Does time have meaning?

This one does.

What's the significance of 10:10? Most advertisers set their watches to 10 minutes past 10, or within 2 minutes of that. There are countless theories to explain why this might be. Including the time of the inventor's birth or death. Or the V shape referring to victory after World War II.

One common theory is that it looks like the watch is smiling. And this brings about positive emotions thus selling more watches. Psychologists actually researched this and found the 10:10 smile way more effective than the 8:20 frown.

Though most will probably agree the real reason is aesthetics. Designers wish to present their watches in the best way possible, clearly showing all features.

At 10:10, the hands are viewed separately. And often the brand or logo is displayed between them at 12 o'clock. So it's readable and even highlighted by the symmetry of the outstretched hands. Also, this ensures visibility for other elements, such as counters and date windows.

That's what designers do. They make things look pretty. But copywriters just write, right?

Actually you should consider the design of your words. Just like with watches, you want to display your copy in the most flattering way.

Typography is the art of arranging type for style and appearance. A lot of decisions are based on readability and clarity. But there are many factors to consider to make text visually appealing.

✔️ Font

✔️ Size

✔️ Spacing

✔️ Alignment

✔️ Balance

✔️ Symmetry

✔️ Glyphs

A new trend is making sentences or lists

get progressively longer or shorter

in order to create a pleasing

pattern for the reader.

This visual variety

can make reading a page

of text more engaging and entice

the reader to keep on reading to the end.

Here are 9 tips to help you create aesthetically pleasing copy.*

1. The optimal line length for body text is 50 - 75 characters.

2. Leading or line spacing between 1.3 and 1.5 is ideal for readability.

3. Lists emphasize important ideas, improve scannability and add passive space.

4. Use font size hierarchy to guide the reader (headline > sub-head > body text).

5. Create interest and balance by using contrasting fonts like a serif paired with a sans serif.

6. Choose a font based on how it feels (fun, formal, wild) then pair it with another font having a similar personality.

7. Use a safe method by creating contrast with a font that has multiple styles and weights.

8. Create a grid to line up text with photos or other elements to have balance, symmetry and harmony.

9. Flip your design upside down to see if the copy feels visually balanced.

*Social media posts don't necessarily consider these because of the lack of many formatting tools. And the poster's desire to share their thoughts quickly.

What typography tricks do you use when presenting work to a client?

#Copywriting #Design #Typography