WR!T3 HUM4N!

Your brand identity puts expression before readability, and it changes everything

A few years ago, a good brand identity meant a clean logo, readable type, consistent guidelines, everything neatly in place. Today, some of the most talked-about identities do the exact opposite. They deliberately disrupt readability to feel more real. And it works.

The Human case: when a studio makes imperfection its signature

London studio Overview has just created the visual identity for Human, the new documentary series from Zandland. The subject matter is heavy: violent gangs, intelligence services, areas off-limits to Black people in South Africa, filmed across the United States, Brazil, Israel and Palestine. Faced with stories this complex, Overview made a radical choice: rather than smoothing everything into a polished institutional voice, the identity draws on "Jeffersonian" transcription.

What does that mean in practice? Jeffersonian transcription is a method used in conversation analysis since the 1960s to capture in writing not only what people say, but how they say it: pauses, hesitations, shifts in tone, interruptions. Instead of turning speech into neat, tidy sentences, it keeps the texture of real life: silences, stretched words, repetitions.

Overview applied that thinking to the Human brand: punctuation and glyphs deliberately interrupt reading, and the typography (based on the Saans typeface) is used for expression rather than orderly information. The result is sometimes a little hard to read, and that's intentional. As Overview founder James Sedgwick puts it, the identity "looks like real people", not a press release.

Why brands that "sound human" are gaining ground

This isn't an isolated aesthetic whim. It addresses a problem many brands have let creep in unnoticed: in trying so hard to look professional, they end up sounding interchangeable. Minimalist logo, pastel or corporate palette, neutral sans-serif type, a polite but empty "we're here to listen" tone. The result: nobody remembers a thing.

By contrast, an identity that embraces its rough edges, texture and grain becomes recognisable. It says something about who's speaking, not just what's being said. That's especially true in a world where AI-generated content is increasingly smooth and interchangeable: human texture becomes a point of difference almost by default. As Overview itself says, the most honest material in Human's stories "can never be captured by AI".

What this means for a small business brand (yours, in other words)

Don't worry: you don't need a London studio budget or a bespoke typographic system to apply this thinking. The takeaway isn't "make reading harder", it's "stop polishing yourself until you disappear". Here's how to apply it at your scale:

Keep a real voice, not a "corporate" tone. Reread your About page or social posts: does it sound like you, or like any business in your sector? If you can replace your company name with a competitor's without changing the meaning, your voice has been smoothed out too much.

Embrace the "imperfect" details that feel like you. A real photo taken in your workshop is often better than a perfectly composed stock image. A word from your trade, your own way of speaking, a recurring touch of humour: these are the details that make people remember you.

Don't try to please everyone. Human isn't aiming for maximum readability; it's aiming for the right expression, even if that makes reading less comfortable for some. A brand that tries to please everyone ends up leaving no impression. Better a distinctive identity that speaks strongly to your real audience than a neutral one that speaks to nobody in particular.

Use typography as a tool for expression, not just readability. You don't need to reinvent a typeface, but your choice of font, its size, spacing, bold or capitals all say something. Thoughtful typography guidelines can carry as much meaning as a long piece of copy.

An important distinction

This isn't a free pass to make your website unreadable or your branding chaotic. Overview is still a studio with a thorough command of design fundamentals: what looks "raw" is actually carefully constructed. The lesson isn't "less rigour", it's "more intention". Every rough edge should be a choice, not an accident.

To sum up

Overview's identity for Human illustrates a wider trend: in a world saturated with polished content and interchangeable branding, human texture is becoming a competitive advantage again. For your brand, that doesn't mean copying this exact style, but taking the principle on board: stop smoothing yourself into invisibility and start embracing what makes you recognisable.

Want to challenge your current brand identity and see whether it still sounds human? Eazyclick can help you see things more clearly.