "values" and "freedom." I retained the global theme but used a higher quality image from Corbis. Also, I used a color scheme that suggests patriotism and bipartisan qualities. The text is a very classic-looking font called Cochin.
I had a hard time deciding what to do with the next slide (only partially because I couldn't read some of the text at all), but I think it would be appropriate to divide this single slide into multiple slides – taking a thematic approach rather than chronological.
x
A strong theme that I took away from this slide is Romney's desire to discredit Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I retained the color scheme from the first slide and faded a common media image of Ahmadinejad into the background, focusing on one quote in particular. The presenter could keep this background intact while transitioning between facts and quotes rather than cramming tons of tiny text together. Font sizes on my version of this slide are 64 points and 96 points.
The final slide in this re-imagining contains a couple of quotes by Tony Blair. A similar approach to the preceding slide seems best, and this should be broken up into two slides because there are two quotes.
x
Because Tony Blair is placed in opposition to Ahmadinejad in this presentation, he is facing the opposite direction. Also, I removed "Marketing Values" as the title. Talking about war in terms of marketing just doesn't seem to fit in with the themes of freedom and values. I'm not sure what Romney was trying to communicate with that title, but I think it sends a wrong message.
Every aspect of your slides – from the graphics used to the font to the color scheme to the amount of text – creates a feel for your presentation. The visual aspects of your presentation can either be powerful tools that help create a memorable experience for the audience, or they can serve as mindless filler that facilitates the audience in filtering you and your message out. If you prepare slides, create visuals that enhance your message and that serve as an evocative backdrop to your own performance. If you are in politics, such attention to detail might even help your momentum.
From the first slide, it's possible to predict some of the issues we're going to run into while going through Mr. Romney's visuals. Too much text is on the slide. The planet graphic is obviously clip art, and overall, the slide is pretty hard on the eyes.
x
Even though the title slide is unnecessary in and of itself, using it sets a tone for the entire presentation. You want it to look nice. In this alteration, most of the text has been cut from the slide, focusing on two words: "values" and "freedom." I retained the global theme but used a higher quality image from Corbis. Also, I used a color scheme that suggests patriotism and bipartisan qualities. The text is a very classic-looking font called Cochin.
I had a hard time deciding what to do with the next slide (only partially because I couldn't read some of the text at all), but I think it would be appropriate to divide this single slide into multiple slides – taking a thematic approach rather than chronological.
x
A strong theme that I took away from this slide is Romney's desire to discredit Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I retained the color scheme from the first slide and faded a common media image of Ahmadinejad into the background, focusing on one quote in particular. The presenter could keep this background intact while transitioning between facts and quotes rather than cramming tons of tiny text together. Font sizes on my version of this slide are 64 points and 96 points.
The final slide in this re-imagining contains a couple of quotes by Tony Blair. A similar approach to the preceding slide seems best, and this should be broken up into two slides because there are two quotes.
x
Because Tony Blair is placed in opposition to Ahmadinejad in this presentation, he is facing the opposite direction. Also, I removed "Marketing Values" as the title. Talking about war in terms of marketing just doesn't seem to fit in with the themes of freedom and values. I'm not sure what Romney was trying to communicate with that title, but I think it sends a wrong message.
Every aspect of your slides – from the graphics used to the font to the color scheme to the amount of text – creates a feel for your presentation. The visual aspects of your presentation can either be powerful tools that help create a memorable experience for the audience, or they can serve as mindless filler that facilitates the audience in filtering you and your message out. If you prepare slides, create visuals that enhance your message and that serve as an evocative backdrop to your own performance. If you are in politics, such attention to detail might even help your momentum.
What Does Your Font Say?
July 27, 2006 Filed in: Text &
Fonts
When you make a document or a presentation, the font
you choose is a form of communication. Unfortunately,
I have seen many examples of a chosen font
communicating a very different mood or feeling than
the material is intended to generate.
x
In the two slides above, the first is displaying its information in Chalkboard, a font very similar to the overused Comic Sans. The second slide is using Copperplate. Which font communicates the mood of the material more precisely? Chalkboard has friendly rounded letters and looks very casual and easy-going. Copperplate is a much more formal looking font.
These slides present material about a very serious topic. Therefore, a serious font should be used. Next time you are creating a presentation, take note of what font you are using. As mentioned in prior posts, make sure you are using an easy-to-read font, but, along with this, be sure that your font does not detract from the larger message of your presentation.
x
In the two slides above, the first is displaying its information in Chalkboard, a font very similar to the overused Comic Sans. The second slide is using Copperplate. Which font communicates the mood of the material more precisely? Chalkboard has friendly rounded letters and looks very casual and easy-going. Copperplate is a much more formal looking font.
These slides present material about a very serious topic. Therefore, a serious font should be used. Next time you are creating a presentation, take note of what font you are using. As mentioned in prior posts, make sure you are using an easy-to-read font, but, along with this, be sure that your font does not detract from the larger message of your presentation.