Making a good impression 

When I met my wife for the first time, she opened the door to her apartment; greeted me; laughed at the joke I made, trying to lighten the mood; and offered me a seat. When I met one of my first bosses, he held out his hand, but was more preoccupied with what was happening outside on the street. (Here’s a hint, I didn’t like him very much.)

You can tell a lot about a person by how they greet you, how they shake your hand, the impression they make on you. You could say the same about the fonts you use on the page. Like the clothes we wear or our facial expressions, fonts make an impression. Is the font full of whimsy and cheer or is it stiff and stoic?

Looking to make a good impression, Microsoft will be changing its default Office font to a new font starting next year. They’ve commissioned five new custom fonts, in a move away from the Calibri font that has been the default fault since 2007. The new fonts include Tenorite, Bierstadt, Skeena, Seaford, and Grandview and feature a variety of styles, including traditional, modern, and even one inspired by German road signs. 

Microsoft has been collecting feedback on the five new fonts and plans to set one as the new default font in 2022. Of the four, I don’t have a particular favorite, I guess I prefer Seaford, but no matter which Microsoft chooses, it better pick a good one, the last one they selected has been in place for the past 14 years. 

My wife and I have been together for close to 28 years. The boss I mentioned, yea, we didn’t last long as a team. In fact, I stayed in that job just over a year.

First impressions really do make a difference.