-
Variety and Maximalism
My hope is that we will see more variety," says Steve Matteson, former creative type director of Monotype and founder of Matteson Typographics. Steve is working on bringing out more of his own playful, ‘70s inspired fonts. As one of the most influential font designers in the industry, this move in his work signifies a shift in the industry away from ultra-minimalism and the stripped-back design we now see repeated so often. "I think there will be a continuation of playful character," says Kyle Wilkinson, director of Haus of Thrills. "I think everyone got fed up of Swiss minimalist design," he says.
Liz Mosley, host and brand designer for Adobe Live, feels that trends "swing from one extreme to another". She mentions the Instagram trend of "utter minimalism, where everything was white. Now it’s definitely swung quite far the other way".
Yoan Putra (above) is one example of a designer embracing maximalism in type.
-
Generative Input and AI
With AI taking over all other aspects of our lives in 2024, why wouldn’t it go further in 2025? Kyle believes that AI will emerge into typography in the coming year. "That’s on the horizon for typefaces and fonts," he says. "Some sort of generative input, whether that’s through AI or something else." Although AI is "pretty terrible at it at the minute," he says that "it will get better," and when it does, it will get introduced to work and workflows. "God knows what’s going to come next," says Kyle. Whether or not generative input being used in typefaces is right or wrong is up for debate, but Kyle says that’s besides the point. "It’s inevitable."
-
Independent Fonts
When asked what we’ll see next year, Liz’s first response was: "definitely more independent fonts". She mentioned the increasing accessibility to the industry. Many argue that this is causing exponential over-saturation in the industry because there are now so many fonts to sift through, with fewer and fewer made by professionals. But Liz thinks this opens doors to illustrators who aren’t necessarily type designers but whose fonts are valuable and important to the type industry. This element makes the new accessibility a gift for illustrators and independent designers.
"I think the barrier for entry for font design has been lowered, so I think we’re going to see a lot more independent designers," Liz says. Comic Sands is just one example of an independently created font in 2024.
-
Handmade Styles
With this trend will also come fonts that appear “hand-drawn, textured,” Liz adds. To accompany the rise in independent designers, typography designs will begin to match their independent roots with “retro” designs. “Not necessarily handwriting,” says Liz, “but things that look like a letterpress or just look like they’ve been hand-drawn a bit more.” She believes popularity for designs that reflect their independent making will soar in popularity.
The predicted rise in AI definitely plays a role in this reaction too. “As the trend for AI is so high at the moment, there’s a visual opposing trend where people want things that look more handmade or nostalgic,” says Liz. I think we can all look forward to seeing more of this in 2025 as a break from the overwhelming popularity of auto-generated content, with fonts like Kula by Taylor Penton.
-
Retro Designs
One repeating theme that has clearly resounded from the opinions of all our designers is the rise of retro design. Danielle has seen “a nod to more retro fonts and fonts that take influence from the art deco era and the sixties,” echoing the direction of Steve’s new ’70s-inspired fonts. “You see history repeating itself,” she says, adding that we should expect to see designs that are “rounded,” “bold,” and “a bit more fun" (like Cheesecake by Mark Simonson).
Conclusion
In 2025, the world of type will be marked by a move away from ultra-minimalism and towards unique, playful designs. With AI on the rise, we can expect to see more generative input and the emergence of fonts that are both futuristic and nostalgic. Independent fonts will continue to thrive, and handmade styles will become increasingly popular. Retro designs will also make a comeback, with a nod to the art deco era and the sixties.
FAQs
Q: What are the main trends in typography in 2025?
A: The main trends in typography in 2025 are variety and maximalism, generative input and AI, independent fonts, handmade styles, and retro designs.
Q: Will AI affect the design of fonts?
A: Yes, AI will likely have a significant impact on the design of fonts in 2025, with the emergence of generative input and the potential for AI to create new fonts.
Q: What is the future of font design?
A: The future of font design is likely to be marked by a move towards unique, playful designs that combine traditional techniques with modern technology and AI.
Q: Will there be a decline in minimalist designs?
A: Yes, it seems that the trend towards ultra-minimalism is coming to an end, and we can expect to see a move towards more playful, retro-inspired designs in 2025.
