Why create your own font for business: 5 arguments from the Chief Design Officer at TECHIIA holding Ivan Rogovchenko
Communication with the market is an integral part of the business. And for visual or text communication, you definitely need a font. At first glance, there’s no problem with that, there’s a bunch of different fonts installed in text and photo editors, or the font can be downloaded on the Internet to your preference. And it often works out great for small or family businesses. For large businesses, there are two options: pay for a license or create your own unique font. For WePlay! Esports company’s communication, which is part of the TECHIIA holding, we chose the second option.
It took more than a year to work on the WePlayType font, which was developed by one of the best font printers in Ukraine, Kyrylo Tkachov. And today we use our font in all communications, from the media portal to the titles of broadcasts. Here are 5 reasons why businesses should develop their own font based on our experience.
1. Cost optimization
If you have many ways to contact the audience, in different languages and for different world countries, then your own font is more optimal in terms of costs than the annual payment for a license to use a ready-made one. For example, WePlay! Esports uses the font for communication in offline tournaments, online broadcasts, media portals, marketing projects, merch. Communication takes place in different languages for several dozen countries. Under such conditions, the annual license payment to use someone else’s font is significantly more expensive than developing your own.
2. No restrictions on use
Imagine you use a licensed font that has already become part of the company’s brand book. You are planning to enter a new market, for example, the Scandinavian countries but your branded font does not include specific letters of the Danish alphabet. What are the options? Contact the font author? Change font for all markets? Use a separate font for Denmark? Your own font will never create such problems and can be quickly refined for the right market.
3. Joint communication link
During the rebranding of WePlay! Esports in 2018, we wanted all our communications to be united by something more than a logo and corporate colors. This link has become our own unique font. By the way, the inscription of the company’s name in the brand font can be its logo. And this is yet another benefit.
4. Motivation and pride for the team
Not that many Ukrainian companies have their own fonts. The ability to work with a unique font is a reason to be proud of for the design team and a reason to communicate inside. The more unique things and tools in the work — the more interesting the task and the more motivated the team.
5. The news hook for external communications
The company’s own font is real news for the designers and font creators community. Last year I was invited to showcase the first version of WePlayType at the conference “Prostir Liter” in Lutsk Castle. And the font itself has become a topic for publications in the media and a reason for lively discussions in thematic communities on social networks.
To use a licensed or create your own font, that is what you need to choose for each specific task. But remember that your own font opens up additional features and nice bonuses. There are specialists in Ukraine who will make your font not only beautiful but also functional. Ukrzaliznytsia, Book Forum, Yarych, ZaxidFest, Inkerman, Ukraїner, WePlay! Esports and a number of other brands have already developed their own fonts or logos in branded fonts.
