How do you complement graphic design trends and styles with typography?

1 Know your audience and purpose

Before you start experimenting with fonts, you need to have a clear idea of who you are designing for and what you want to achieve. Different fonts can evoke different emotions and associations, so you need to align your typography choices with your target audience and the purpose of your design. For example, if you are creating a logo for a luxury brand, you might want to use a serif font that conveys elegance and sophistication, while if you are designing a poster for a rock concert, you might opt for a bold and edgy font that reflects the energy and style of the music.

2 Follow the trends but don't copy them

Graphic design trends and styles are constantly evolving, and it can be tempting to follow them blindly to stay relevant and modern. However, you should not rely on them as the only source of inspiration, as they can become overused and clichéd. Instead, you should use them as a starting point to explore your own creativity and find your own voice. You can also mix and match different trends and styles to create something unique and original. For example, you can combine retro fonts with futuristic elements, or minimalist fonts with colorful backgrounds.

3 Contrast and balance

One of the most effective ways to complement graphic design trends and styles with typography is to create contrast and balance. Contrast can help you create hierarchy, emphasis, and interest, while balance can help you create harmony, coherence, and readability. You can achieve contrast and balance by using different font sizes, weights, colors, and styles, as well as by adjusting the spacing, alignment, and placement of your text. For example, you can use a large and bold font for your headline, and a smaller and lighter font for your body text, or you can use a sans serif font for your main text, and a script font for your accent text.

4 Experiment and test

Finally, the best way to complement graphic design trends and styles with typography is to experiment and test different options until you find the one that works best for your design. You can use online tools and resources to browse, compare, and pair fonts, as well as to preview how they look on different devices and platforms. You can also ask for feedback from your peers, clients, or users to see how they respond to your typography choices. Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and that different fonts can have different effects depending on the context and the content.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?