{"id":22524,"date":"2015-02-10T01:04:52","date_gmt":"2015-02-10T05:04:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.andysowards.com\/blog\/?p=22524"},"modified":"2023-07-10T16:36:27","modified_gmt":"2023-07-10T20:36:27","slug":"typography-trends-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andysowards.com\/blog\/2015\/typography-trends-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"6 TYPOGRAPHY TRENDS WE SEE"},"content":{"rendered":"

Web design has come a long way in the past few years. Full-screen videos on homepages, responsive high-resolution slideshows, and phones with more internet-based functions than computers would have been unthinkable at the beginning of the decade, but now they\u2019re commonplace.<\/p>\n

As such, designers are favoring websites that get out of the way and let them showcase their new audiovisual toys; hence the ongoing move towards the modern and the minimal, a trend that shows no signs of stopping.<\/p>\n

However, despite many designers\u2019 preferences for body text to stay tucked away in some dark corner where it won\u2019t bother anyone, we\u2019re also seeing a resurgence of brilliant typography in the form of headers and logos. Where does this crossing of purposes leave type? As it turns out, it\u2019s in an interesting place.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why we\u2019re going to take a look at some of the next big things in type design, as well as some of the ongoing big things that are expected to continue into the (still) new year.<\/p>\n

1. Mix-And-Match Fonts<\/h2>\n

\"type_trends1\"<\/p>\n

Mix-and-match typography is causing a lot of stir in the type world at the moment. Common wisdom says you should use a maximum of three different fonts per website, but many designers are currently experimenting with subtle ways to break that rule without their type appearing jumbled\u2026 which can happen very easily if it\u2019s done wrong.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a more complex art than it seems, but one that has the potential to pay off in the form of strikingly creative headers. …And yes, it is usually used for headers. However, many designers<\/a> are also mixing and matching fonts across the entire site in order to create more visual interest in the subheaders and copy, as well.<\/p>\n

The secret is in using typefaces with complimentary \u201cmoods,\u201d from the same historical period, or with similar proportions or stroke widths. Either way, there has to be some unifying theme between them. One other way to achieve a similar effect without sacrificing as much cohesiveness is to use fewer fonts, but with more weight variations of each one.<\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s been around for a couple of years now, a lot of people in the design world speculate that this trend is just now finding its legs, and that its biggest boom will be in the upcoming year.<\/p>\n

2. Handwritten Type<\/h2>\n

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\nImage by Chris Plascik<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Handwritten fonts have been booming consistently over the last two years, and perhaps for good reason. As Logolounge\u2019s Bill Gardener brilliantly put it, \u201cPeople seem to be more and more drawn back to what is real … By bringing back what is human-made, we gain a sense of control over the digital tide that threatens to overtake us.\u201d One of the most interesting ironies in this is the integration of hand-made elements into that same digital tide, like the trend towards hand-written header fonts and hand-drawn logos\u2014many custom-made by traditional artists\u2014we\u2019re seeing now.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a very nice trend, and one that\u2019s bringing a lot of much-needed work to those of us who work with pen and paper, but of all the ones on this list, I\u2019d speculate that this one has the most potential to fade out in the long term.<\/p>\n

In fact, some experts are claiming it\u2019s already on its way out. In the words of Digital Unchained, \u201chandwritten fonts don\u2019t go together well with business websites, blogs, case studies and white papers.\u201d And although we have a few disagreements with them (why not blogs?) we have to agree that they\u2019re largely right: handwritten type is inherently limited in its uses, and simply doesn\u2019t lend itself to the corporate world.<\/p>\n

However, good design never goes out of style, and there are still plenty of applications for which handwritten type is worth looking at. For example, logos for creative businesses, or businesses that want to portray a more personal and down-to-earth image.<\/p>\n

3. Retro Type<\/h2>\n

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\nImage by Roberlan Borges<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

This one may or may not be a trend. After all, people have been looking back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries for design inspiration since the moment they finished. Whether or not it will stay rooted in that period of history is anyone\u2019s guess; however, it\u2019s likely that it will move on as different eras begin to evoke those nostalgic feelings for future designers.<\/p>\n

However, although these have been around for a while and will continue to be around for a while longer, it\u2019s worth tracking where they\u2019re going. Right now, retro typography is popular in conjunction with muted colors. It takes plenty of permutations: from the chunky serif fonts of the late 1800s to the sleek, distinctively curved art deco of the \u201830s, to the ironic retro-futurism of the \u201850s.<\/p>\n

Retro typography is most commonly associated with businesses whose practices are rooted in old techniques, like breweries, steakhouses, and anyone who makes anything out of wood. It\u2019s not likely that people who, let\u2019s say, code apps, will find much use for them. Companies that want to present themselves as rooted in tradition, or as belonging to one of the few industries that still makes things by hand, can still easily find a use for retro fonts.<\/p>\n

As a related aside, be very careful when using distressed fonts; they\u2019re pretty worn out. (Pun possibly intended.)<\/p>\n

4. Layered Fonts<\/h2>\n

\"6351230593_3d2958b0b8_z\"
\nImage by FontShop<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The other big exception to the \u201cflat and simple\u201d trend is the ongoing popularity of layered fonts: fonts that use multiple styles of type laid over each other to create drop-shadows, borders, or the appearance of 3D. No one\u2019s quite sure why they\u2019re so popular at the moment, but you might be able to boil it down to a combination of the last two trends; layered fonts were popular in the 20th century, and often handwritten.<\/p>\n

These days, however, they usually either come that way or are made by superimposing two layers of type using CSS, the first method being much more convenient but the latter being more SEO-friendly and offering more customization.<\/p>\n

The CSS method is commonly used by designers who want the top layer to be a different color from the bottom one, but without having to sacrifice the SEO boost that comes from having a keyword in your site\u2019s heading, since any other method would require you to use an image for the header.<\/p>\n

5. Responsive Typography<\/h2>\n

\"6792041360_847de6fc10_z\"
\nImage by Rune Leth Andersen<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Responsive typography, much like responsive pictures or video, is simply type that is set to grow or shrink depending on the size of the browser window or device that the viewer is reading it on. The type is generally set to shrink at \u201cbreakpoints,\u201d so that viewers are presented with a few basic resolutions that work for devices in their general size range. For example, if you open a site that uses this type in your browser, then gradually shrink the window, you\u2019ll notice that the type \u201csnaps\u201d to a smaller size once you pass a certain point. This is quite easily done via CSS triggers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re hesitant to call this one a trend at all. It\u2019s more aptly described as a feature that should become standard among business websites. As smartphones continue to supplant computers as the defacto method of accessing the internet, desktop monitors continue to grow bigger. There\u2019s no doubt that future typography will have to easily accommodate both.<\/p>\n

6. On The Role of Type in Flat Design<\/h2>\n

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Without a doubt, flat design was the biggest overall web design trend of the last year, and this simple but effective style will no doubt find itself being used in design for some time now. This is especially true with companies that want to portray a \u201cmodern\u201d image, such as apps, computer-related services, and design firms themselves.<\/p>\n

Flat design itself is based in simplicity and form over function, and the same could be said of the fonts usually used in it. Flat design favors easy-to-read fonts with clean lines and minimal stroke variations; in an age of information overload, modern readers want typography largely devoid of symbolism that facilitates fast reading, and doesn\u2019t detract from the meaning of the words. It\u2019s almost always sans-serif, but there are exceptions.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

Trends aren\u2019t the end-all-be-all of design, of course, but in an era where typography is changing as rapidly as it is now, it can be tremendously helpful to keep up with it. Staying knowledgeable will at least prevent your site from getting stuck in the past.<\/p>\n

What do you think of the current set of trends? Are there any others you\u2019d like to highlight? Let us know with a comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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