As 2018 kicks into high gear, there’s inevitably a lot of talk about trends. What did the past year bring, and what can we expect in the next twelve months? Well, it’s no different when it comes to trends in type. So to get some insight on what influences type trends, tools to develop a new typeface, what we’ll hopefully see more (and less of) in the near future, and more, we spoke with Dan Rhatigan, Senior Manager, Adobe Type.
Dan Rhatigan: Trends are the culmination of all kinds of things we see around us and usually trace back to one design or brand making a bold decision to try something different. That inspires others to see if they either replicate that success or be part of that influential vibe. Sometimes they bubble up from street, as more and more similar ideas catch people’s fancy and reach critical mass (like casual scripts and hand-lettered looks for shops and brands that want to feel local or small-batch), or sometimes they’re the result of some highly visible promotional campaign in music or fashion, like the explosion of blackletter fonts that followed Kanye West’s Yeezy branding.
The trends for some areas, such as corporate branding, tend to move more slowly, but are influenced by some of the same dynamics: someone tries something and it works, and then others try to tweak the successful formula.
