FY{T}I - Type Trends 2020 - Quarter 2

Keeping you up to date with the latest from each quarter with our Type Trends articles! Pretext [View in Browser]( [Hot New Fonts]( [Best Sellers]( [What's New]( [Special Offers]( [Bundles]( [WhatTheFont]( [Type Trends Quarter Two] Type Trends Can there be typographic trends during a long term international crisis? You might think “Not so much” – that, generally, designers would hunker down and retreat to tradition, conservatism and the tried-and-true. There are those, however, that decry this axiom. One such person is Gloria Kondrup. As a design consultant to national and international firms, Kondrup helped evolve extensive branding, identity and packaging systems. She is also a full-time professor at ArtCenter College of Design. In addition to teaching, Kondrup oversees the school’s Archetype Press, California’s largest letterpress printing facility that offers students a full-immersion typographic education. She is also the executive director of the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography. Kondrup is a typographic powerhouse – and has strong opinions. [Illustration 01] “This is no time for playing it safe,” she says. “Pushing the typographic envelope is vital – especially now. It’s easy to do the safe thing, but exciting and powerful typography is not about playing it safe. Our first job as designers is to create clear communication, but that does not mean boring.” “The key is working with well-designed typefaces,” Kondrup continues. “You can’t create good typography with clumsy type. We need to push the typographic envelope based on a sound foundation. Both are important.” Kondrup pointed to the work of a number of advanced ArtCenter students as examples of not settling for status quo. Taught by Brad Bartlett, students in the “Advanced Transmedia Studio” create dynamic visual language projects with solutions and working prototypes for both traditional and emerging media. Looking at the work of these students, it’s easy to spot typographic trends that are being shaped in spite of the coronavirus pandemic. Their work surprises and delights the reader, creates involvement and communicates on multiple levels. Typographic Trends Most of us like to be surprised – at least in a nice way. Typographic surprises catch our attention and drive involvement. Chelsea Le’s A Dancer Dies Twice project explores the evolution of ballet through legendary choreographer George Balanchine. The book she produced as part of the project, incorporates initial letters with charm and personality. Initial letters have been around for as long as there has been type – and longer. Historically, the oldest form of initial letter is the sunken, or "drop cap." Here the letter is set down within the copy, not raising above the top line of the text. The second style is the raised, or "stick up" initial, and rests on the baseline of the first, or subsequent line of copy and raises above the top line of the text block. Le’s initial letters, however, could only be described as “demonstrative.” The script capital letters not only nestle into the text, they curl around and caress the copy. The result is a charming surprise that invites readership. [Illustration 02] Involve the reader Kenny Kuh’s God Does Not Play Dice project invites readers to explore the intersection of quantum and classical physics through type and imagery in the physicality of a book. (Clearly, a heady task.) To aid and involve the reader, textual content is broken-up into bite-sized copy blocks. Readers are also invited to partake in human stories and hypothetical conversations that support the technical information. The eye dances from one part of a double-page spread to another, gathering information and insight. [Illustration 03] Communicate on Multiple Levels In the book Annie Kwon created as part of her DMZ: Life Under the Shadow of a Gun project, she uses typography to provide insight into the contested space dividing North and South Korea. In one double-page spread, she requires the reader to hold the book on its side to get the full message. The page break becomes a metaphor for the 38th Parallel that divides North and South Korea, while the map is made up of typographic stars that appear to represent barbed wire. A powerful message that communicates on several levels. [Illustration 04] And What About Fonts? Fonts are some of the least expensive – and most powerful – tools in graphic communication. Now might be just the time to make an inexpensive investment in more expressive and more powerful typograophy. There are a number of new “super families” that provide a range of designs guaranteed to work in perfect harmony. Some contain serif and sans serif designs. Others have serif and/or sans serif designs with complementary scripts or other decorative designs. Some families like, [Macklin]( and [Quincy CF]( are as large as Texas, while others, like [Steady Stream]( only have a couple of fonts. [Macklin]( [Quincy CF]( [Steady Stream]( Also consider the growing list of variable fonts. You can create a wide range of typographic voices from these special fonts. Some, like [Blacker Sans Pro]( and [Stinger](, come with an additional suite of fixed-design fonts while others like [Auster Variable]( and [TT Geekette Variable]( let one or two fonts do the heavy lifting. [Blacker Sans Pro]( [Stinger]( [Auster Variable]( Typefaces with roots in timely or thematic lettering can involve readers by instantly taking them to a “time and place.” Look to designs like [Ephemera Kingsford](, [Movie Screen JNL]( and [Wakerobin](. [Ephemera Kingsford]( [Movie Screen]( [Wakerobin]( Typefaces like [Dorris](, [History Love]( and [Silver Crown](, that enjoy a bevy of swash and alternate characters, surprise and delight by creating engaging and memorable typographic illustrations and logotypes. [History Of Love]( [Silver Crown]( Even though we live in unprecedentedly difficult times and practice conservative social interaction, the typography we create and the fonts we use can – and probably should – be outgoing and unafraid. Follow Kondrup’s advice. Our brand family. [Monotype.]( [Olapic]( [MyFonts]( Monotype Imaging Inc. 600 Unicorn Park Drive Woburn, MA 01801 USA New York, US | Chicago, US | San Francisco, US | Los Angeles, US |Cordoba, AR | London, UK | Berlin, DE | Noida, IN | Seoul, KR | Tokyo, JP | Shanghai, CN | Hong Kong, CN The promotions featured in this email newsletter are only valid for purchases made online at MyFonts.com. 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