Typefaces & why I chose them

When I started redesigning my personal brand, I assumed color would be the most personal layer. I didn’t expect typography to call me out in the way it did. My old fonts were polished and safe; the kind of choices that felt “right” for someone in creative leadership, but they never actually sounded like me.

Typefaces are funny that way... they’re subtle and foundational, yet honest. They shape the tone long before the words do.

This time, I wanted my typography to feel like home. Simple. Human. Clear.

This blog post is about why I chose the two typefaces that now anchor my brand.

The Typography System

I kept the system intentionally minimal: two typefaces, two roles, and no unnecessary decoration.

LE HAVRE ROUNDED (REGULAR, UPPERCASE)

Le Havre Rounded has that Art Deco personality: structured, clean, and a bit stylized without sacrificing legibility. In uppercase, the geometry feels deliberate, and the rounded edges keep it approachable instead of severe.

It has presence without being loud and character without being showy.

For titles, that’s exactly what I want. It sets the tone without overshadowing the content; modern, warm, and human-centered.

Utopia STD (Regular)

Utopia has a different kind of confidence. It is traditional and trustworthy, without feeling corporate or sterile. The serif detailing brings a sense of refinement and readability that feels natural for longer writing.

It adds a little editorial polish while still feeling grounded and sincere.

Why These Two

Choosing typefaces can be overwhelming. There are endless options, and most of them “work.” I went into this knowing I wanted a sans-serif for titles and a serif for body, but beyond that, I spent a lot of time noticing what I naturally gravitated toward and what I didn’t.

What I kept coming back to was tension:

Title tone vs. body tone, emotional vs. functional, signal vs. substance.

I wanted a system that reflected the niche I’ve grown into: resilient leadership with a creative core. The rounded sans brings warmth and modernity. The serif grounds everything in clarity and credibility. Together, they create a visual language that feels both personal and intentional.

They each do something different, but they cooperate. Strong hierarchy, clean legibility across formats, distinct voices that still feel connected. They capture the two sides of how I show up:

• clarity and complexity,

• structure and intuition,

• leadership and humanity.

Typefaces reveal more than they say.

If color is how my brand feels, type is how it speaks.

Typography is often treated like decoration, but for me, it’s the first expression of tone and intention. This pairing reflects the kind of leadership I believe in: grounded, human, and resilient.