2022 Font Trends

We’re continuing our look at the year ahead for design, and after exploring colour trends with Pantone’s new colour of the year, 2022 font trends are next.

2021 saw an eclectic mix of typefaces with trends of maximalism, kinetic type and exaggerated serifs being popular. These trends look set to take a back seat in 2022 and make room for more considered and simple fonts. Sans serif fonts will be used for an approachable and ultra-legible feel, while still being bold and impactful when used in heavier weights and in contrasting colours. The exaggerated serifs we have been seeing used a lot within the fashion and lifestyle industry will be cleaner and a bit more fuss-free. Something that we’ve also spotted a lot so far this year is mixed width typefaces or mixing cases and sizing. Used with chunky sans serif fonts this trend is eye-catching and feels very modern, especially when it’s incorporated in an animated way.

We’ve rounded up these trends below, take a look through and see what you think of the typefaces we’ve picked out for 2022!

1.????Simple Sans Serifs

Ever reliable sans serif fonts will be used this year to bring back a sense of simplicity to design after lots of exaggerated font trends over the last few years. Thick strokes and a focus on lowercase text will create an approachable laid-back feel but still have a powerful visual effect. Some of the sans serif fonts we’ve been looking at are Grotesk fonts (Sofia Pro, Roc Grotesk and Aktiv Grotesk) which are sans serifs that have a slightly quirkier look to them, they tend to be less polished which adds a bit of warmth and personality to a design in comparison to some other sans serifs. Another element to this trend is that in a time where inclusivity is key sans serif typefaces play a vital part in making sure that designs are legible, and readability is not a problem for the target audience. We’ve pulled together some of our favourite sans serif fonts that we’ve been using so far this year, and others that we think will be nice to feature at some point!

2.????Mix and Match

Another trend for 2022 is mixed width typefaces, or mixing and matching fonts, lower and upper case etc. This is a really fun way of playing with a typeface and works nicely with a chunky sans serif. Mixed typefaces have started to be featured on numerous bold packaging designs, event posters and are particularly effective when animated (another big 2022 type trend), with the type face growing and shrinking or certain letters stretching and narrowing. These animated typefaces have been increasingly popular in digital formats, the BBC have started using this trend for type segments of their current football campaigns, animating bold mismatched fonts. Another place this trend has featured recently is with delivery and courier giant Hermes’ re-brand, with their new logo and website assets comprising of mismatched serif and sans serif fonts. Take a look at some of the fonts we’ve found that have been great to play around and experiment with for this mix and match trend.

3.????Modern Serifs

The last big trend we’re looking at is a continuation of some of the exaggerated serif’s that have been massive since 2020. These decorative styles are being stripped back to make room for simplified serif fonts, these are more versatile and feel a lot more subtle in comparison. Fonts like Orpheus Pro and Perpetua have a quiet elegance to them, and we’ve also been looking at some more contrasted serifs that have a vintage feel, like Magilio, Bohemian Soul and Margaret, which are bold but slightly less decorative than the exaggerated serifs of 2021. Most of these fonts are a more modern and contemporary take on vintage fonts and are designed to make them more suitable for the modern world, they work really well as headline texts or prominent headings to catch your attention, and we think they’ll continue to be big in the fashion and lifestyle industries.

Overall, fonts this year are becoming refined versions of the exaggerated forms that we’ve seen during the last two years. Clean sans serifs are going to bring a sense of simplicity, working well to communicate clear and coherent design, while still feeling modern and on-trend. Instead of extravagant type forms there will be creative animations that bring the font or design to life, and this goes hand in hand with the mixed width trend we’ve been looking at. Serif fonts will have an elegantly contemporary feel to them, pared back and simplified to compliment any design. We hope you’ve enjoyed looking over these trends with us, let us know if you have any favourite fonts for 2022!