Getting the correct exhibition stand design ideas can be a long but worthwhile process when planning an exhibition or event. Settling with the first idea that comes into your head can be the difference between event success or event failure.
We all know that first impressions count, it’s a well-worn saying, but it does ring true. Especially in the world of exhibitions and events. We want our brand to stand out from the competition, look professional and deliver the correct message.
The thing is this message can get lost very fast. You may have designed an excellent event display in terms of accessibility, shape, and presentation space but can customers read your branding? Does the style of your visuals match the product type or customer base? Ultimately, does your message work?
In this week’s blog, we look at why the font style you chose could be the difference between an event win or an event loss.
Why is font choice important for exhibition stand design?
Events can be busy, and crowds of people can get smothered with opportunity at every turn, which opportunity they take, is often down to you! As we mentioned earlier, a first impression counts and when you present the right opportunity, in the right way, you could be on the way to securing a lead. However, presenting it incorrectly makes it easy for that opportunity to never arise.
Having the right font gives people a chance to not only read your brand and messaging correctly but also lets people understand a little more about your brand style, ethos and target audience. Visuals using graffiti-style fonts for a financial company will give a distinctly different message than that of a financial business that chooses a more standardised font and visuals for example.
Font choice can be quite challenging when there is such a wide choice at our disposal, but through research, designing and experimenting you can find a font that has the power to emphasise the message you are communicating.
Are exhibition graphics as important as the font?
A good and consistent graphic design helps communicate your message clearly but it is important to not let the visual graphics take over other important brand messaging. Ensuring that you invest in the design work, and have your team, along with those at Nomadic Design for example assess the various exhibition stands available to you allows you to review and assess what may work and what may not. The graphics you have in mind may look too imposing on a smaller stand, too small on a bigger stand or even be swamped by text on either.
Unfortunately, it is not unusual to see unappealing, cluttered, and ineffective graphics on an exhibition stand. So spend time working on both graphic images and fonts to harness the best of both for your brand. Ultimately, always remain open to change, but at the same time, stay true to your brand. A rapid divert to a totally new font style or new aesthetic could harm your brand more than build it.
Which font styles are right for an exhibition stand?
So how do you choose the right font for your exhibition graphics? Start by deciding if you want to use a serif or sans-serif font. Serif fonts are great when reading small print in a book, or brochure but unless they are an integral part of your brand identity it may be wise to stay away from them in your event graphics. Serif fonts can be harder to read, get lost in a trade show environment or just appear as a blur if a visitor is viewing from a distance. If you wish to adopt one, an example of a popular serif font would be Times New Roman.
Sans serif fonts may be a better font style for events. Fonts such as Helvetica, Arial, and Futura, are much more legible and easier to read in large format graphics. Due to sans serif fonts not having any tails they have a modern and slick appearance and are often used for signage as they work well when there is little room for too much text, and they are much easier to decipher from a distance.
If you want to add interest or exaggerated features you may consider using script or ornamental fonts if you have a themed display, however, these fonts are very hard to read. Overall, we would suggest you avoid these fonts for exhibition graphics as legibility is key.
Always factor in perhaps the most important thing when designing graphics is the 3-second rule – the visitor needs to know who you are, what you do and what you can do for them in the time it takes to count to 3! Trade show traffic moves past your display at quite a pace, so attendees need to understand your message!
No matter what type of stand you require, whether it be pop up displays or modular display stands that can be reconfigured for multiple events let us know! Our team can help with the whole process from design to installation and even secure stand storage. We’d love to help you with your next exhibition stand design project so contact us today and let us share our extensive knowledge and expertise with you.