Christine Neas
- Dec 2, 2020
- 2 min read

The Art of Fontology!

Noun: The study of fonts or electronic typeface.

During 2020 we have seen visuals that flaunt bold fonts as focal point for other design elements, with the realization that when bold fonts are used as primary elements in designs, they instantaneously capture the viewer’s attention. Because of this trend, bold fonts and typefaces became more prevalent this year in social media and print graphics.

In 2021 there are big changes coming to the way we design using fonts and typefaces!

Predicted for 2021 the brash, bold, and colorful fonts will be fading away, replaced with fonts that stay true to minimalism, nature, neutral tones, and subtlety.

With the world-altering changes that have occurred in 2020, creatives are craving simpler and calmer times and this theme is emerging in the choice of typography.

In 2021, we will be moving towards uncomplicated styles with neutral color palettes, a less-is-more approach, and minimalistic fonts.

2021 Nature-Inspired

A documented side effect of the present COVID-19 situation is a worldwide thirst for nature and the outdoors. Not surprisingly, people who have had limited access to the outside world for long periods of time, have the sudden urge to find excuses for getting out and about.

People who have never particularly had the urge to walk now want to go hiking, guys who spent every weekend propping up the bar now feel the need for fresh-air, and so it goes on. While most designers may want to set the scene and push the trends, commercial designers might do better by reflecting on the current mood. If you can’t go to the beach let the calmness of the beach come to you.

The shift to organic, softer, natural design has been slowly creeping in on the sidelines of the top trends. The idea of mimicking nature with the use of natural lights, softer, muted color palettes and earthy tones, natural gradients in color schemes, and flowing lines fits with the current mood of minimalism, natural ambiance, and textures featuring wood, stone, water etc.

Classic Fonts

In 2021 in an attempt to put the nightmare of this year behind us, we will see more use of classic serif fonts that have an inherent nostalgia and elegance that connect us to past times and better times - in essence to evoke positive feelings of longevity and well-being.

Handwritten Fonts

Over the last few years, handwritten script fonts have exploded, with thousands of highly customized typefaces becoming available. These new bespoke typefaces often fall into the serif or slab serif families and are popping up in branding and packaging for both contemporary and traditional industries. The popular trend of creating attention and intrigue in headlines, social media and logos using these fonts to organically “soften” the bolder serif fonts, will continue to play an important role in the new nature inspired theme.