Why I Stopped Using Fancy Fonts—and Why LinkedIn Is Too
Once upon a time, I loved fancy fonts. When I first started building personal brands online, I actively taught my clients how to use them. You know the ones—those stylish, attention-grabbing characters you’d copy and paste from font generator tools to spice up your bio or headline. They were bold. They were unique. And yes, they stood out. 😎
But then something changed.
The Accessibility Wake-Up Call
Around three years ago, I began learning more about digital accessibility—and I had a major realization. While those stylized fonts looked good, they often created major barriers for people using screen readers or assistive devices. What appeared as beautiful design to some was a scrambled mess to others.
Fancy fonts are typically created using special Unicode characters, which might look like regular letters to the eye but function very differently under the hood. As a result, many assistive technologies can't interpret them properly.
That was the turning point for me. Once I understood how these fonts could make content less inclusive, I stopped using them—and I started encouraging my clients to do the same. Clear beats clever every time.
LinkedIn Just Made It Official
If you’ve still been using Fancy Fonts in your LinkedIn profile, especially in your About section, it’s time to take notice. LinkedIn has announced that:
Starting January 25, 2025, Fancy Fonts will be blocked from About summaries.
Any existing stylized text will be automatically converted to standard LinkedIn fonts.
This is a big change—but a welcome one, in my opinion.
Here’s why LinkedIn is making the move:
🔒 Security risks: Some Unicode characters can be used to spoof content or hide malicious links.
♿ Accessibility issues: Stylized fonts can interfere with screen readers and reduce readability
🧹 Cleaner experience: Standardized fonts lead to a more consistent, professional user experience.
It’s all about keeping the platform safe, clear, and accessible—for everyone.
What You Should Do Now
If you’re using Fancy Fonts on LinkedIn (or anywhere else, really), now’s a good time to revisit your content. Ask yourself:
Is this truly improving clarity, or just catching attention?
Could this font be making my content harder to read or access?
Am I prioritizing style over substance?
My advice? Keep it simple. Clean, readable text is always in style—and it performs better in the long run.
Final Thoughts
I get it—fancy fonts are fun. They’re playful. They make your profile feel “different.” But if they come at the cost of accessibility, security, and user trust, are they really worth it?
LinkedIn has made its stance clear. And honestly? I'm glad they did.
✨ So, let's commit to better digital habits. Keep it clean. Keep it clear. Keep it secure. Your audience (and your future self) will thank you.