I notice people’s handwriting and signatures. Whether you realize it or not, it has far reaching impact on how you and your brand are perceived.
When I first learned to write, two comments were written on my paper from my teacher that I remember to this day. One was “letters are too tight and touching,” and the other was that I was “drawing my letters.” This was before cursive. At the time I really had no idea what she meant but I did attempt to open up my letter spacing. Although she was satisfied, I had already begun to develop my own writing style.
Today I have many different writing styles depending on the task and three favorite writing instruments. They are also perfect for sketching out ideas.
The tools I prefer are a Mirado Black Warrior HB2 pencil, Black uni-ball Signo IMPACT 207 and a blue BIC Velocity 1.6. They support my different writing styles and flow perfectly. What tools you use change the art of your penmanship. These give my hand a nice grounding. Of course, no one can live without a Sharpie, but they bleed through and are not good for all writing applications. Each makes a unique statement.
When taking notes I generally use upper and lower case and the letters often run into each other as a combination of print and script. Most often I use all cap architectural handwriting. I am addicted to graph paper.
Some call your signature a John Hancock and it says a lot about your personality traits, as you will find in this article.
http://www.businessballs.com/graphologyhandwritinganalysis.htm
Here are a few more articles of interest if you want to dig deeper.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-coolest-signatures-in-history-2015-1
http://www.aiga.org/theyre-not-fonts
When it comes to designing a brand signature the same applies. It becomes a vital part of your brand identity. Picking the right personality for your brand can make the difference between success and failure. With so many variations to choose from, crafting the right face for your brand is not something to be rushed.
Designers have many things to consider when creating an identity but the brand signature is quite possibly the most important part with the other cast of characters in supporting roles. Whether you are writing by hand or using a computer, choose wisely and put your best face forward.