Why glances could become valuable commodities
As technology aligns with the lifestyle needs of savvy consumers, going ‘small’ is the next obvious big shift which will undoubtedly give brands and advertisers a new way to engage consumers. Business Intelligence (BI) estimates that the global wearables market will grow 35% over the next five years, reaching 148m shipped units annually by 2019 - up from 33 million units shipped this year. BI expects the smartwatch segment to grow from 59% of the total wearable device shipments this year to 70% by 2019.
Every new screen represents a way for advertisers to reach consumers with a message. But all these screens also bring new challenges for marketers keen to tap into the opportunity. People must be able to quickly and accurately read what they see in mere milliseconds. Legibility – with quick glances is mind – is key to winning in the wearables space. Glances that are looking at things like the time, an e-mail, a text, an Instagram page or the latest stock update.
It’s conceivable we’ll be checking our smartwatch hundreds of times each day, much like our smartphones, which rack up some 150 of our glances every day, according to research published by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. So, before brands and advertisers embark on the next big frontier of reaching consumers, they need to consider just how that message will appear.
Adjustable text settings
It sounds obvious, but the writing and images that a brand uses need to be easy on the eyes, have impact, and of course, be legible. Designers need to understand a client’s ultimate objective and recognise that one size does not fit all. Adjustable text size settings are advised so that consumers can modify their text settings to ensure a comfortable, accurate read. For example, older people may want text to appear larger than younger consumers.
Legible type
Brands and advertisers need to ensure that legibility is never compromised. The text needs to be as easy to read as possible, even at the smallest sizes. Take Apple’s watch for example, it uses a typeface called San Francisco, which was designed by Apple to help maximise legibility on the watch’s small display. At large sizes, the font’s slightly condensed letters take up less horizontal space. At small sizes, letters are spaced more loosely and are shaped more openly, so people can read in split-second glances.
Building brand personality
An advertiser must keep in mind that the type needs to reflect the brand’s personality. Is it corporate or quirky? Is it curves or straight lines, bold letters or something more subtle? Although it’s critical for the type to be legible on small screens, it still needs to speak with the brand’s voice.
Choice of words
Brands must also consider the choice of words when advertising and communicating any messages on a small screen. Consumers expect that the message of an ad to be apparent at a glance with little or no work on their part. Lengthier words take longer to read. By using short, effective words, a brand can shave off seconds from the time it takes to communicate.
Glancing into the future…
So what does all this mean? We’re likely to see glances become more valued and recognised as a precious commodity. In future, marketers need to ensure, that glance by glance, the power of a brand – along with the consumer’s thirst for information – cuts through the ever-increasing volume of information. In this way, glances may very well become the new currency of the age.
It’s important that advertisers and brands today become well equipped to make the best typographic decisions to successfully balance aesthetic appeal and performance – and make the most of consumers’ darting attention.
By Nadine Chahine, U.K. type director and legibility expert at Monotype.
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