A consideration of typographic futures

In 50 or 100 years, will we solely use variable fonts? Will we have added a new letter to our alphabet to represent the diversity of gender identities? Or will typographers be completely replaced by machines? “A consideration of typographic futures” is a master’s thesis exploring seven currently emerging typographic practices, ranging from upcoming technologies to phenomena like feminist typography and sustainable typesetting.rnThe first phase of the project involved identifying typographic trends and analyzing their characteristics. Using this research as a basis for experimentation, the layout of the thesis text was then transformed to reflect the principles and values embedded in each trend. While some elements such as a general grid were kept constant throughout the thesis book, other design features such as typefaces, colors and papers were varied for each typographic trend. For example, the chapter on feminist typography was set in a typeface created by a woman with gender-inclusive features, the text on accessible typography was designed with accessibility in mind, and the research on sustainable type was presented in a way that minimizes ink and paper consumption. For the chapter about Artificial Intelligence, several glyphs were created using a generative model and excerpts of the text about dimensional typography were rendered in a 3D space. This resulted in a vibrant thesis book containing seven visually distinct chapters about seven emerging typographic practices.rnAs a final step, insights from the research were synthesized and similarities and tensions between the design trends were observed. Through this, a network of numerous new possibilities of creating and setting type was uncovered. Insights from this may be of assistance to the type enthusiasts of tomorrow, preparing them for what is to come and equipping them with the knowledge needed to shape their own future…