We’ve all participated in online contests – either as the contestant, the voter or both – and it’s almost impossible to avoid them. First of all, contests are easy and there are some very obvious benefits to being a part of them. In terms of effort, all you have to do is get nominated or vote for someone else. They an excellent platform for bringing people together and giving communities a sense of pride and spirit, much like a local sports team or school. They get people talking on Twitter, interacting for a cause and learning more about the contestants, the sponsoring company/organization, and the voters. And of course, the winner (hopefully you!) gets to receive some sort of accolade, title, prize, etc., which establishes credibility and perhaps affords you the opportunity to do something you otherwise wouldn’t be able to do.

It’s fantastic, right? Everyone wins (okay, not EVERYONE), and nobody gets hurt.

We’ve seen contests get ugly, and not because somebody’s a sore loser. People take their social media experience seriously, and when the contributors they rely on for friendship and interesting content are consumed with promoting their team/cause above all else, followers may become resentful. And if general backlash isn’t bad enough, the negativity toward the entire contest will be, diminishing the value of any interaction, win or attention.

Pick your battles wisely. You can’t be the campaign manager for everyone you know – eventually you’ll disappoint and your intentions will conflict. Nobody will believe you to be a true supporter, but instead someone who helps for his or her own self-interest. Before you begin knocking on doors and passing out buttons, really evaluate what this contest means to you and what the drawbacks and benefits of winning could be. If you believe in something, by all means, participate. And remember, the secret ballot exists for a reason.

Get off – line, that is. Sure, social media and the interwebs are an obvious way to spread the message about a contest, but if you want to be creative, step out from behind your computer. Host an event. Make t-shirts. Stage a performance. You know we’ve said it a million times, but try something unexpected.

Be a good sport. If you get nominated, what are you gonna do? Lose? Pssshh. Just be careful that you don’t over-solicit or make your social media content more about yourself than about what really matters. It’s called humility. Recognize other nominees and support the contest as a whole for what it is – a community effort, instead of focusing on the end result. And never, ever let things get ugly. That’s a one-way ticket to a ruined reputation.

There’s a fine line between alienation and involvement, so consider our advice the next time you click “submit vote.” In the world of contests, there’s a lot to win and lose – and we’re not talking about prizes.

Regular

If there’s one thing that gets graphic designers worked up, it’s fonts. The average Joe spends his life thinking very little about typography and taking for granted the subtle nuance in the millions of letters he sees every day. But designers are trained to make the perfect decisions (usually), and our eyes are a lot better off for it – even if we never stop to pay our respects.  

Font selection can be the difference between serious and silly, classic and edgy, modern and timeless – and whether you’re writing an email or creating a logo, those undertones are essential to conveying the right message.

Keep it simple. Except for in VERY special occasions, scripty, swirly and overly dramatic fonts are going to seem overwrought, and worse – they’ll be incredibly difficult to read. Your Christmas card or wedding invitation aside, they are unnecessary and will cheapen the more everyday types of collateral or documents. The crazier they look in your drop-down list, the more you should reconsider them.

 Don’t mix it up. Mixing fonts can be done, but this should really be left to a professional. Changing fonts for impact can actually diminish your point and make the entire piece less cohesive. The same goes for bold and italics – only use those when absolutely necessary and never at the same time. And never more than three words.

 Learn some lingo.You don’t have to become an expert, but once you pick up a little terminology, you’ll be better able to make smart font decisions, and you’ll probably start appreciating typography all around you. Serif, sans-serif, ascender, descender… or even explore some clever typography/font websites to really dig deep and broaden your horizons. Still, want more? There’s an entire documentary about the history of Helvetica. That’s right! A movie about fonts. Where’s the popcorn?

 Avoid at all costs. Among the designer community, there are several blacklisted fonts that, when used, immediately incite a gag reflex and a complete loss of respect. Among these are Comic Sans, Papyrus, Curlz, Bradley Hand and Kristen ITC. While experts can more descriptively explain the problems with these typefaces, overall, they are juvenile and hard to read – two major flaws in professional correspondence. And by “professional” we mean “any.”


 Consider the tone. The fonts listed above are bad, and like we said, you shouldn’t use them. But if for whatever reason you feel the need to make something extra cute, pause to reflect on your actual message. Select a font that represents the tone of your message – if it is serious, a whimsical choice will seem less so (in a bad way). Conversely, a birthday invitation doesn’t exactly scream “fun!” with a stodgy font like Times New Roman.

Smart typography is really all about awareness. If you’ve never given it a second thought, you might not realize the real impact it can have. Steer clear of the big no-nos, don’t do anything that your mom does and make sure your materials are easily legible, and you’ll be well on your way to font-astic communication. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

Choose a smart font for your brand marketing campaigns.

Allow us to font-ificate.