Font trends for 2022

The latest font trends for 2022 have been my most recent hyper fixation. Bear with me, I’m not a designer, but I wholeheartedly went down the font rabbit hole. Today I bring you a reenactment of my path to find the most popular font trends in 2022. I know you are in a hurry, so I’ll get to it right away.

 

I will be using font and typeface interchangeably, just for you to know. First, I looked for typography trends in 2022. Many graphic designers tried to talk me into believing that “X number of fonts” would blow up in 2022. Here is a summary of what kept appearing on every video or article:

 

• Rounded sans serifs. It gets its message across. It’s basic and transparent, making it a versatile choice.
• High contrast serifs. Upfront and at the wheel. Use these high-contrast fonts for a touch of modernism and a contemporary style. These are perfect for print.
• Quietly quirky fonts. These fonts bring a cozy vintage style while still being strong and elegant.
• Fluid and simple script fonts. Through silky quality and Arabic influences, these fonts will inadvertently stand out.
• Strong and simple sans serif. Looking to establish a strong but simple message through the design? These are the fonts for your this year.
• Chubby retro. Just those thick album cover style fonts. This retro nostalgia can cheer and convey optimism to lift anyone’s mood.
• Stretched typography. This trend appeared in 2021 and could take hold in 2022. It usually uses modern sans serif fonts and is presented in upper cases. These fonts look modern and trendy but don’t stretch a font manually to get this effect.
• Obscure the word or phrase. Not a font but a statement. With these designs, the company is recognizable just for the style of the font alone, making a statement of status. That is the case of Vogue, where even cutting part of the title, you could recognize the magazine branding.
• Animated typography. Thanks to advancements in tech, many trending sites have animated typographies and messages. In case you decide to go down this road, be sure to make the titles legible. Some of us need accessibility features for reading!
• Outlined typography. You’ve probably seen this everywhere already. Bold sans serif font in uppercase combined with filled-out fonts. Use it to provide contrast and hierarchy. Easy to read, easy to use.

 

I hope this gives you a general idea of the expected trends for 2022. If you were looking for specific examples of these fonts, let me present to you some according to some of the general divisions we mentioned before:

 

• Sans serif fonts: Easier to read on screens. Axiforma, Bison, and TT Norms Pro
• Serif fonts: Easy reading on print. Cotford, Lovechild, and New Paris
• Slab serif fonts: Bold thickness and imposing. Adelle, Sagona, TT Hoves.
• Social media-fonts: For Instagram, Etsy, and alike. Kafina, Qanaya, Wensley, and King Amsterdam.
• Free fonts: For your indie project or side hustle. OTR, Ilyas, Generation Mono, Argentum, Amarante, Basement grotesque, Damn, Camar Vintage.

 

You might feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of fonts available. Don’t panic! Go back to the basics and review your project pillars. When feeling lost, it is good to question your:

 

• Brief
• Brand
• Target market

 

After reviewing these three, you will have a better idea of where to go with your design. The font will probably suddenly appear.

Graphic design trends in 2022

So I had a general idea of the fonts that were probably blowing up this year, but what about general graphic design trends for 2022?

 

Choosing a typeface that resonates with your brand is only part of the job; you need an all-encompassing design to go with it.

 

With that in mind, I looked for graphic design trends. Here is what I found:

 

• Monochromatic design: As the name says, this design is based on one color in different shades. It provides simpler designs, is easy on the eyes, and looks modern; think of Coca-Cola and its distinctive red.
• Anti-Design: After finding a classic example, I got around to the hipster of design. Anti-design is all about the rebellion of the rules and intentionally anti-establishment. The trend is more artistic than functional as it often goes against design fundamentals. I found warped and stretched lettering with oddly placed elements. A contemporary example is “The life of Pablo”, an album cover by Kanye West, an ugly beautiful thing.
• Kinetic Typography: It is all in the name. The kinetic design uses animated typography and crazy effects and keeps engagement higher. You have probably seen some of this in lyrics on music videos. As with animated typography, make sure that an accessible version is available.
• 3D Realism: Ramping up in popularity, 3D realism gives a sense of depth and futurism. We are moving to an age of augmented and virtual reality with the construction of the metaverse. Hyper-realistic 3D has never been cheaper as technology has advanced to being affordable.
• Hyper Minimalism: MNMLSM is all about ultra simplified logos and the minimum elements possible. Some people actually hate these trends, especially in a logo. But the more simplistic a thing is, the easier it is to remember it, and every brand wants to live rent-free in your brain. That is why the hyper candy colors. In any case, be aware of the context: it’s probably not the way to go for a traditional British pub. As I said, design is changing a lot with augmented and virtual reality, and minimalism could help in this area.

 

So these are today's trends in terms of graphic design and fonts. That would be the end of the ride, but I tried to go a bit farther. What about everlasting fonts? Is evergreen design possible?

The six go-to fonts forever

While trying to find an everlasting font for evergreen designs, I stumbled upon designer Massimo Vignelli (NYC subway, American Airlines). I will quote him directly, not butcher his explanations with my prose:

 

In the new computer age, the proliferation of typefaces and type manipulations represents a new level of visual pollution threatening our culture. Out of thousands of typefaces, all we need are a few basic ones and trash the rest. So come and see A Few Basic Typefaces.

 

Following this manifesto, Vignelli was famous for using only six fonts. I will list them below for your reference:

 

• Garamond: a classic old-style serif coming from the middle ages. A perfect option to look smart.
• Bodoni: a French font commissioned by an aristocrat. A very high contrast font with a premium look. Choose to look elegant.
• Century Expanded: one of the most readable fonts. It is used in books and magazines and even by the American supreme court—a font to look (and be) readable.
• Futura: a serif font. It comes from the 1930s with a Bauhaus vibe. Extremely geometrical, Futura has a rational and logical spirit. A versatile and modernist typeface.
• Time New Roman: a font commissioned by The Times to make it fresher (in 1931). Standard? Yes, but a perfect default serif font.
• Helvetica: the most versatile font and probably the most used out there. It even stars its own documentary!

 

 

Designers online told me that I should own and have these fonts installed to have something to fall into when you start a new project. Today, we have a lot of new fonts creating an overwhelming paradigm. After standing the test of time, these are proven to work and are very versatile without looking old or derivative. A tip? Start with them before using unproven fonts.

 

At Awkbit, our designer went in style with Ubuntu and Lato typefaces after a dedicated UX and UI research to find the best font to represent our company. I know that to be fashionable takes time and effort but, at the same time, nothing is older than the daily news or last year’s fashion. Be sure to choose a font that represents you and is resilient in the long term.

 

Is your project dressed to kill? Are you up to the occasion?