Why Typography Matters for Arts Organizations

I’ve designed websites for half a dozen arts and healthcare organizations at this point, and the single highest-leverage change is almost always the same: fix the typography.

Not the logo. Not the color palette. Not the photography. The type.

The Problem

Most arts nonprofits choose their typefaces the way they choose their office furniture: whatever came with the template. The result is websites that look like every other small nonprofit — which is the opposite of what an arts organization should communicate.

You are in the business of aesthetic experience. Your digital presence should reflect that.

What Good Typography Does

A well-chosen type system does three things simultaneously:

1. Signals credibility. Professional typography says “we take our craft seriously” before a single word is read.
2. Creates hierarchy. The reader’s eye knows where to go. Headlines, body text, captions, and calls-to-action each have their own voice.
3. Carries brand. Two organizations can use the same colors and layouts but feel completely different based on their type choices.

Practical Moves

You don’t need a design degree to improve your typography. Three changes that make an immediate difference:

• Limit to two typefaces. One for headlines, one for body. That’s it. Syne and Outfit. Playfair and Source Sans. Pick a pair and commit.
• Increase your body size. If you’re under 16px, you’re too small. 18px is better. Your audience includes donors over 50. Respect their eyes.
• Add whitespace. The most common typography mistake isn’t the wrong font — it’s cramming too much text into too little space. Let your content breathe.

The best part: these changes cost nothing and can be implemented in an afternoon.