The ANDERSON team had the opportunity to attend a webinar hosted by Monotype in conjunction with Shutterstock where they discussed their insights on exciting things to come. In today’s world, trends come and go in an instant, so staying on top of things is key to staying relevant. Here is a quick recap of what they had to share.
Variable Speed x Inkscape
The variable speed trend refers to pairing thick and thin fonts that give an overall energy and movement within a visual. The combinations and contrast of fonts helps create a kinetic energy.
The inkscape trend in visuals can be shown through this psychedelic, organic movement element. It adds a level of chaotic beauty that is both artistic and visually appealing, giving a splash of color to the image.
Virtual is Reality x Everyday Futurism
With AR (augmented reality) and 4D becoming more present in our everyday lives, it is only natural that this trend would pop up in the font world. The virtual is reality trend in fonts makes the written word tangible and interactive. Companies can take advantage of this through apps and have their customers interact with their brands with AR experiences.
The everyday futurism trend goes hand in hand with virtual is reality bringing the future to the present day. This was also interesting to learn about from a Shutterstock perspective as they now have 3D elements in their library of assets. This adds a whole new dimension to how brands can create assets to interact with their customers in a fun, real way.
Touchable Type x Inner Life
The touchable type trend is one of my favorites. For years now, san serifs have dominated the visual space to give a clean, modern look. This trend takes that and updates it to give it a new life. It keeps the sans serif modern, but adds some curves and roundness to give it a bit of warmth and a human element. With brands turning to more custom fonts, touchable will be very present in the design world.
After the time of quarantine and staying home, the inner life trend focuses on people being in their element. Self-care, hobbies and the arts are becoming more used in visuals to give a sense of comfort and authenticity. The images are relatable to any audience making brands more down to earth.
Blockheads x Yesterday’s Tomorrow
This next set of trends brings a sense of nostalgia. The blockhead trend is reminiscent of arcade video games and gives a very tech look. The term “8-bit design” is used to describe this blocky, robotic style of font.
To follow the font trend, yesterday’s tomorrow brings the 80’s visuals back to life. The bold, neon colors against black brings contrast and makes the visuals really pop.
More Soft-serve, Please x Tempting Typography
These trends also bring back a sense of nostalgia with their vintage vibes. Soft-serve trend is a new take on old fonts that brings them into the present. These fonts are smooth, soft and approachable. This is the serif counterpart to the touchable type trend from earlier.
Tempting typography is a fun, enticing type trend. These 3D decorated fonts give some life and personality to the 2D space.
Hand Was Here x Surreal Faces + Protest Art
We’ve seen script fonts make more of an appearance in the last few years as an option to give some personality to brands. Hand was here trend takes this a step further with a more handcrafted, personal look. Custom fonts that look hand drawn will appear in different ways, from script style to more illustrative.
Over the past year, protest art has been a very important trend that is here to stay. Loud, proud visuals that speak to social issues make a big impact with minimal words. These visuals speak to something much bigger and are part of a movement which makes them that much more impactful.
