Dancing Letters: Typography in the Modern Era

Dancing Letters: Typography in the Modern Era

Typography & 2021 Trends

Typography is an element usually overlooked but with a fundamental value in the communication of a message; their origins as symbols gives a great opportunity to carry emotion & personality through their forms.

To create effective communication in such a saturated ad-wise market it’s important to use typography clearly and impactful to carry the message. The font selection, emphasis, hierarchy and spacing play an important role and are just a few of many graphic techniques to attract & communicate in a design. Graphic trends are betting on typography having a big role in the modern era due to many reasons, one of them being the low attention span of consumers: keywords and legibility will be one of the main techniques. Also, thanks to the great leaps in technology, there’s a wide range of fonts, better tools for text animation & a better understanding of typography as forms not only as the letters of the message but as part of the personality of the story.

Brands have a great opportunity to take advantage of these forms by using a certain font or style to help them communicate in a clear and simple way without losing their personality. A classic example to portray this is with the famous font: Helvetica.

Every logo uses the same font in a different way, creating different personalities thanks to the graphic techniques mentioned above.

Font selection is extremely important, as important as your brand color or even the logo, since its the vehicle in which our messages will be carried to the public. The personality of the brand must coincide with the personality of the typography, as well as the photos, colors, etc.

Now, how do we start?

It all begins with the objective of the company & the image you are trying to perceive so that the typography actually reflects your personality. That way your consumers will immediately identify with your message, for example: if your company is meant to target young radicals, your typography must respond to their tastes (example 1), but if you target a high conservative wealthy upper class, your direction may be different (example 2).

Every font has their personality, but the way you use typography in conjunction with other elements is key.

In the next section we’ll be analyzing some of the typography trends for you to think about when selecting fonts for your brand:

TAILORED SANS SERIF

Classics are timeless. These traditional fonts are the most famous of the modern era, since the messages seek legibility due to the low attention span of consumers. However, they could pass by unnoticed or get to bore, so you must choose the right one. Fonts with a wide range selection of styles are recommended to create different alternatives for different messages.

SERIFAS RADICALES

Serifs are meant to be used in formal settings usually; however, in the last year there has emerged millions of new fonts with a different style, much more exaggerated, giving it a fresh humanly look. It defies a traditional style contrasting with itself.

RETRO / VINTAGE / CLASSIC

Vintage fonts are making a comeback due to trendy TV Series like “Stranger Things”, which made us remember the 80s and its high visual impact of this generation: the forms, colors, and movement gives the opportunity to create an interesting visually high-impact concept.

DUO FONTS

Simplification. These new and useful fonts are born to make our life easier, giving us two different styles within the same font family to create contrast. Their styles vary depending on the creator of the fonts, but they’re usually made to work with each other, creating a perfect pairing, perfect for consistency in a composition.

SLAB SERIF

This style is characterized by having very thick serifs, they create a much bolder image than regular serif fonts. They look as in bold or with a very pronounced stroke to create strong contrasts within the space they live in. Western fonts are the most famous ones, but today there are many other variations which makes the messages of our industry much more appealing.

DECORATIVAS

Font creation is on the rise due to technological leaps, translating directly into the decorative fonts these last years. Their variety is wide and high quality, and it helps to give messages personality, would you dare find one for your brand?

My favorite typography trends are those who pushes the limits but maintains legibility, which one(s) will you choose for your brand?

Juan Pablo Quesada Borbón

Lead Designer