Enduring Trends to Look for in 2023
There are trends – and then there are mega, or enduring, trends. The concept of megatrends was coined by the American trendspotter John Naisbitt, who has published several books on the subject. The concept covers the very broad forces of change in society. They are long-term, and omnipresent. They occur in life – and typography.
We’ve looked at the Type Trends articles over the last couple of years and identified some enduring type trends, pointed out to us by some of the experts we’ve interviewed.
Katherine Hughes, design director at Stoltze Design, told us in 2020, “I can’t help noticing the explosion of experimental typefaces that are often rooted in a vector-based aesthetic.” Their sharp, witchy terminals; strange stresses; surreal Bezier curves; and nods to historic faces taken to an absurd extreme. I often find myself saying ‘Woah. That is so weird. I LOVE IT!”
Look to typefaces like Mixta from Latinotype, the Boring Sans series of designs from Zetafonts and Mirador from Rene Bieder as examples of the kind of typefaces Katherine is talking about. Although their roots are in classic serif and sans serif designs, shapes, counters, weight changes and serifs have been drawn with a fresh digital demeanor. These are typefaces that make a statement.
A year later, Katy Fischer, Curious Creative Leader at TOKY in St. Louis, Missouri, told us about the “Chobani® Effect” (a term Katy coined).
“A little over three years ago, the folks at Chobani yogurt released a complete redesign of its branding,” explained Katy, “including new bespoke typefaces. The typefaces could be described as the love child of Windsor™ and ITC Souvenir®.”While Windsor and Souvenir date back to the early 20th century, there are plenty of new takes on this genuinely friendly vibe. Boston Angel, Gazpacho, and Quincy CF are just a few of, the many Chobani Effect typefaces available from MyFonts.
Ryan Arruda, former font wrangler at MyFonts and now designer for for Tree House Brewing Company, in Central Massachusetts, thinks that we’ll continue to see new evolutions of styles – especially display fonts. He told us, ”They may push the envelope of typographic convention, and even legibility. The type coming down the pike seems like it will have no qualms singing out loud and drawing attention to themselves.”
We also asked Joe Newton, of AND, a New York design studio, if he had any thoughts on enduring type trends. He told us, “For me, ‘type trends’ fall into the dichotomy of fashion vs. style.”
“Fashion comes and goes, often dictated by commercial forces,” he continued. “Style is about tastefully and thoughtfully combining elements that suit YOU, or in the case of design, that suit the project. The latest fashion may feel fresh and exciting, but the critical question with typography is always: does the typeface have a suitable voice for your project?
Joe also send us a poster he and Gail Anderson, his business partner at AND, are working on for the National Book Festival. It combines several typefaces creating an engaging, light-hearted message. The fonts used include Temeraire Italliene Italic, Futura Bold and Phosphate Inline.
There are type trends, which can evolve into enduring trends – or typographic styles. According to Joe, “When choosing typefaces, today’s typographic designers have an embarrassment of riches. But in the end, a good designer will let the nature of the project determine what’s right.”
