Comic Sans: A Question

WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE THIS FONT? That is my question. Why? Why why WHY? Or maybe I should ask, ?Why do people USE this font?? I just don?t get it.

Ok, maybe I should back it up a little bit. Maybe I shouldn?t be so hard on this font, I mean, I?m sure it has its purpose. *thinking? thinking* Like representing ketchup. *thinking* Or blood. But other than that, why use it? As a hand-script font? No, because there is a long list of fonts that capture the hand-written form far better than Comic Sans. To use as a casual font? I have to say another ?NO? since there are many, many informal fonts out there. To annoy me personally? Well, I?m pretty sure this one isn?t true, but sometimes it feels that way.

My distaste for this font goes all the way back to my college days, when the use of Comic Sans distinguished the ?serious? designers from the rest?the latter used it, the former did not. I don?t know who made this distinction, but it is something that has stuck with me all these years. (It hasn?t been THAT many years!)

Whenever I see an ad or website that uses this font, the credibility of whatever is being advertised drops way down. In my mind, a professional or legitimate business wouldn?t use Comic Sans. Just like they wouldn?t have a flashing banner or a bright red background. I?m sure there are legitimate websites out there that use Comic Sans and flashing banners and bright red backgrounds. I wouldn?t know. I click out of these sites too quickly to find out.

So to answer my initial question: Why do people like this font? I guess the answer is? just because they do. But if I?ve learned anything as a designer (and I?ve learned quite a bit) it?s this: What a person likes isn?t always the best solution in design. It is more important to appeal to your target audience and make the customer happy. I may not always agree with the customer, but that?s ok.

At Moxie, we work with our customers to create the best design for them. Hopefully none of these designs will require the use of Comic Sans, but if they do, well, I?ll cross that bridge when I get there! At Moxie, we are here to serve our clients, to help YOU SUCCEED!

www.thinkmoxie.com

? Post written by Cristy Wiza.