Frustration with Over-Designed Fancy Fonts

[joe Breath]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been diving into the world of fonts lately, and I’ve noticed a growing trend of “fancy fonts” generated by certain tools that end up being either unreadable or overly complicated. While I understand the creative intent, some of these fonts feel impractical for real-world use, especially for branding or professional design.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on this:

1- What’s your take on overly fancy fonts that prioritize aesthetics over usability?
2- Are there specific guidelines for balancing creativity and practicality when designing fonts?
3- How do you personally avoid creating “stupid” fonts that might look good but fail in terms of readability or functionality?
Looking forward to an interesting discussion on this!

Best regards,
Joe Breath.

[Erwin Denissen]

I agree that many of these “fancy” fonts can be hard to read, but I think they do have a place—especially when it comes to very specific marketing materials or campaign-focused visuals. For instance, if you’re designing a limited-edition product launch or a promotional event poster, a highly decorative typeface can help convey a certain mood or exclusivity. In those cases, the font’s aesthetic impact can be more important than day-to-day legibility.

Ultimately, it comes down to context. If the goal is everyday usability or brand consistency, sticking with clear, versatile fonts makes sense. But if you’re aiming for a unique visual statement in a controlled setting—like a short-term ad campaign or a piece meant to grab attention—then these “fancy” fonts can serve a purpose. They just need to be chosen with the intended audience and medium in mind.

[PJMiller]

I’ve been diving into the world of fonts lately, and I’ve noticed a growing trend of “fancy fonts” generated by certain tools that end up being either unreadable or overly complicated. While I understand the creative intent, some of these fonts feel impractical for real-world use, especially for branding or professional design.

This isn't a "growing trend" it has been with us for a looooong time.

I think it might help if you think of a font as a window, a window to the information contained in the text being printed. Like most windows their purpose is to see through them, to get a clear view of what is on the other side. But there are some windows whose purpose is to see the window itself, think of a stained glass window in a church. Here the purpose is to view the window and not what is on the other side.

As Erwin said "it comes down to context". An experienced typographer wouldn't use a fancy typeface in a context which requires quick and accurate comprehension of the information being conveyed or for a long piece of text but they would use a fancy typeface where they want to draw attention to the existance of the message itself where a less fancy typeface might be overlooked (think advertising).