When it comes to food packaging design, typefaces can influence how sour, salty or crispy something may seem.

Several years ago designer Sarah Hyndman from Type Tasting, London, found that typefaces affected people’s perception of taste. For example a rounder typeface potentially influences sweetness, as compared to the same word presented in an angular typeface.

This is subtle stuff, but could really help the messaging on your packaging if you are wanting to push certain flavour cues. It makes me think that typography is perhaps getting overlooked in favour of photography and illustration. Nothing against photography or illustration, I just wonder if the power that typography has with our perception of taste, is it getting lost in the aesthetic of these other graphic elements?

I think it’s something to keep in mind if you really want to crank up a certain flavour. And it’s another way to showcase your brand’s personality, you can really have some fun with it. I did in the banner above!

So next time you are considering a product launch, refresh or rebrand, lift the lid on your designer’s typeface selections. Are they serving you up tasty typographic treats?

I work with food and beverage brands to help their business performance. You can check my work out here