Monotype Forecasts 2022 Type Trends—A Swirl Of Old, Modern, And Virtual

By Mikelle Leow, 01 Mar 2022

The fever dream of the past year has spawned a great deal of rebellion from creatives, who are now coloring outside the lines as restrictions begin to lift. Recent months have also seen the inception of the metaverse and the unlatching of the blockchain.

It thus comes as no surprise that typography trends for 2022 are more dynamic than ever. Rounded up by font foundry Monotype, the report reveals that designers and brands aren’t just communicating their individuality but also slowly assimilating into unfamiliar virtual environments.

The list of 10 trends includes Neue Nouveau, where the legibility usually found in organic lines is challenged with flowy and psychedelic silhouettes; Svelte Serifs, old-style serifs made even lighter for a more sophisticated feel; Mix-Up, a mish-mash of type styles that “turn diversity into unity”; and Flux, hyper-kinetic, sometimes variable, fonts that always seem to be on the move. Not to mention, there’s NF-Type, a sign of the times questioning the transition of fonts into decentralized platforms.

Image courtesy of Monotype

To illustrate the report, Monotype brought in real, published examples created by the global design community. “This is not our work, but it’s great work,” the foundry’s Creative Type Director Charles Nix emphasizes.

“This year, we explicitly sought to connect these trends to the times in which we are living. That is, the environment, the pandemic, the warpage of time, the rapid adoption of digital everything, social media as a vehicle for social change, nostalgia, questioning truth, diversity and unity, and of course, care for the self. The result is a celebration of the type industry as a whole, the art and the science that both reflects and contributes to driving our culture.”

To accompany these predictions, Monotype has created a selection of free wallpapers depicting 2022’s type trends. You can download them and explore the full trend report here.