Visual design is more powerful than ever. With graphic design trends stretching from recreating organic textures to otherworldly, trippy tech styles, and modern still life scenes, there are practically no limits. So, to some, typography can feel like it poses too many boundaries for designers. In type, you must live in the realm of letters and are constrained to follow their form.
However, much like the subtly of a suit, the art of typography is in the details. To master it, you must understand that small changes like a slight adjustment to kern or a simple modification to the size and weight can dramatically differ the overall impact of a design. These kinds of expert adjustments form the foundation of the latest emerging trends in typography for 2021.
The top trends for 2021 employ both new and classic typographic elements. Here they are, direct from the experts at The Word Counter: 8 Typography Design Trends for 2021:
Svelte Serif Fonts
Perhaps born from our need for simplified messages and our distrust of “fake news,” these limber and lean forms are fresh and trustworthy. They give us hope as we move forward into a new and untarnished year.
Outline Fonts
Transparency is a crucial element with outline fonts. There’s no hidden message here. Long and elegant or bold and proud, this font trend allows you to reveal visuals behind to support the power of the words you choose to use. Not only does it look mature and dependable, but there’s also an element of sharpness and a modern-rugged appeal.
Evolved Brutalist
Speaking of rugged, evolved brutalist typography design channels the working-class who has been the star of 2020. It’s no-frills and always gets the job done. With wide industrial lines and bare-minimalist style, you can depend on this type-trend to provide a subdued, unadorned look. It’s best paired with no-nonsense color schemes like earthy or organic hues.
Text Layering with Other Elements
Whether you like collage-art or not, text layering is a cunning trend that plays on this artistic technique. Layering specific images or elements with text can entirely transform the message you want to relay to your audience.
Text-Image Blending
Combine text layering with the outline font trends, and you get text-image blending. It’s exclusive and flirty and demands attention. If you want to engage an audience, here’s a trend for you.
New Psychedelic
There’s been a heavy dose of nostalgia running through the currents, and groovy 70s psych is one of the latest rages. Maybe it’s because trippy colors make it easy to “take a trip” out of the confines of our work from home spaces? Or perhaps it’s that element of free-spiritedness that we want to channel? Either way, we love the disco vibes.
Bold Modern Sans Serif Fonts
We like this big, bold, and modern type because it takes you just a tad out of your comfort zone. All you need is a strong, streamlined, no-nonsense serif and someone to make it BIG. Dependable, stand-out, and even presidential, this is a font trend we support.
Cyberpunk & Vaporware
Another call-out to a different decade, the 80s were full of futuristic and dark-punk themes. We think it is a natural response to the apocalyptic year we’ve had.
Typography in 2021
With 2020 behind us now, we can look back and appreciate the trends born from this past year. With new gratitude for digital communication and a smarter eye for scrutinizing message clarity, we all look at words a little more closely than before. These emerging typography trends will help designers create positive, clear, and engaging designs as we take on 2021.