Serif vs sans serif in logo design

Your choice of typeface can have a significant impact on the look and feel of a logo design, as well as helping to define the personality of the brand in question. We’ve already explored the psychological impact that your choice of colour and shape can have, but when it comes to selecting a typeface to work with, there are two main choices: serif or sans-serif, see our serif vs sans-serif guide for the differences between them.

Over the last 15 years or so, sans-serif typefaces have dominated many sectors of branding, providing a bold, no-nonsense, clean and minimalist style.  A glut of major corporations have gone ‘sans’ in their rebrands, from Gap to Google – although the former famously reverted to its serif predecessor in the face of universal criticism.

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Nick Carson
Brand writer and consultant

Nick has worked with world-class agencies including Wolff Olins, Taxi Studio and Vault49 on brand storytelling, tone of voice and verbal strategy for global brands such as Virgin, TikTok, and Bite Back 2030. Nick launched the Brand Impact Awards in 2013 while editor of Computer Arts, and remains chair of judges. He's written for Creative Bloq on design and branding matters since the site's launch.

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