An article on how font colors and styles on food packaging can determine consumer behavior blew away even a seasoned custom font / typography designer — who it turned out was responsible for some of the designs in this article.
The conclusion:
“Seemingly inconsequential features of packaging, like color, typeface, and label material, can deeply influence what we taste.”
The article goes on to use Airheads candy as an example, citing a Norwegian researcher who found type styles predicted if consumers thought a candy would be sweet, sour, creamy, etc.
Is it that foods use similar styles to other foods that came before—skinny for low calorie, handwritten for handmade, cartoonish for tasty and kid-friendly?
I played with some alternate ideas for the Airheads candy typography using my favorite design tool, Canva.
Think about if any of the above give you a pre-conception of what a candy or other packaged food might taste like based on the typography. Then read on.
How to play around with a logo and create modern, professional looking social media designs
Did those logos make you think sweet or sour or…?
The researcher “discovered that angular, asymmetrical fonts make us perceive foods as sour, while we tie round, symmetrical writing to sweetness.”
Packaging trends at the Natural Products Expos and Fancy Food Shows are a peek into how brands use elements and design styles to get across certain feelings and promises.
When you shop for yourself or are doing food brand research, take a good look at the typography. (The Dieline is one of my favorite spots to check out award-winning package design.)
Then, before you spend a lot of money on a brand designer, play around with different typefaces yourself on Canva.
You can import images and play around with overall designs. Then when you’re directing your logo or packaging designer you can get your ideas across in a visual way that will be good for everyone.
Or who knows, you may end up creating your ideal logo yourself!
Disclosure: The above are promotional links. I love and use Canva daily myself which is why I joined their affiliate program.
