What Do You Think: A Cheerful Typeface for Creative Branding
I recently found myself in the middle of a branding project for a local artisanal bakery. The client wanted something warm, inviting, and a little bit whimsical to reflect their handmade approach and cozy community vibe. I was flipping through my font library when I came across What Do You Think. It immediately caught my eye—not just because of its name, but because of how it looked on screen. I gave it a test run across several design assets, and let me tell you, this cheerful serif font has some serious personality.
First Impressions and Visual Characteristics
What Do You Think is exactly what you’d expect from a cheerful serif font—it brings a sense of optimism and friendliness without being over the top. Its serifs are soft and elegant, giving it a refined edge while maintaining a playful tone. The spacing between letters feels generous, which helps with legibility even at smaller sizes. But what really stands out is the warmth of its curves and the subtle character in each glyph. It’s not just a typeface; it's a mood booster for your designs.
Testing What Do You Think in Real Design Scenarios
I used What Do You Think in a few different contexts for the bakery brand:
- Logo Concept: When paired with a hand-drawn icon of a flour sack or a loaf of bread, it added a human touch that felt right at home next to the imagery.
- Brand Board: On a mood board with pastel colors and botanical illustrations, it complemented the overall aesthetic perfectly, reinforcing the friendly and creative vibe.
- Packaging Mockup: For product labels like "Homemade Banana Bread" and "Seasonal Muffins," the font worked well as a headline, drawing attention without overwhelming the layout.
- Business Cards: At 10pt size, it held up surprisingly well for short phrases, especially when set with good contrast against a background color.
- Website Header: Used in the hero section of the homepage, it created an inviting first impression that matched the brand’s voice.
- Social Media Layouts: In Instagram posts promoting weekend specials, the font stood out in carousel ads and story headers, adding a personal flair that resonated with followers.
Strengths and Ideal Use Cases
One of the biggest strengths of What Do You Think is its versatility within the realm of editorial and brand design. As a serif font, it naturally fits into layouts that require a more traditional or literary feel. However, its cheerfulness makes it stand apart from many standard serif fonts. Here are the areas where it truly shines:
- Editorial Design: Perfect for magazine titles, book covers, and newsletter headers. The font adds a nice visual rhythm to short text blocks.
- Logo Design: Works great as a display or accent font in logos, especially for brands that want to convey creativity and approachability.
- Product Labels & Packaging: Especially effective for boutique-style packaging, craft goods, or food items where a handwritten or casual look isn’t required but warmth is.
- Social Media Graphics: Adds charm to social media statuses, promotional banners, and short-form content. It pairs nicely with bold photography and simple icons.
- Short-Phrase Typography: Whether it’s a tagline, quote, or call-to-action, What Do You Think handles short bursts of text beautifully.
Font Pairing Suggestions
As any seasoned designer knows, pairing fonts is an art. With What Do You Think, here are a few combinations that worked well during testing:
- Sans Serif Fonts: Clean sans serifs like Lato or Raleway help balance the playfulness of What Do You Think in body copy or supporting text.
- Script or Handwritten Fonts: For accents or signature lines, pairing it with a lighter script like Alexandr did wonders in adding texture to the brand identity.
- Modern Display Fonts: If you’re going for a bolder, contemporary look, using it alongside a geometric sans like Bebas Neue gives the design a fun twist.
Avoid pairing it with overly decorative or heavy scripts unless you're aiming for maximalist chaos—this font wants to be seen, not drowned out.
Licensing and Practical Considerations
Before moving forward with any commercial use, always check the licensing terms. I made sure to verify if What Do You Think was suitable for use in logo systems, web headers, and print-on-demand merchandise for the bakery project. Licensing clarity is crucial for small business owners who might not have a legal team backing them up. If you plan to use it in client work, ensure the license allows for commercial applications, including digital and print formats.
The font includes multiple weights and styles, which is great for creating visual hierarchy and variety across design elements. Alternates and ligatures were present enough to give options without making things too complicated. Multilingual support covered most Western European languages, which is helpful if you're designing for a broader audience.
When Not to Use What Do You Think
Despite its charm, What Do You Think isn’t perfect for every situation. I noticed that in longer paragraphs, such as product descriptions or website copy, it lost some of its readability due to its slightly condensed structure and playful weight distribution. It also didn’t hold up well in very small sizes on printed materials like invoices or shipping labels.
If you're working on a formal corporate identity, a government-related project, or anything that requires strict typographic neutrality, this might not be the best choice. While it can add character, it may not project the professionalism needed for those kinds of projects.
How It Impacts Brand Perception and Consistency
Incorporating What Do You Think into the bakery’s brand system helped create a consistent and memorable identity. The font’s warmth reinforced the idea of a family-run business focused on quality and care. Across all touchpoints—from signage to Instagram stories—the font helped maintain a cohesive look that felt intentional and thoughtful.
Readers paused longer on the shop sign, which read “Bake Your Day Better” in What Do You Think, than they had before the redesign. And in the final packaging mockups, the font played a key role in making the products feel special and handcrafted. That kind of engagement is hard to quantify, but easy to notice when you see clients nodding in approval and customers smiling at the visuals.
Testing Tips Before Finalizing
Here’s how I recommend testing What Do You Think in real-world scenarios before committing to it in client work:
- Print Test: Print it on paper at various sizes to see how it behaves in physical environments like posters, menus, or business cards.
- Screen Preview: View it on different screens (desktop, phone, tablet) to assess its performance in web design and digital branding.
- Contrast Check: Try it on light backgrounds, dark backgrounds, and colored gradients to find the optimal contrast for visibility and impact.
- Pairing Experiment: Play around with different secondary fonts to see what complements it best and maintains harmony across your brand assets.
- Use Case Simulation: Apply it to a full range of deliverables, including long form text, headlines, and subheadings, to understand its limitations.
Final Takeaways for Designers and Creators
After putting What Do You Think through its paces in a realistic branding scenario, I’m confident it belongs in a designer’s toolkit. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, but for the right project—especially ones leaning into creativity, lifestyle, or artisanal aesthetics—it can elevate the design in meaningful ways.
If you're looking for a premium font that brings character without sacrificing professionalism, What Do You Think could be a solid pick. Just remember to consider its role in the hierarchy and context. Use it for impact, not for everything.
So next time you're working on a brand that needs a bit of heart and a lot of style, give What Do You Think a try. Who knows? It might just become your new favorite serif font for creative branding projects.
