Morisawa to switch to visual communication platform "Canva" starting at the end of 2023Font providedWe are doing it.
Thanks to this connection, we invited Canva creators to a font study session and roundtable discussion on December 12, 2024!
During the study session, we used Morisawa fonts as an example to talk about the production process, how to read expressions, and tips for actually using fonts in text.
In the roundtable discussion that followed, participants and Morisawa staff had the opportunity to exchange opinions candidly on the subject of fonts. This report presents some of the content of that discussion.
Part 1 |Font Study Group
Using Morisawa fonts as an example, we explained two perspectives: the creator's perspective, which covers the development steps and initial design proposals, and the user's perspective, which covers how to grasp the differences in expression that exist even within standard fonts and the differences in expression when actually composed (letters arranged).
Lecturer
Morisawa Inc. Overseas Marketing Planning Department
Atsushi Naoto
Participants gave feedback such as, "I used to choose fonts based on my intuition, but now I can put it into words and have it explained to me."
Since most of the participants were designers, it was a good opportunity for them to rediscover and reconsider the role and influence of fonts in design, even though they use them on a daily basis. Some participants said, "I want to use the ideas I heard today in my next project."
The study session ended exactly in one hour! Unfortunately, this was the last time we said goodbye to those who participated online.
Thank you very much to everyone who participated.
Part 2 | Roundtable discussion with Canva creators
The creators who participated this time had a wide range of experience as designers, from a few years to over 10 years.
With Morisawa staff acting as moderators, we had a frank discussion covering several themes, including what genres of content they usually create and what kind of fonts are needed in the production process.
Q1. What kind of content do you usually create?
At the venue, we heard that they often create gentle designs for women and children, and there was a consensus that there is also an increasing demand for formal designs, such as slides for business presentations and banners and posters announcing seminars.
There is also a high demand for content for social media, with some saying that templates for Instagram posts and room tour videos are popular and that they are often produced.
Q2. What are the key points to consider when selecting a font?
Canva creators apparently choose fonts while considering the purpose and users of the template they are creating.
"Unification" and "visual impression" are particularly important, and the choice of font has a major impact on the overall quality of the design.
Here are some quick tips on choosing fonts that even design beginners can use, as heard by our staff at the venue.
1. Choose a font that suits your design purpose
- To express trustworthiness and authority: Mincho or serif fonts (English)
- If you want to convey casualness and friendliness: Rounded Gothic or handwritten fonts
- To create a sense of speed and modernity: Sans serifs and fonts with a sporty, dynamic feel
2. Tailor your target audience
- For young people and teens: Pop and bright fonts
- For adults and those who want to create a luxurious look: sophisticated serif fonts or calm gothic fonts
- Multinational target audience: Multilingual fonts
3. Prioritize readability
- For long texts or descriptions, choose a font that is highly visible
- For headings and emphasized parts, use a bold font to create contrast and make the design easier to read.
At the venue, there was a lively exchange of opinions about the process of selecting fonts, such as why the fonts were chosen, and the discussion expanded into deeper topics, making it a very exciting topic.
Q3. Which Morisawa font would you like to use in Canva?
As of February 2025, Canva has 14 Morisawa fonts available.
We wanted to hear the honest opinions of all the creators at the roundtable discussion, so we took the time to discuss this topic.
1. Standard, highly legible font
We received many requests for more standard Gothic and Mincho fonts, which will be used in more situations. In particular, we received feedback that if we had fonts like "Aoto Gothic," which is easy to use in business productions, or "Ryumin," a Mincho font with a wide range of weights, the range of designs that could be expressed would be wider and it would be easier to create templates.
2. A design font with a retro-modern feel
Fonts that can be used for the recently popular retro designs were also mentioned. At the venue, we had a discussion while looking at Morisawa's typeface sample book, and we heard that fonts such as "A1 Gothic" that have a retro feel but are easy to read are easy to use.
3. Handwritten Fonts
Fonts that were mentioned as being soft, not too cute, and highly legible handwritten fonts included "Midoryu Kururi Pen" and "Kuro Mame."
We were able to hear so many real voices from the field that we can't possibly introduce them all here.
Like the study session, the roundtable discussion was scheduled to last one hour, but thanks to everyone's active participation, some tables ended up talking for over two hours, making for a very lively discussion!
Through this event, we realized that Canva creators not only use Canva as a design tool, but also work with a shared vision for Canva. Morisawa will continue to support creators through our fonts.
Thank you to all Canva creators!
If you would like to know more about the Morisawa fonts included in Canva, please click here.
In the summer of 2024, we held a collaborative event with Canva for faculty and staff. You can watch the video of the event below.
If you want to make full use of Morisawa fonts, we recommend MorisawaFonts. For more information, please click here.
