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Using Colours, find a palette for each colour type (12 in total)

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Using Colours, find a palette for each colour type (12 in total)

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What is the purpose of having a brand?

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How is branding different to marketing? List reasons.

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How is branding different to marketing? List reasons.

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Find a logo for each type - 7 examples - add images below of each.

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Find a logo for each type - 7 examples - add images below of each.

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Add a screenshot for each of the 7.

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How could ReVibe use each of the following to help their community management? (Unlimited budget)

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How could ReVibe use each of the following to help their community management? (Unlimited budget)

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Few lines on each and some ideas / examples.

Social media

Forum

Brand-owned eg mobile app, website community hub etc.

Networking events

Workshops and conferences

Pop-up Stores

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Why would you use the following logo types?

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Why would you use the following logo types?

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Monogram logos (Lettermarks)

Workmarks (logotypes)

Pictorial marks (Symbols)

Abstract logo marks

Mascots

Combination mark

Emblem

https://www.perplexity.ai/

https://www.vistaprint.com/hub/types-of-logos?srsltid=AfmBOorv84lN2yPjqP_RGTgDZxREEHlgG5E1X766Fi4iP7jij45v-eER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_SVQ8yWlYk&list=PLdPSU8H0ozfoWoTTQFxFh5pMH4C3doTke&t=46s

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Using the mockups and the brand identity you created for ReVibe:

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Using the mockups and the brand identity you created for ReVibe:

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Create 5 advertisements in appropriate places for the brand and explain why (7Ps), also take into consideration ReVibe’s possible brand values

https://mockey.ai/landing

PLEASE PIN YOUR GROUP PRESENTATIONS BELOW...THANKS

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Research

Monospace Fonts

Decorative

Geometric

a) Description of each font

b) When to use each font

c) What feel does each font give

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a) What are the specific colours of your brand? (HEX)

https://redketchup.io/color-picker

b) What typography does your business use?

§https://www.myfonts.com/pages/whatthefont?srsltid=AfmBOoo5WqvTNSy3a5xdJhFsBFUdUsVumfuCMsLYNGBemq3EbZepLwza

c) What tone of voice does your business use when communicating?

d) What type of logo does your organisation use?

Please add your logo too.

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Which company would typically adopt each approach? Match the approaches to the brands - Class Discussion 

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Which company would typically adopt each approach? Match the approaches to the brands - Class Discussion 

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1. Social media

2. Forum

3. Brand-owned

4. Networking events

5. Workshops and conferences

6. Pop-up Stores

BRANDS

NIKE

LINKEDIN

MINECRAFT

LUSH

GYMSHARK

SUPREME

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a) What industry/profession would use each tone?

b) What feel does each tone give?

E.g. Professional tone would be used by finance and law companies to give a serious and knowledgeable feel.

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Watch the video or listen to the podcast and note down the main points you have learned from either watching the video or listening to the podcast.

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Building a StoryBrand Summary | Book by Donald Miller

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1. What are your organisation's brand values?

2. How do they communicate these values?

3. How would the absence of brand values affect how your organisation is perceived internally and externally?

4. Could the absence of brand values lead to inconsistent customer experiences? If yes, why?

5. Without brand values, what would guide decision-making processes?

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Match the brands to the values

1,2,3,4,5

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What are the benefits of the following in relation to customer service?

eg.

Enhancing Customer Satisfaction

•Purpose: To ensure customers feel valued and satisfied with their experience.

•Impact: Satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat buyers and recommend the business to others.

•Example: A responsive helpdesk that quickly resolves billing issues fosters trust and satisfaction.

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Create a brand for a start-up software company called ‘Skillifier’ which is a platform that identifies skills gaps in marketing teams to allow them to improve.

Get printscreens from the brand kit for just the following logo, social media stories and website preview.

https://looka.com/

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Explore hashtags on Instagram and TikTok to find 5 possible INFLUENCERS for ReVibe

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Explore hashtags on Instagram and TikTok to find 5 possible INFLUENCERS for ReVibe

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Take print screens of their profile/posts and explain why they would be a good fit for ReVibe

so 5 different influencers - 5 different screenshots of their profiles and their last 3-5 posts - explanation why each is suitable for a partnership agreement with ReVibe.

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What is the purpose of building, nurturing and engaging a brand’s audience? Please also be specific about your brand as well. 

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What is the purpose of building, nurturing and engaging a brand’s audience? Please also be specific about your brand as well. 

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How would you deal with this scenario? Draft your response and also what will be the steps you take / process you follow?

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How would you deal with this scenario? Draft your response and also what will be the steps you take / process you follow?

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How can a customer make their feelings known about a company? What methods/channels would they use? Class discussion

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How can a customer make their feelings known about a company? What methods/channels would they use? Class discussion

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Research the following social listening tools:

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Research the following social listening tools:

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Comment on -

a)Value for money

b)Features

c)Reviews

ADD SCREEN SHOTS WHERE POSSIBLE - please indicate if you are using any of the following below....

Visit each of the websites below -

Talkwalker

Sproutsocial

Hootsuite

Brandwatch

Mention

Buffer

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Looking at the methods/channels from the previous task you have listed, which have the biggest issues? Pick 3 for each of the following categories. Class discussion

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Looking at the methods/channels from the previous task you have listed, which have the biggest issues? Pick 3 for each of the following categories. Class discussion

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Being difficult to monitor

Most resource-intensive

Most damaging to the brand

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Products are never just products, right?

Coca-Cola is more than a soda. Starbucks is more than coffee. Ray-Ban is more than a pair of sunglasses.

Interacting with these products provides experiences, and we buy them with that experience in mind. Better yet, the companies that create and market them know exactly the experience they want you to have when you make (or consider) a purchase. That's why they cultivate their brands.

From the language in their Instagram caption, to the color palette on their latest billboard, down to the material used in their packaging, companies who create strong brands know that their brand needs to live everywhere. They know their names extend far beyond the label and can entice consumers to choose their products out of a lineup of options.

Who doesn't want that? I know I do. That's why we built this guide - to equip you to create and manage a strong brand that'll help your business be admired, remembered, and preferred.

If you're in a pinch, use the links below to jump ahead to find what you need.

What's a brand?

A brand is a feature or set of features that distinguish one organization from another. A brand is typically comprised of a name, tagline, logo or symbol, design, brand voice, and more. It also refers to the overall experience a customer undergoes when interacting with a business - as a shopper, customer, social media follower, or mere passerby.

What is branding?

Branding is the process of researching, developing, and applying a distinctive feature or set of features to your organization so that consumers can begin to associate your brand with your products or services.

For example, the Coca-Cola brand is one of the most recognizable logos and color stories around the world. The classic red and white lettering, vibrant artwork, and distinctive font have lasted for over a century.
Image Source
Having stood the test of time, the Coca-Cola brand is a testament to the power of consistent, successful branding that consumers have come to love.

That being said, branding is an iterative process and requires getting in touch with the heart of your customers and your business. It's important for a variety of reasons - and we'll go through them below.

Branding can be the deciding factor for consumers when they make a purchase decision. In fact, a Capgemini study found that users who feel a connection to a brand spend twice as much money as those who don't.

Branding gives your business an identity beyond its product or service. It gives consumers something to relate to and connect with.

Branding makes your business memorable. It's the face of your company and helps consumers distinguish your business across every medium (which I discuss later).

Branding supports your marketing and advertising efforts. It helps your promotion pack that extra punch with added recognition and impact.

Branding brings your employees pride. When you brand your company, you're not only giving your business identity, you're also creating a reputable, highly-regarded workplace. Strong branding brings in strong employees.

Branding Terms to Know

Here are some other brand-related buzzwords you should know. They further demonstrate the importance and value of branding your business.

Brand Awareness

Brand awareness refers to how familiar the general public and your target audience is with your brand. High brand awareness leads to brands being referred to as "trending," "buzzworthy, or "popular." Brand awareness is important because consumers can't consider purchasing from your brand if they're not aware of it.
👉🏼 Strong branding makes your business known.
Brand Extension

Brand extensions are when companies "extend" their brand to develop new products in new industries and markets. Consider Honda lawn mowers or Martha Stewart bedding. Brand extensions allow companies (or individuals) to leverage brand awareness and equity to create more revenue streams and diversify product lines.
👉🏼 Strong branding brings in more money.
Brand Identity

Brand identity is the personality of your business and the promise you make to your customers. It's what you want your customers to walk away with after they interact with your brand. Your brand identity is typically comprised of your values, how you communicate your product or service, and what you want people to feel when they interact with it.
👉🏼 Strong branding gives your business more than a name.
Brand Management

Brand management refers to the process of creating and maintaining your brand. It includes managing the tangible elements of your brand (style guide, packaging, color palette) and the intangible elements (how it's perceived by your target audience and customer base). Your brand is a living, breathing asset, and it should be managed as such.
👉🏼 Strong branding requires consistent upkeep.
Brand Recognition

Brand recognition is how well a consumer (ideally in your target audience) can recognize and identify your brand without seeing your business name - through your logo, tagline, jingle, packaging, or advertising. This concept goes hand-in-hand with brand recall, which is the ability to think of a brand without any visual or auditory identifiers.
👉🏼 Strong branding keeps your business top-of-mind.
Real-life brand example: Want to test your brand knowledge? Take this Logo Quiz by Business Insider to see how well you know your corporate brands. This is brand recognition at work.

Brand Trust

Brand trust refers to how strongly customers and consumers believe in your brand. Do you deliver on your marketing promises? Do your salespeople and customer service go above and beyond? These things can create trust among your customers, which is important in a world where a mere 25% of people feel confident in large businesses.
👉🏼 Strong branding builds trust with your customers.
Brand Valuation

Brand valuation is the commercial valuation of your brand derived from consumer perception, recognition, and trust. This concept goes hand-in-hand with brand equity. A powerful brand can make your business invaluable to investors, shareholders, and potential buyers.
👉🏼 Strong branding increases your business's value.
Here's how you can create a brand - or begin the process of rebranding your current one.

There's a lot that goes into a brand, and there's a lot to consider when building a strong one. So, grab a notebook and jot down ideas as you move through this section. Recognize that branding is an iterative process, so you might be repeating some of these steps as you brainstorm and build your brand.
Want to build an effective, measurable brand? Download our free guide on How to Build a Brand.
1. Determine your target audience.

Branding leads to awareness, recognition, trust, and revenue. We've talked about that. But let's take a step back and understand where those stem from: consumers. And not just any consumers - your target audience and customers.

If your brand doesn't resonate with your audience, it won't lead to that awareness, recognition, trust, and revenue. That's where target market research comes in.

Before pressing pen to paper (or cursor to digital document), you must understand to whom your branding will be speaking. Who does your product serve? Who is your ideal customer? Why did you create your business in the first place?

What you learn about your target market and buyer personas will influence your branding decisions down the line, so make this step your first priority.
Download our free Persona Templates to easily organize your target audience research and strengthen your marketing.
2. Establish your mission statement.

Let's return to a question I asked in the previous step: Why did you create your business? Answering this will help you build your mission statement, which defines your purpose and passion as an organization.

Before you can craft a brand that your audience recognizes, values, and trusts, you must be able to communicate the purpose that your business provides. Then, every part of your brand (logo, tagline, imagery, voice, and personality) can reflect that mission and vision.

Your mission statement is a building block of your brand manifesto, which encompasses why your organization exists and why people should care about your brand.
Download our free guide to Defining Inspiring Mission and Vision Statements and learn the ins-and-outs of two of the most valuable strategic planning elements for businesses.
3. Define your unique values, qualities, and benefits.

There are probably lots of businesses in your industry and niche. It's easy to focus on your competition (and there's a time and place for competitive analysis), but, for now, let's focus on you.

What's one thing that your business has that no one else can mimic (er, legally)? Your brand.

Because of that, you must ensure that your brand is comprised of and inspired by elements that are solely yours: the values, benefits, and qualities that make your company unique.

Take a moment to jot down a list of what sets your business apart from others. I'm not talking about product features (like appearance, components, or capabilities); I'm referring to how your products or services improve lives and contribute to success.

Real-Life Brand Example: Alani Nutrition

You've probably never heard of Alani Nu; they're a nutrition company based in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. I order their vitamins because 1) they're proven to work, and 2) I trust and respect the brand (and it's gorgeous!). On their website, they've clearly and simply outlined their unique values and benefits as part of their overall brand. Highlighting these makes it easy for customers like me to trust their products and choose them over competitors.

4. Create your visual assets.

At this point, you should understand your target audience, your mission statement, and the unique qualities that make up your business.

If you can say with confidence that you've mastered these steps, it's time to move on to one of the more exciting parts of branding - the visual design. We're talking about your logo, color palette, typography (fonts), iconography, and other visual components.

As you create these elements, build a set of brand guidelines (or a brand style guide) to govern the composition and use of your visual assets. This will ensure that whoever uses your new branding does so accurately and consistently. Check out HubSpot's brand guidelines for reference.

Note: Design can be just as intimidating as it is exciting. Consider hiring a professional with logo and identity design experience or starting with a few helpful design templates.

5. Find your brand voice.

Next, consider the auditory component of your brand. What would your brand sound like if you had a conversation with it, or if it texted you?
Take your brand to the next level with this free e-book on creating a brand style guide. Download templates, too!
How you communicate with your target market is also considered part of your branding. You want to define a brand voice that connects and resonates with your audience - otherwise, they probably won't pay attention. Because of that, don't hesitate to return to step one to get familiar with to whom you're speaking.

From your advertising campaigns and social media captions to your blog posts and brand story, ensure your tone is consistent throughout all of your written content. Give your audience a chance to get familiar with your brand and learn to recognize the sound of your voice. Better yet, master a fun, entertaining voice, and your customers will look forward to your social media and email updates.

Real-Life Brand Example: MailChimp

MailChimp is a great example of a brand that speaks with a clear, consistent tone. When I used their free plan for my small business, I always chuckled when receiving their emails and working in their interface. From its web copy to its email blasts and social media captions, MailChimp has established a brand voice and personality that is personable, fun, and accessible - it can be hard to explain the technical parts of a software product (like A/B testing), but MailChimp has mastered that, too.

6. Put your branding to work

Your brand only works if you do. Once you finish designing and creating your new brand (or rebrand) integrate it throughout every inch of your business. Pay extra attention to ensure it's displayed anywhere your business touches customers. Here are a handful of tips for applying your brand across your organization.
Image Source
Website

Splash your logo, color palette, and typography across your website. Don't use anything but your predefined assets in your brand guidelines. Your website is a major part of your company identity - if it doesn't reflect your brand, it will only provide a jarring customer experience. Also, be sure that all web copy, calls-to-action, and product descriptions reflect your brand voice.

Social Media

All profile photos, cover art, and branded imagery should reflect your brand. Consider putting your logo as your profile photo - this will make it easier for customers to recognize your business. As with your website, be sure all profile information, posts, and captions reflect your brand voice.

Packaging

If you have a physical products business, your product is probably the most tangible way that customers interact with your brand. For that reason, your packaging should reflect your new branding - in its design, colors, size, and feel.

Real-Life Brand Example: Chobani

I love Chobani yogurt (confession: I'm eating it right now). Their new branding immediately tells me that they produce authentic, healthy Greek yogurt. That's one of the main reasons I buy Chobani. Recently, I realized that their yogurt packages are made with a very earthy, textured material - an intentional decision that supports the overall experience they've paired with purchasing and eating the Chobani brand.

Advertising

Because advertisements (digital and print) are often used to establish brand awareness and introduce consumers to your brand, it's critical that they reflect your branding. In fact, your branding should make the ad creation process easier - with your brand style guide, you already know how your ads should appear and what type of copy to write.

Sales and Customer Service

A brand is only as powerful as the people behind it, and if your people aren't putting your brand to work, it won't work for you. Moreover, your brand applies to more than your marketing. Inform your sales and customer service folks of your brand guidelines and tell them to use it, especially when they engage directly with customers. Whether they are sharing a branded product demo or answering customer support inquiries, encourage them to use your logo, tagline, imagery, and brand voice.

1. Treat your brand as a person.

To best wrap your head around the branding process, think of your brand as a person. Your brand should have an identity (who it is), personality (how it behaves), and experience (how it's remembered).

Ask yourself these questions about your brand:

How would your brand introduce itself? If it had to describe its appearance, how would it do so?

How would your brand talk about your products or services? Would it be serious and professional, or would it be humorous and edgy?

What would someone say about your brand after "meeting" it for the first time? What are a few sentences they'd use to describe it?

The purpose of branding is to create relationships with your customers. The easiest way to do this is to treat your brand as a person and understand that you want your customers to do the same.

Real-Life Brand Example: Whiskey Riff

Whiskey Riff is another brand you're probably not familiar with. It's a two-man media company based here in Chicago that's dubbed themselves "the most entertaining country music site ever". I'm a fan because I love country music, enjoy their written and podcast content, and proudly wear some of its awesome apparel.

If Whiskey Riff was a person, here's how I'd think it would answer the questions above:

"Hey, I'm Whiskey Riff. I love country music and, you guessed it, Whiskey. My logo was inspired by the Y in the circle on the Chicago Theater marquee, and I'm adorned with horizontal red stripes and stars - which represent the American and Chicago flags."

"I publish in-your-face content about what's going on in country music today. If you don't like it, don't read it. My podcast featured my founders interviewing country music artists and telling hilarious stories. Check out my apparel line; my t-shirts, tanks, hats, and accessories can be seen at country music festivals (and on stages) nationwide."

"Whiskey Riff is like that first shot of Jack Daniels - that much-needed, refreshing drink after a long day. It's a break from that cookie-cutter way of life, and you immediately appreciate - and trust - its candidness. There's absolutely nothing like it in the industry."

2. Prioritize consistency.

Inconsistency is the number one branding mistake that companies make. Inconsistency undermines your brand and confuses your customers. Recognizable, valuable brands prioritize consistency - and they reap the benefits. When your brand is a unified presence across mediums and platforms, customers can easily get familiar with, recognize, and come to prefer your brand over time. Brand guidelines can help with this initiative.

3. Build and follow a brand strategy.

A brand strategy is more than your brand guidelines; it's a plan with specific, long-term goals that can be achieved as your brand evolves. These goals typically revolve around your brand's purpose, emotion, flexibility, competitive awareness, and employee involvement.

Remember how I said that branding is a continuous process? There's a lot that goes into it. A brand strategy can help you turn that process into a well-oiled practice that keeps your brand moving toward success and recognition.

4. Don't let inspiration turn into imitation.

Competitive analysis is important. Not only does it educate you on where your competition stands and how they are excelling, but it can also give you ideas on how you can improve or further set apart your brand.

However, be conscious to not fall into an imitation trap. Keep your competitive research limited and focus on what your organization brings to the table. Just because a competitor (or two) has branded their company in a certain way doesn't mean that you have to follow suit. New, unique, provocative brands are memorable brands.

5. Use branding to hire.

Strong branding makes your employees proud. I know I'm proud to be associated with HubSpot, much less work there. Leverage your branding to attract talented people. If hiring is a strong initiative for your organization, dedicate some of your resources to employer branding. Employer branding is how you market your company to job seekers and current employees. If you're publically proud of your organization, others will be, too.

Ready, Set, Brand

Branding is your organization's name, logo, color palette, voice, and imagery. It's also more. It's that intangible feeling your customers have when they interact with your brand. You know, that experience we talked about in the beginning.

That's how powerhouse brands deviate from all the others. The tangible components contribute to this - a gorgeous logo, a clever tagline, an authentic manifesto, and a clear brand voice - but truly strong brands thrive when they focus on the big picture of their brand. Get to the heart and soul of your target audience and your organization, and a successful brand will follow.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published in March 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Products are never just products, right? Coca-Cola is more than a soda. Starbucks is more than coffee. Ray-Ban is more than a pair of sunglasses. Interacting with these products provides experiences, and we buy them with that experience in mind.

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Develop a cohesive brand identity using colours, typography, tone of voice, and a logo for a new sustainable fashion start-up brand for both men and women called ReVibe

Colours - Choose 3-5 colours for the brand, identifying primary and secondary colours

Typography - Typography – Select 2-3 typefaces, identify which is for headings, body text etc (Fontpair + Monotype.com)

Tone of voice - Choose an applicable tone of voice and write a short mission statement (50-150 words)

Logo - choose an applicable logo type and use this to create your logo, applying the above

(REMEMBER BRANDED SLIDE DECK + GROUP PRESENTATION NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES tomorrow after we have also included Task 19...)

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Choose 3-5 Competitors

What is their UVP?

What colours do they use? What type of logo? What typography? What tone of voice?

Brand positioning map – axis could be cost and social responsibility?

(REMEMBER BRANDED SLIDE DECK + GROUP PRESENTATION NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES tomorrow after we have also included Task 19...)

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Add screenshots below - suggest adding on one slide and then attaching.

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Choose a colour and screenshot (5 in total):

Monochromatic - containing or using one colour

Analogous - having similar features to another thing and therefore able to be compared with it

Triadic - relating to or comprising a set of three related people or things

Tetradic - A tetrad is a group or arrangement of four things

https://www.canva.com/colors/color-wheel/

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Color wheel - color theory and calculator | Canva Colors

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The color wheel shows the relationship between colors. Create the perfect color scheme for your next project. It’s easy and free!

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Match the type to the statement - What are the 7 types?

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Match the type to the statement - What are the 7 types?

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Types -

A Emblem

B Monogram logos (Lettermarks)

C Workmarks (logotypes)

D Pictorial marks (Symbols)

E Abstract logo marks

F Mascots

G Combination mark

Statements -

1. Wordmark or lettermark and a pictorial mark, abstract mark or mascot

2. Specific type of pictorial logo in geometric form

3. logos that have an illustrated character

4. Icon or graphic-based logo

5. Logo consists of a font inside a symbol or an icon; think badges, seals and crests

6. Logos that consist of letters, usually brand initials

7. Font-based logo that focuses on a business’ name alone

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On a piece of paper write down the names of all the logos.

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a)Who are your favourite brands and b) why?

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a)Who are your favourite brands and b) why?

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c) What makes a good brand?

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What is your definition of a brand?

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Understand brand theory such as positioning, value, identity, guidelines, and tone of voice. (K6)

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Understand brand theory such as positioning, value, identity, guidelines, and tone of voice. (K6)

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-Understand how to create a brand identity

-Use tools which can help you create a brand​

-Understand how to maintain a brand

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https://coolors.co/palettes/trending

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•Day 1 & 2

•Day 1: Intro to brand, branding fundamentals and brand identity

•Day 2: Branding mockups, community management and customer service

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Color psychology: The logo color tricks used by top brands & how to DIY

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A logo’s color can say a lot about a brand. Read more and explore the color wheel, find a scheme, and learn more about color psychology facts.

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Products are never just products, right?

Coca-Cola is more than a soda. Starbucks is more than coffee. Ray-Ban is more than a pair of sunglasses.

Interacting with these products provides experiences, and we buy them with that experience in mind. Better yet, the companies that create and market them know exactly the experience they want you to have when you make (or consider) a purchase. That's why they cultivate their brands.

From the language in their Instagram caption, to the color palette on their latest billboard, down to the material used in their packaging, companies who create strong brands know that their brand needs to live everywhere. They know their names extend far beyond the label and can entice consumers to choose their products out of a lineup of options.

Who doesn't want that? I know I do. That's why we built this guide - to equip you to create and manage a strong brand that'll help your business be admired, remembered, and preferred.

If you're in a pinch, use the links below to jump ahead to find what you need.

What's a brand?

A brand is a feature or set of features that distinguish one organization from another. A brand is typically comprised of a name, tagline, logo or symbol, design, brand voice, and more. It also refers to the overall experience a customer undergoes when interacting with a business - as a shopper, customer, social media follower, or mere passerby.

What is branding?

Branding is the process of researching, developing, and applying a distinctive feature or set of features to your organization so that consumers can begin to associate your brand with your products or services.

For example, the Coca-Cola brand is one of the most recognizable logos and color stories around the world. The classic red and white lettering, vibrant artwork, and distinctive font have lasted for over a century.
Image Source
Having stood the test of time, the Coca-Cola brand is a testament to the power of consistent, successful branding that consumers have come to love.

That being said, branding is an iterative process and requires getting in touch with the heart of your customers and your business. It's important for a variety of reasons - and we'll go through them below.

Branding can be the deciding factor for consumers when they make a purchase decision. In fact, a Capgemini study found that users who feel a connection to a brand spend twice as much money as those who don't.

Branding gives your business an identity beyond its product or service. It gives consumers something to relate to and connect with.

Branding makes your business memorable. It's the face of your company and helps consumers distinguish your business across every medium (which I discuss later).

Branding supports your marketing and advertising efforts. It helps your promotion pack that extra punch with added recognition and impact.

Branding brings your employees pride. When you brand your company, you're not only giving your business identity, you're also creating a reputable, highly-regarded workplace. Strong branding brings in strong employees.

Branding Terms to Know

Here are some other brand-related buzzwords you should know. They further demonstrate the importance and value of branding your business.

Brand Awareness

Brand awareness refers to how familiar the general public and your target audience is with your brand. High brand awareness leads to brands being referred to as "trending," "buzzworthy, or "popular." Brand awareness is important because consumers can't consider purchasing from your brand if they're not aware of it.
👉🏼 Strong branding makes your business known.
Brand Extension

Brand extensions are when companies "extend" their brand to develop new products in new industries and markets. Consider Honda lawn mowers or Martha Stewart bedding. Brand extensions allow companies (or individuals) to leverage brand awareness and equity to create more revenue streams and diversify product lines.
👉🏼 Strong branding brings in more money.
Brand Identity

Brand identity is the personality of your business and the promise you make to your customers. It's what you want your customers to walk away with after they interact with your brand. Your brand identity is typically comprised of your values, how you communicate your product or service, and what you want people to feel when they interact with it.
👉🏼 Strong branding gives your business more than a name.
Brand Management

Brand management refers to the process of creating and maintaining your brand. It includes managing the tangible elements of your brand (style guide, packaging, color palette) and the intangible elements (how it's perceived by your target audience and customer base). Your brand is a living, breathing asset, and it should be managed as such.
👉🏼 Strong branding requires consistent upkeep.
Brand Recognition

Brand recognition is how well a consumer (ideally in your target audience) can recognize and identify your brand without seeing your business name - through your logo, tagline, jingle, packaging, or advertising. This concept goes hand-in-hand with brand recall, which is the ability to think of a brand without any visual or auditory identifiers.
👉🏼 Strong branding keeps your business top-of-mind.
Real-life brand example: Want to test your brand knowledge? Take this Logo Quiz by Business Insider to see how well you know your corporate brands. This is brand recognition at work.

Brand Trust

Brand trust refers to how strongly customers and consumers believe in your brand. Do you deliver on your marketing promises? Do your salespeople and customer service go above and beyond? These things can create trust among your customers, which is important in a world where a mere 25% of people feel confident in large businesses.
👉🏼 Strong branding builds trust with your customers.
Brand Valuation

Brand valuation is the commercial valuation of your brand derived from consumer perception, recognition, and trust. This concept goes hand-in-hand with brand equity. A powerful brand can make your business invaluable to investors, shareholders, and potential buyers.
👉🏼 Strong branding increases your business's value.
Here's how you can create a brand - or begin the process of rebranding your current one.

There's a lot that goes into a brand, and there's a lot to consider when building a strong one. So, grab a notebook and jot down ideas as you move through this section. Recognize that branding is an iterative process, so you might be repeating some of these steps as you brainstorm and build your brand.
Want to build an effective, measurable brand? Download our free guide on How to Build a Brand.
1. Determine your target audience.

Branding leads to awareness, recognition, trust, and revenue. We've talked about that. But let's take a step back and understand where those stem from: consumers. And not just any consumers - your target audience and customers.

If your brand doesn't resonate with your audience, it won't lead to that awareness, recognition, trust, and revenue. That's where target market research comes in.

Before pressing pen to paper (or cursor to digital document), you must understand to whom your branding will be speaking. Who does your product serve? Who is your ideal customer? Why did you create your business in the first place?

What you learn about your target market and buyer personas will influence your branding decisions down the line, so make this step your first priority.
Download our free Persona Templates to easily organize your target audience research and strengthen your marketing.
2. Establish your mission statement.

Let's return to a question I asked in the previous step: Why did you create your business? Answering this will help you build your mission statement, which defines your purpose and passion as an organization.

Before you can craft a brand that your audience recognizes, values, and trusts, you must be able to communicate the purpose that your business provides. Then, every part of your brand (logo, tagline, imagery, voice, and personality) can reflect that mission and vision.

Your mission statement is a building block of your brand manifesto, which encompasses why your organization exists and why people should care about your brand.
Download our free guide to Defining Inspiring Mission and Vision Statements and learn the ins-and-outs of two of the most valuable strategic planning elements for businesses.
3. Define your unique values, qualities, and benefits.

There are probably lots of businesses in your industry and niche. It's easy to focus on your competition (and there's a time and place for competitive analysis), but, for now, let's focus on you.

What's one thing that your business has that no one else can mimic (er, legally)? Your brand.

Because of that, you must ensure that your brand is comprised of and inspired by elements that are solely yours: the values, benefits, and qualities that make your company unique.

Take a moment to jot down a list of what sets your business apart from others. I'm not talking about product features (like appearance, components, or capabilities); I'm referring to how your products or services improve lives and contribute to success.

Real-Life Brand Example: Alani Nutrition

You've probably never heard of Alani Nu; they're a nutrition company based in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. I order their vitamins because 1) they're proven to work, and 2) I trust and respect the brand (and it's gorgeous!). On their website, they've clearly and simply outlined their unique values and benefits as part of their overall brand. Highlighting these makes it easy for customers like me to trust their products and choose them over competitors.

4. Create your visual assets.

At this point, you should understand your target audience, your mission statement, and the unique qualities that make up your business.

If you can say with confidence that you've mastered these steps, it's time to move on to one of the more exciting parts of branding - the visual design. We're talking about your logo, color palette, typography (fonts), iconography, and other visual components.

As you create these elements, build a set of brand guidelines (or a brand style guide) to govern the composition and use of your visual assets. This will ensure that whoever uses your new branding does so accurately and consistently. Check out HubSpot's brand guidelines for reference.

Note: Design can be just as intimidating as it is exciting. Consider hiring a professional with logo and identity design experience or starting with a few helpful design templates.

5. Find your brand voice.

Next, consider the auditory component of your brand. What would your brand sound like if you had a conversation with it, or if it texted you?
Take your brand to the next level with this free e-book on creating a brand style guide. Download templates, too!
How you communicate with your target market is also considered part of your branding. You want to define a brand voice that connects and resonates with your audience - otherwise, they probably won't pay attention. Because of that, don't hesitate to return to step one to get familiar with to whom you're speaking.

From your advertising campaigns and social media captions to your blog posts and brand story, ensure your tone is consistent throughout all of your written content. Give your audience a chance to get familiar with your brand and learn to recognize the sound of your voice. Better yet, master a fun, entertaining voice, and your customers will look forward to your social media and email updates.

Real-Life Brand Example: MailChimp

MailChimp is a great example of a brand that speaks with a clear, consistent tone. When I used their free plan for my small business, I always chuckled when receiving their emails and working in their interface. From its web copy to its email blasts and social media captions, MailChimp has established a brand voice and personality that is personable, fun, and accessible - it can be hard to explain the technical parts of a software product (like A/B testing), but MailChimp has mastered that, too.

6. Put your branding to work

Your brand only works if you do. Once you finish designing and creating your new brand (or rebrand) integrate it throughout every inch of your business. Pay extra attention to ensure it's displayed anywhere your business touches customers. Here are a handful of tips for applying your brand across your organization.
Image Source
Website

Splash your logo, color palette, and typography across your website. Don't use anything but your predefined assets in your brand guidelines. Your website is a major part of your company identity - if it doesn't reflect your brand, it will only provide a jarring customer experience. Also, be sure that all web copy, calls-to-action, and product descriptions reflect your brand voice.

Social Media

All profile photos, cover art, and branded imagery should reflect your brand. Consider putting your logo as your profile photo - this will make it easier for customers to recognize your business. As with your website, be sure all profile information, posts, and captions reflect your brand voice.

Packaging

If you have a physical products business, your product is probably the most tangible way that customers interact with your brand. For that reason, your packaging should reflect your new branding - in its design, colors, size, and feel.

Real-Life Brand Example: Chobani

I love Chobani yogurt (confession: I'm eating it right now). Their new branding immediately tells me that they produce authentic, healthy Greek yogurt. That's one of the main reasons I buy Chobani. Recently, I realized that their yogurt packages are made with a very earthy, textured material - an intentional decision that supports the overall experience they've paired with purchasing and eating the Chobani brand.

Advertising

Because advertisements (digital and print) are often used to establish brand awareness and introduce consumers to your brand, it's critical that they reflect your branding. In fact, your branding should make the ad creation process easier - with your brand style guide, you already know how your ads should appear and what type of copy to write.

Sales and Customer Service

A brand is only as powerful as the people behind it, and if your people aren't putting your brand to work, it won't work for you. Moreover, your brand applies to more than your marketing. Inform your sales and customer service folks of your brand guidelines and tell them to use it, especially when they engage directly with customers. Whether they are sharing a branded product demo or answering customer support inquiries, encourage them to use your logo, tagline, imagery, and brand voice.

1. Treat your brand as a person.

To best wrap your head around the branding process, think of your brand as a person. Your brand should have an identity (who it is), personality (how it behaves), and experience (how it's remembered).

Ask yourself these questions about your brand:

How would your brand introduce itself? If it had to describe its appearance, how would it do so?

How would your brand talk about your products or services? Would it be serious and professional, or would it be humorous and edgy?

What would someone say about your brand after "meeting" it for the first time? What are a few sentences they'd use to describe it?

The purpose of branding is to create relationships with your customers. The easiest way to do this is to treat your brand as a person and understand that you want your customers to do the same.

Real-Life Brand Example: Whiskey Riff

Whiskey Riff is another brand you're probably not familiar with. It's a two-man media company based here in Chicago that's dubbed themselves "the most entertaining country music site ever". I'm a fan because I love country music, enjoy their written and podcast content, and proudly wear some of its awesome apparel.

If Whiskey Riff was a person, here's how I'd think it would answer the questions above:

"Hey, I'm Whiskey Riff. I love country music and, you guessed it, Whiskey. My logo was inspired by the Y in the circle on the Chicago Theater marquee, and I'm adorned with horizontal red stripes and stars - which represent the American and Chicago flags."

"I publish in-your-face content about what's going on in country music today. If you don't like it, don't read it. My podcast featured my founders interviewing country music artists and telling hilarious stories. Check out my apparel line; my t-shirts, tanks, hats, and accessories can be seen at country music festivals (and on stages) nationwide."

"Whiskey Riff is like that first shot of Jack Daniels - that much-needed, refreshing drink after a long day. It's a break from that cookie-cutter way of life, and you immediately appreciate - and trust - its candidness. There's absolutely nothing like it in the industry."

2. Prioritize consistency.

Inconsistency is the number one branding mistake that companies make. Inconsistency undermines your brand and confuses your customers. Recognizable, valuable brands prioritize consistency - and they reap the benefits. When your brand is a unified presence across mediums and platforms, customers can easily get familiar with, recognize, and come to prefer your brand over time. Brand guidelines can help with this initiative.

3. Build and follow a brand strategy.

A brand strategy is more than your brand guidelines; it's a plan with specific, long-term goals that can be achieved as your brand evolves. These goals typically revolve around your brand's purpose, emotion, flexibility, competitive awareness, and employee involvement.

Remember how I said that branding is a continuous process? There's a lot that goes into it. A brand strategy can help you turn that process into a well-oiled practice that keeps your brand moving toward success and recognition.

4. Don't let inspiration turn into imitation.

Competitive analysis is important. Not only does it educate you on where your competition stands and how they are excelling, but it can also give you ideas on how you can improve or further set apart your brand.

However, be conscious to not fall into an imitation trap. Keep your competitive research limited and focus on what your organization brings to the table. Just because a competitor (or two) has branded their company in a certain way doesn't mean that you have to follow suit. New, unique, provocative brands are memorable brands.

5. Use branding to hire.

Strong branding makes your employees proud. I know I'm proud to be associated with HubSpot, much less work there. Leverage your branding to attract talented people. If hiring is a strong initiative for your organization, dedicate some of your resources to employer branding. Employer branding is how you market your company to job seekers and current employees. If you're publically proud of your organization, others will be, too.

Ready, Set, Brand

Branding is your organization's name, logo, color palette, voice, and imagery. It's also more. It's that intangible feeling your customers have when they interact with your brand. You know, that experience we talked about in the beginning.

That's how powerhouse brands deviate from all the others. The tangible components contribute to this - a gorgeous logo, a clever tagline, an authentic manifesto, and a clear brand voice - but truly strong brands thrive when they focus on the big picture of their brand. Get to the heart and soul of your target audience and your organization, and a successful brand will follow.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published in March 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Products are never just products, right? Coca-Cola is more than a soda. Starbucks is more than coffee. Ray-Ban is more than a pair of sunglasses. Interacting with these products provides experiences, and we buy them with that experience in mind.

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Sure, I read through The Marketer's Crash Course in Visual Content Creation and learned some sweet PowerPoint and Photoshop tricks that have helped me a lot with my content marketing job. But I really wanted to take my design skills to the next level.

So I asked all my designer friends what my next step should be -- and every single one said to take a course on typography.

Why typography? Turns out that while the importance of typography is often overlooked, it plays a critical role in strengthening your brand, creating interest in your product, and highlighting your central message. Knowing that, I decided to sign up for a typography course at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Couldn't hurt to learn how to identify a good font from a bad one, right?

I learned a lot more than that. I realized that paying attention to even the littlest details of type can make all the difference in the world when you're laying out an email, ebook, or image for social media.

This is why I wanted to write this post: to share the most important learnings and resources with my fellow marketers.

So, what do you say? Are you ready to take your DIY design skills to the next level? Let's get started.

Click on a section header below to jump to that section:

What Is Typography?

Before taking this course, typography -- to me, at least -- was more the art of scrolling through a dropdown menu until I found a font that looked like it could work. But it turns out there's a lot more to it than that.

Typography is the art and technique of arranging type, type meaning letters and characters.

Notice that it's about more than just the design of letters and characters; the arrangement of those letters and characters is just as big a part of it all. That refers to the selection of point size, line length, and spacing, both on a single line and throughout an entire page or piece of work.

To understand where the importance of arrangement comes in, I like to think back to Johannes Gutenberg's printing press. At one point in time, people practiced typography using printed materials -- meaning they were literally taking letters and characters and arranging them in physical space.

Today, thanks to computers, open source fonts, and scalable computer typography, it's a lot easier to arrange letters and characters. But that physical piece remains important, even in the digital sphere.

Why Is Typography Important?

Typography is absolutely everywhere. Just look at your phone, a billboard, your coffee cup, or even the different styles used in this blog post. Every font, letter, and character arrangement plays a part in determining how a message is conveyed.

Sure, it might seem trivial at times, but even the smallest of type adjustments can impact the look and feel of your work. For example, back in June, Facebook tested a new font on its users called Geneva. While the new font was only slightly thinner and lighter than the original, Helvetica, it made a noticeable difference to some.

"The overall effect is a lighter, more modern looking block of text," explained Chris Mills for BGR.

Same goes for when Apple changed its default font from the dramatically thin Helvetica Neue to one they developed in-house called San Francisco.

"The differences between Helvetica and San Francisco are subtle, even to the trained eye, but they're there," wrote Liz Stinson for WIRED. "While still an austere sans serif, San Francisco is bolder and friendlier than Helvetica Neue. Based on the German typeface DIN, San Francisco gives characters more breathing room, which will make it easier to read on relatively tiny mobile screens. Tall and skinny, San Francisco is space-efficient, like Google's custom typeface Roboto, which you could consider a close cousin to Apple's font."

The takeaway here? The little details do matter.

In fact, one of the only college courses Steve Jobs took was on calligraphy and typography, which he believed played a critical role in the success of Apple. As he once said in a Stanford University commencement speech, "If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts." Can you imagine a world where Apple products didn't have a focus on beautiful design? I certainly can't.

Once you realize how much thought goes into carefully selecting a typeface, it becomes much easier to recognize the differences between typefaces and understand why they might've been chosen in the first place. Take a look at some of the examples below to get a better sense of what I mean ...

Ready to move on to some typography terminology? Let's go.

Typography Definitions & Terms

Typefaces vs. Fonts

If you thought these two words were interchangeable, you're not alone. But they actually mean two different things.

Typographer, Nick Sherman, once used a great analogy to explain the differences between the terms "typeface" and "font." He suggested comparing these typography terms to the musical terms "song" and "mp3." When you're explaining how much you enjoy a particular tune, you say, "I love this song!" You wouldn't say, "I love this mp3!" The song is the work of art, whereas an mp3 file is just the delivery mechanism.

The same rules apply in typography. You should use the word "typeface" when describing the creative work (i.e., what you see). This is a more abstract design term used when referring to the way a specific collection looks or feels. For example, Helvetica is a typeface.

If you're describing the physical embodiment of the collection of letters and characters, you should use the term "font." It refers to what you use -- whether that's a file on your computer or a case full of metal letters. This is the tangible representation of that collection of letters and characters. For example, Helvetica Bold and Helvetica Light Oblique are fonts.

Here's how you could use these two terms in a sentence:

The Anatomy of a Typeface

It's way easier to communicate with designers when you actually speak their language, which is why it's important to understand the anatomy of a typeface.

Each part of a letter has its own special term, similar to bones in a human body. Below, you'll see three diagrams that explain the makeup of individual letters, how these elements interact with each other, and how they sit on a line.

For example, let's take with the word "Faulty" as it's shown in the picture below.

Here's how each of the terms here are defined:

Baseline: The line where the letters sit.

Cap height: The distance from the baseline to the top of the capital letter.

X-height: Located in between the baseline and the cap height, it's the height of the body of the lowercase letter. (In this case, it's the letters 'a,' 'u,' and 'y.')

Bowl: The curved part of the character that encloses the circular or curved parts of some letters, like 'd,' 'b,' 'o,' 'D,' and 'B.' (In this case, it's that round shape sticking off the letter 'a.')

Serif: The slight projection finishing off a stroke of a letter in certain typefaces. (In this case, it's that little foot sticking off the letter 'l.')

Descender: The longest point on a letter that falls beyond the baseline.

Now, let's look at the word "flash":

Here's how these terms are defined:

Ligature: The stroke that joins adjacent letters. (In this case, you'll notice the 'f' and the 'l' smush together to form one character.)

Stem: The base of a letter, similar to the stem of a flower.

Spine: The curvy body of the letter 's' -- and only the letter 's.' It gets its own term because the spine can be almost vertical or mostly horizontal, depending on the typeface.

Ascender: The portion of a letter that extends above the mean line of a font -- i.e., is taller than the font's x-height. (In this case, you'll also notice the letter 'h' is actually taller than the x-height.)

Still with me? Just a few more here. Let's take a look at the word "Beef":

Here's how these terms are defined:

Cross bar: The bar that goes across the inside of the letter and connects one side to another. (In this case, it's the bar inside the capital letter 'B.')

Counter: The empty space in the middle of letters such as 'B', 'O', or 'A.'

Finial: The tapered end of letters such as 'e' or 'c.'

Terminal: A type of curve that you see at the top of the letter 'f' or the end of the letter 'j.'

Good work. Now that you know the anatomy of letterforms, let's get into the terms related to spacing: kerning, tracking, leading, and hierarchy.

Kerning

Kerning is the modification of the space between two letters. For example, check out the image below:

Here, I used Franklin Gothic Medium to showcase the natural space you see between two letter T's. It looks a little too snug, right? By customizing the spacing between just these two letters, you'll be able to increase readability.

Tracking

Similar to kerning, tracking deals with a modification to letter spacing. However, instead of adjusting the spacing between just two letters, tracking is an adjustment to the spacing between all letters an entire word. See the difference below:

For this example, I chose to make an extreme adjustment to the tracking. Typically, you'd want to apply tracking in small increments to avoid causing readability issues.

Leading

Remember in high school when you had to double-space your essays? Well, the terms "single-space" and "double-space" can also be called "leading," which is the distance between the baselines. See leading in action:

You can choose to increase your leading, creating more space between the baselines, or decrease your leading, which pushes your lines of text closer together. The reason high school teachers asked for essays to be double-spaced was because it's much easier to read, and they could make corrections to the text more easily.

Hierarchy

As you read through this blog post, you'll notice certain words stand out more than others. That's what designers would call creating a hierarchy. You can use different weights (bold, regular, light), styles (italic), and sizes to create a sense of order within your text. Not only does this help create a legible flow, but it helps the reader see what the most important points are.

Here's an example of what hierarchy looks like:

In most cases, you want people to read the title first. That's why you'll see most titles are much bigger and bolder than the body text. Call-out quotes and descriptive sentences can also stand out above the rest of the text using techniques such as bolding and italicizing.

With effective hierarchy, the reader should be able to jump from one section to the next to identify the most important points.

Got all these typography terms down? Cool. Let's move on to how typography is organized with type classifications and type families. (Takes you back to biology class a little, doesn't it?)

Type Classifications

The two main type classifications you see are called serif and sans serif. Other classifications include slab serif, blackletter, script, modern, and decorative. Let's start with the most common two, and then touch on just a few others to give you an idea of what they're all about.

Serif

Remember when I pointed out the little foot in the word "Faulty?" Typefaces with feet like that are called serif. You can see where I highlighted these little feet below:

Common serif typefaces include Times New Roman, Georgia, and Garamond. If you're reading a novel, you might notice the body text is a serif. That's because a serif is much easier to read in long, printed works due to the distinctiveness between letters.

Sans Serif

In French, the word "sans" means "without." So the term "sans serif" literally means "without serif." In the image below, you'll notice the words lack serifs, as I pointed out with the red arrows.

Common sans serif typefaces include Arial, Verdana, and Futura. You'll see a lot of sans serifs being used in blog posts and documents on the web because it feels more modern and looks great even at lower screen resolutions.

Blackletter

Blackletter typefaces, also referred to as Gothic, Fraktur or Old English, are known for its dramatic thick and thin strokes and its elaborate swirls on the serifs. These typefaces are based on early manuscript writing -- in fact, blackletters were used in Gutenberg's Bible, one of the first books ever printed in Europe. They were much more popular before 1500 than they are today.

As you can tell, blackletters are pretty hard to read, which is why they're not typically used for body type. You'll usually see them in headers, logos, posters, and signs -- like on newspaper nameplates ( New York Times' logo, anyone?), or on the headers of certificates, diplomas, or degrees. Common blackletter fonts include Cloister Black, Deutsche Zierschrift, and Germanica.

Script

Script typefaces are based upon the varied and often fluid strokes created by handwriting. As scalable computer typefaces, characters in these scripts can now string together with one another automatically so they convincingly mimic handwriting, rather than users having to manually pick and choose which letters go after which -- which you can imagine was a painstaking process.

Under the umbrella of a script typeface, there are two basic classifications: formal and casual. Formal scripts are often reminiscent of the handwritten letterforms common in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and they're used for elegant designs like invitations and diplomas, not for body copy.

Casual scripts, or informal scripts, are just that: less formal script typefaces that look more like everyday handwriting

Those are just a few examples of type classifications to give you an idea of how they work. But, since this is a blog post, not a typography course, let's move on to type families.

Type Families

The term "type family" or "typeface family" is used to describe a range of designs that are all variations of one basic typeface.

For example, you'll see that Proxima Nova has variations such as bold, extra bold, black, regular, light, light italic, and regular italic:

Sticking to a single type family will help add variation to your designs, while keeping it consistent and uniform.

Designers might use various fonts within one family to create a sense of hierarchy -- designing so that the most important elements, such as headlines and quotes, stand out above the rest of the text.

Typography Fonts

Before we wrap up here, I figured I'd leave you with a few great resources for where to find free fonts to download from the web, along with eight free ones I handpicked from these resources to get you started.

Great Resources for Free Fonts

"35 of the Best Free Fonts You Should Download": A HubSpot blog post curating 35 of the best free fonts on the internet.

Google Fonts: Hundreds of free, open-source fonts from Google that are already optimized for the web.

Behance: A great resource for finding beautiful design work, including unique fonts that are free to download.

HypeForType: Over 25,000 typography designs from top designers, many of which are available to download for free.

8 Cool Fonts That Are Free to Download

Here's one that's great for body copy. It was meant for book production, according to Google Fonts, so it's easy to read. But at the same time, there's a lot to it that makes it special: old-style figures, small caps, fleurons, and math characters and the like. It comes in three styles -- Regular, Light, and Bold -- along with the italic styles of those weights.

Harmattan is a typeface on Google Fonts that was actually originally intended to suit Arabic scripts, but it also looks great on Latin characters -- and would love attractive in either headline or body copy.

Torcao is a unique combination of letters that are "half square, half circle," robust and technical while at the same time, light-hearted and inviting. It a great headline typeface, but it still quite legible in longer text. The family comes in nine weights (slender to black) and has both condensed and extender selections for a complete set of forty-eight fonts.

This free brush font posted on Behance is great for commercial materials like social media images and flyers. It's a Lite version of the designer's "Full King Basil," and it contains many swashes and connecting letters that make for a beautiful, script-like font.

Merriweather was designed to be a typeface that's pleasant and easy to read on screens, making it perfect for a web asset like your homepage or blog. It's an evolving project on Google Fonts and will be updated, but right now, you'll find four styles -- Regular, Light, Bold, and Black -- along with the italic styles of those weights

Poiret One is a long-time favorite of mine. It's described on Google Fonts as "a fresh, decorative, geometric grotesque with a hint of Art Deco and constructivism." It's sleek, simple, decorative, and great for short texts. Try it on large signs, labels, posters, T-shirts, titles, or headlines.

A vintage-inspired headline typeface from HypeForType with sixteen different styles and a monoline script. It also includes free labels and extras like wild animals, numbers, symbols, tools, and other icons. True North comes with labels, extras and free banners. Extras include wild animals, catchwords, numbers, symbols, tools, maple leaves and trees. True North is a headline font with alternate capitals.

Here's a cool free font posted on Behance created by a professional font creator who was kind enough to accompany the free download with the mockups below. These mockups show folks how they can play around with the font in their own designs. It comes in capital letters and numbers only, and is great for headlines or social media images like the ones below.

Of course, there's always more you could learn when it comes to typography. When graphic designers get a degree, they usually have to go through several rounds of typography courses to become a professional.

But now you know some key terms to get you started and -- at the very least -- you'll be able to sound super smart when talking to your designer friends.

Want more typography tips? Check out this post on the relationship between fonts and feelings.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in June 2014 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

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Typography Tutorial for Beginners: Everything You Need to Learn Typography Basics

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Take your DIY design skills to the next level by getting a crash course in typography.

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The 7 types of logos you need to know (and how to use them!)

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Add your (KEY) bullet point notes below after reading chapters 4-8.

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Add your (KEY) bullet point notes below after reading chapters 4-8.

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Create stunning original music for free in seconds using our AI generator. Make your own masterpieces, share with friends, and discover music from artists worldwide.