Typography: Graphic, Gothic or glam?

In 2024, lettering is set to take a bold leap, blending tradition with innovation and creative freedom

These days, unfortunately, rarely do brand managers and ad agencies, especially the digital types, use very well a potent design tool that plays a pivotal role in brand communication: Typography. The explosion of the internet and the emergence of digital screens in recent years have concurrently ignited a creative explosion in the art of typography. Sadly, however, a strategic understanding of the aesthetic use of typography in India is still lagging far behind.

This year marks a unique, transitional moment in the digital art world. A new generation of designers worldwide is pushing fonts to creative extremes through letters that move, take up space and drift into the realm of abstraction. They are reimagining retro style, reviving the Gothic glamour of yesteryears, engaging in a game of shapeshifting with letters, crafting bold experiments that speak to readers and users far beyond words, adding new frontiers for businesses looking to express fresher brand perspectives in this new and rapidly changing world. In this new digital era, fonts won’t just convey, they will speak and interact.

So what are the likely new trends for 2024 in typography?

Ultra Gothic is back: Reviving the medieval charm with a digital twist, Ultra Gothic fonts feature heavy black letters and calligraphic flourishes reminiscent of the Middle Ages. Gothic fonts are an eternally appealing style for how they combine stable forms with unexpected freehand, granting a personal touch to digital fonts.  In 2024, these fonts are going to get a digital makeover with exaggerated strokes and intricate flourishes that will push the boundaries of the traditional Goth. A breathtakingly beautiful combination of ultra-old and ultra-modern is going to be the most likely result.

Shapeshifting lettering : This year you will be mesmerised by fonts that change shape right before your eyes. Inspired by retro styles like rubber-hose fonts and 1970s’ bubble letters, these fonts add a playful, nostalgic touch while hinting at something slightly off-kilter, perfect for edgier designs. This new typography trend evokes nostalgic joy, while bringing the past to life through fluid movement. At the same time, the melting shape of these wobbly letters hints that something is not quite right here — it’s escapism but gently warped.

 Delicate Sans-serif: Sans-serif fonts are known for their straightforward and functional design. In 2024, they will reveal their softer side with narrow strokes and wide kerning, exuding confidence through subtlety and achieving a classy, refined look. Fitting in with recent minimalist trends, delicate Sans-serifs offer versatile fonts whose unassuming forms couldn’t clutter a composition even if they tried to!

Letterform abstractions: Exp­ect the unexpected with letterform abstractions that bring a surprising twist to words or phrases this year. These abstracted fonts play with scale, alignment, and graphic illustrations to create artful emphasis and encourage a second glance from readers. Abstracted letterforms are visually playful, lending an artsy collage style to projects where creative individuality is paramount.

Vintage curved baselines:  Bringing back the grandeur of 19th-century hand-lettering, vintage curved baselines will add dynamism and movement to words in 2024. This trend is perfect for brands looking to evoke a sense of tradition and craftsmanship. Like most vintage approaches, this trend will be useful for brands that want to cultivate a sense of heritage and longevity. Far from being stuck in its ways, the curved baseline trend will imbue fonts with dynamism and movement.

3D abstract alignment: 3D lettering will get an abstract makeover in 2024, exploring new spatial relationships and creating a sense of depth and interaction between letters for an unforgettable visual impact. 3D designers will blur the lines between convincing illusions and abstract arrangements. 3D words crowd one another, overlap or coalesce into one fluid mass. By using unexpected positioning to play words off of one another, the abstract alignment trend reinforces the illusion of reality, creating an awesome effect.

Graphic graffiti fonts:  Trans­forming traditional graffiti into a more colourful and illustrative style, these fonts hint at street art while adding intricate textures and illustrative touches, suitable for urban culture and creative lettering projects. Once an eyesore of urban decay, graffiti has proved a continual source of inspiration for lettering design, and it’s not hard to see why. Graffiti combines anonymity with original expression. It gives abandoned and forgotten spaces a sense of ownership. It is particularly well-suited for urban apparel, nightlife settings, and pop-up restaurants.

These fonts at times look like an eclectic array of polar opposite approaches. But then that is the sheer joy and the diversity of emerging design.

The writer is chairman of Rediffusion. sandeep@goyalmail.com