Simply Be: A Compact Typeface for Modern Branding
It started with a blank artboard and a client who wanted something "approachable but not messy." We were building a visual identity for a small, community-focused skincare line that prides itself on natural ingredients and honest labeling. The brief was tricky: the brand needed to feel friendly and human, yet professional enough to sit on a shelf next to high-end competitors. I scrolled through my library of Fonts, looking for that sweet spot between casual charm and structural integrity. That's when I pulled up Simply Be.
Created by Darrell and available through Script Amp, Simply Be is a compact, friendly, freehand font that immediately caught my eye. At first glance, it reads as a clean sans serif font, but look closer, and you see the subtle irregularities of a hand-drawn stroke. It doesn't scream "look at me"; instead, it whispers confidence. For this specific project, the defining feature was its ability to maximize horizontal space use. In packaging design, real estate is precious. We had long ingredient lists and regulatory text to fit on small jars, and I needed a typeface that wouldn't force us to shrink the logo into oblivion.
Testing the Waters: From Logo Drafts to Labels
I dropped Simply Be onto the initial logo draft, and the transformation was instant. The letters sat comfortably together, creating a solid block of text that felt grounded. Because it is designed for casual appeal, it stripped away the corporate stiffness often found in geometric sans serifs. The "freehand" quality adds a layer of authenticity that resonates well with consumers looking for handmade or artisanal products. It feels like a human wrote it, but with a steady hand.
As we moved from the logo to the wider brand identity, I tested how the font held up across different mediums. On the product labels, the compact nature of the font was a lifesaver. We could set the brand name in a larger point size without it wrapping awkwardly or dominating the entire label. This allowed us to maintain a clear visual hierarchy. The product name remained the hero, while the descriptive text below it remained legible and airy. If I had used a wider font, we would have had to compromise on whitespace, making the design feel cluttered and cheap.
We also applied Simply Be to the social media graphics. In the fast-scrolling world of Instagram, readability is king. This font shines as a display font for headlines and quotes. Its distinct character shapes stand out against photographic backgrounds, ensuring that the message lands even on a small mobile screen. The mood it projects is consistent: warm, inviting, and trustworthy. It tells the audience that this brand doesn't take itself too seriously, but it takes its craft very seriously.
Why Compact Matters in Modern Design
In today's design landscape, especially for small businesses and startups, efficiency is key. A creative font like Simply Be solves a common problem: how to fit personality into tight spaces. Whether you are designing a business card, a shop sign, or a website header, horizontal space is often the limiting factor. Many handwritten or display fonts expand widely, forcing designers to stack lines or reduce sizes to the point of illegibility. Simply Be avoids this trap.
Its condensed structure allows for longer words to fit on a single line, which improves reading flow and aesthetic balance. I noticed this particularly when designing the homepage hero section for the client's site. The navigation menu and the main value proposition sat side-by-side without needing to break onto a second line on tablet views. This kind of responsiveness is crucial for web design and ensures a seamless user experience. It proves that a font can be stylistic without sacrificing functionality.
Pairing and Versatility
While Simply Be is strong enough to stand alone as a primary brand font, I always explore font pairing options to add depth to a project. Given its freehand, casual nature, it pairs beautifully with a structured, neutral serif font for body copy. This contrast creates a sophisticated editorial look—think of a high-end magazine layout where the headline has personality and the article text is easy to digest. Alternatively, pairing it with a ultra-thin sans serif font can modernize the look, making it feel more tech-forward while retaining that human touch.
For the skincare project, we decided to keep it monochromatic in terms of type families but varied the weights and sizes. We used Simply Be for all headings, captions, and call-to-action buttons. For the dense legal text and ingredient lists, we switched to a highly legible, standard sans serif to ensure absolute clarity. This approach kept the brand voice consistent while adhering to industry standards for readability. It's a reminder that even the best commercial font needs support when dealing with heavy text loads.
Practical Advice for Your Next Project
If you are considering adding Simply Be to your toolkit, here is some practical advice based on my experience testing it. First, always test the font in your intended medium before committing. Print a sample at actual size. What looks great on a 27-inch monitor might behave differently on a sticky label or a fabric tag. Check the kerning pairs; while freehand fonts often have built-in spacing quirks that add charm, you want to ensure that specific letter combinations (like "AV" or "To") don't create awkward gaps in your logo.
Second, consider the licensing. Since this is a commercial font available via Script Amp, ensure you have the appropriate license for your client's needs, whether that's for digital ads, physical merchandise, or app embedding. Darrell has created a versatile tool here, but respecting the licensing terms protects both you and your client.
Finally, don't be afraid to use it for short-form text. While it excels as a headline or logo font, its readability holds up well for short paragraphs, such as an "About Us" blurb on a package back or a mission statement on a flyer. The casual appeal engages the reader, making the text feel less like a corporate mandate and more like a conversation.
Ultimately, Simply Be delivered exactly what the project needed. It bridged the gap between "handmade" and "professional." It allowed us to create a brand identity that felt authentic and accessible without looking amateurish. For graphic designers, freelancers, and creative studios looking for a reliable, space-saving typeface with plenty of personality, this font is a standout choice. It reminds us that sometimes, the best design decisions are the ones that simply let the brand be itself.
