Shake It Off: A Wavy Display Font That Adds Personality to Brand Design
Opening the Project: A Blank Canvas and a New Font
I was sitting in front of my screen, a blank brand board staring back at me. The client? A small, independent coffee shop looking to refresh their visual identity. They wanted something fun, a bit retro, and full of personality. I had a few fonts in mind, but I decided to try something new—Shake It Off. I had seen it in a few design roundups but never used it in a real project. Time to see if this wavy, slightly wild display font could bring the warmth and charm they were after.
First Impressions: What Is Shake It Off?
Shake It Off is a display font that immediately grabs attention. It’s got a playful, slightly irregular structure with soft curves and a rhythmic wave that gives it a vintage-meets-modern feel. It’s not a font you’d use for long paragraphs—this is definitely a display typeface meant for headlines, logos, and short-form text. But when you need something to stand out, it delivers with style.
The font comes with multiple styles, including alternates and ligatures, which helped me customize the logo to feel more unique. It supports multilingual characters and is available in standard formats like OTF and TTF, which made it easy to install and use across design platforms.
Testing the Logo: A Coffee Shop’s Identity
The first real test was the logo. I typed out the shop’s name in Shake It Off and adjusted the kerning to give it a balanced, readable look. At first glance, it felt a bit too quirky, but after playing with the color palette—soft browns, warm creams, and a touch of burnt orange—it started to gel.
I paired it with a clean sans serif for the supporting text, which gave the logo a modern contrast without overpowering the main type. The client loved the handcrafted feel it gave their brand. It was just the right amount of retro without feeling outdated.
Using Shake It Off Across Brand Materials
Once the logo was approved, I moved on to packaging and print materials. The font worked beautifully on coffee bags—especially when used for the product names like “Espresso Blend” or “Vanilla Cold Brew.” On smaller labels, I made sure to use it sparingly, keeping the text short and bold to maintain legibility.
For social media graphics, Shake It Off became the go-to for headlines and featured text. It added a lively energy to Instagram stories and promotional posts. I also used it in the hero section of their new website layout, where its dynamic shape helped draw the eye to the main message.
Real-World Design Observations
One thing I noticed early on was that Shake It Off works best when it’s not overused. Because of its wavy nature, it can start to feel visually heavy if applied across too many touchpoints. I reserved it for key brand elements—logos, packaging headers, and event posters—while relying on simpler fonts for body text and navigation menus.
It also looked great on printed materials like business cards and flyers. The texture it added to the design gave the brand a tactile, artisanal feel. On signage, I made sure to use it at a larger size so the details in the letterforms could shine through without getting lost.
Pairing with Other Fonts
Font pairing is always crucial in brand design, and with Shake It Off, it was no different. I found that using a modern sans serif like Montserrat or Open Sans created a nice visual balance. For a more editorial feel, I occasionally paired it with a soft serif for subheadings in blog graphics and printed brochures.
It also played well with script fonts in limited applications—like a tagline on a poster or a short quote on a social media graphic. But I avoided using too many decorative fonts together, which could make the overall look feel cluttered.
Testing Before Committing
Before finalizing the brand system, I created a few different mockups showing how the font would look across digital and print formats. I exported PDF proofs and printed samples to see how it held up in real life. I also tested it at different sizes—especially for packaging and signage—to ensure readability wasn’t compromised.
One thing I appreciated was how the font’s alternates allowed me to tweak certain letters for better spacing and visual flow. This flexibility made it easier to maintain consistency across various applications.
Final Thoughts on Using Shake It Off
By the end of the project, I was confident that Shake It Off had earned its place in the brand identity. It brought a sense of fun and movement that the client wanted, without sacrificing professionalism. It worked well as a logo font, a headline typeface, and an accent in social media visuals.
If you’re looking for a premium display font that adds character to your design work—especially for branding, packaging, or creative editorial layouts—Shake It Off is definitely worth a test run. Just remember to use it thoughtfully, pair it wisely, and always check its performance across different formats before going full-scale.
