Typeface and Emotional Response

Shivani Kolte, GD UG3, MITID

Abstract
A typeface is a particular design of type compiling the various weights, styles, widths, slants
and more. Seeing as they are based on physical factors of the type, they can be broken down
into the basic elements of design such as the lines, shapes, color, form and value. Deriving
from these the paper explores the nuances of how various Typefaces associate with different
emotions and the basis on which these correlations are inferred. Analysing typography on the
basis of visual perception the above factors add up to create certain emotional responses
which build up to give the typeface a specific personality. Emotions triggered through these
factors which affect our psychological response and thus perception take the text from a
bunch of words to the next level bagging it a certain character and individuality. Agreeably
there can be multiple responses to one typeface depending on the context or environment it
is used in.
Going over the emotional response, the human brain always tries to subconsciously attempts
to group and find synonymous features in any new information in order to familiarise itself
and find parallels to the information that it has. This is how our perception is biased and
influenced by our subconscious which uses visual recall to make sense of new information.
Typography if understood as a form of expressionism can be analysed in the form of a unified
system which brings all our senses together in order to create a unique experience. As emo-
tions motivate behaviour, our assessment could also take shape by virtue of how we physical-
ly express ourselves; a smile being a curve upwards indicating happiness, a frown being a
curve downwards indicating sadness and so on.
Studying further through researches can help define and have a deeper look into why and
how emotions and typefaces are concurrent making it easier for designers to understand how
visual language can be developed through typefaces and how important a role it plays a visual
element in the system that makes up a whole to form a design.
Keywords
Emotions, Cognitive Response, Form, Typography, Visual language, Perception

References
Why Fonts Matter, and how they impact your mood
Sarah Hyndman

https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/why-fonts-matter-sarah-hyndman-260116

Emotion and Perception: The Role of Affective Information

Jonathan R. Zadra and Gerald L. Clore

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3203022/

Emotional Interface Methodology

Sylvia Tzvetanova

https://www.sd.polyu.edu.hk/iasdr/proceeding/papers/Emotion-
al%20Design%20Methodology.pdf