The Impact of AI on Typography: Revolutionizing Design While Preserving Human Creativity

How AI is changing typography design, according to industry pros

From kerning to font generation, AI promises to reshape typography. But much is it doing so in practice? We speak to the experts to find out. In recent years, artificial intelligence has made significant inroads into everything from copywriting to illustration and photography. So what about typography? Surely, you might think, there's so much "science" to type design and typographic layout - along with a certain amount of "art" - that AI would be able to either help designers in their work, or replace them altogether with tasks like font pairing, for example. If that's the case, though, why hasn't there been a ton of articles and social media posts about it? Has it just not happened yet? Or are designers simply using AI for typography and keeping quiet about it? To find out, we spoke to a range of well-known designers across the creative industries, and got their honest responses. It's currently Typography Week on Creative Bloq - see our dedicated page for more brilliant content (in association with Monotype). Jessica Walsh, founder of the creative agency &Walsh, recently launched her own type design company, Type with Feeling. But although the renowned designer has always been at the cutting edge of tech, right now she says she sees no use for AI for type design itself. She is, however, using AI in the ideation phases for the development of new fonts. To add context, her new studio specialises in typefaces that evoke certain feelings. For example, Satori is a geometric sans-serif inspired by "feelings of sudden enlightenment" while Ssonder is a serif inspired by "the feeling of profound realisation that each person you encounter has their own intricate and unique life". AI has been helpful in developing these concepts, she reveals. "We've used it to research different feelings and emotions and to do quick checks on sentiments around those feelings in different languages." But she also recognises AI's limitations. "It doesn't pick up on everything," she notes. "For instance, one of our fonts is called Onsra, which means the bittersuite feeling of longing. I found out from my Instagram comments, though, that it also means "he shits" in polish when written as 'On sra'. So there will always be nuances that AI doesn't pick up, but it's a good tool for research nonetheless." Jessica's team have also used AI for the business side of type development; specifically to better understand pricing strategies and a summary of pain points that people have with the licensing process. "Again, it's not a cohesive tool - talking to people was also an important part of the process," she qualifies. "But AI is a good starting point to gather some of this market research. We are mostly utilising ChatGPT for this, and we will definitely consider it if it feels relevant in the future." Type of Feeling may be a new entry into the world of font foundries, but Jessica's approach was echoed by others I spoke to. They include type designer and creative director Zeynep Akay, who has led in Dalton Maag's collaborations with Meta, Airbnb and other big brands. "Right now, we don't use any third-party generative AI tools as part of our type design process," she explains. "We're very fortunate to have an in-house software development team, who expand and maintain our software workflow, and occasionally create partifically intelligent project-specific tools to automate certain processes. This is hugely beneficial because we can save time on tasks that would otherwise be repetitive and prolonged, and focus instead on perfecting the conceptual and aesthetic aspects of our design projects." But while she welcomes the potential for some automation of type design, that's as far as it goes for now. So if AI isn't being used to design typefaces yet, what about typography: the selection of typefaces and their use in design? Simon Manchipp, founder of leading design practice SomeOne, speaks for many when he says that right now, AI isn't quite match-ready here either. "Like everyone else, we're really interested in making the most of AI in our work at SomeOne," he says. "But in typography we've yet to see platforms that can radically change our output for the better in meaningful ways that extend beyond the initially impressive splash. Particularly for larger brands that need reliable typographic assets and systems. He's not saying never, though; just not right now. "The signs of typographic AI progress are there, with high levels of bespoke approaches available for letterforms and fonts," he accepts. "But we continue the search for an AI that can craft and create to the same standards as humans, let alone surpass them." And it's not for want of trying. "We've looked at all the usual AI design suspects like Midjourney that all carry a very high level of error and aesthetic, as well as only really working for headline thoughts," he notes. "Similarly limiting are the 'make it look like this' AI platforms that can convert a headline or individual letters into images like balloons and sausages. While they can be great for visuals, they're too limited for any kind of professional applications due to licences, useability and scale." So what about type-focussed platforms such as Prototypo, a user-friendly parameter-based font generator that lets you customise your own typefaces in a few clicks? "These are more interesting perhaps," says Simon. "But they only really currently enable a kind of extended multiple-master tweening common to variable fonts, which started to gain traction in around 2015, so it's hardly news. "As with so much of the variable slider systems," he adds, "the outcomes can swiftly look out of control and can result in some pretty ghastly designs -- particularly when deployed by the untrained eye." Simon also has some respect for the 'style transfer' tech in Adobe tools such as Photoshop, which enable you to create an image in the style of a reference image. "That's pretty wild and helps designers see quickly if the idea of putting the word 'Fire' on fire looks like a good idea -- it isn't -- but more helpfully can accelerate the ability of clients to see merit in more lateral thinking. It's easy to shoot down the idea of a headline, logo or letter covered in fur, but it's far easier to buy it if you see how adorable it looks on the screen." Yet even in terms of ideation and brainstorming, AI isn't as fit for typography as it is for, say, imagery. Simon offers an example from a recent project: a new visual identity for London's newest district, Canada Water Dockside. "At SomeOne we use AI to show the art of the possible, then when everyone supports that direction we generally go and make it by hand," Simon explains. "For this branding, the botanical backgrounds were hard to grasp as a written concept, but with AI we helped the client to see how it would radically change the impact of the branding. Interestingly, though, the wordmark also flexes and adapts... but it was far easier and more controllable to animate it by hand than to rely on any AI tools." Teemu Suviala is chief global creative director at Landor, the world-renowed agency best known for creating the original FedEx logo. He agrees that AI is not yet able to tackle either typography or type design itself. But one area he has found it useful is finding the right fonts. "Widely available AI tools are streamlining the discovery process for existing and to-be-designed typefaces," he explains. "With the right prompts I can avoid manually combing vast type libraries and leverage AI algorithms to surface relevant but also surprising, sometimes overlooked and forgotten typefaces and typographic styles." His colleague Gianluca Ciancaglini, design director and typography specialist at Landor, adds that AI tools have also been helpful in coming up with new ideas. "In type design work, AI tools now give us the opportunity to visualise and experiment in the idea generation phase," he says. "More than from an automation point of view, I prefer to focus on the expressive possibilities of artificial intelligence, using tools such as MidJourney, DALL-E 2, Adobe Firefly, and the AI tools within the WPP ecosystem, experimenting with form, variation, materials, adaptability." Teemu concurs. "The biggest impact of AI in type design has been around expanding possibilities," he stresses. "With AI we can easily generate countless design iterations, allowing us quickly to explore wide ranges of stylistic directions, beyond traditional type design. "AI is already helping to bring in more movement, textures and interactive behaviours to the work - and drawing cues from unexpected sources like musical genres, nanobiology or forgotten cuisines around the world." It's important to stress, though, that Landor is only using AI for ideation, not the development of typography itself. And you'll hear the same right now, pretty much whomever you speak to. Take Yorgo Tloupas, who heads up the Parisian studio Yorgo&Co as well as the font foundry Yota Fonts. Asked whether he's incorporated AI into his typography workflow, he says: "So far there has been no direct impact in our design process. However in our research phases we of course resort to basic embedded AI features in digital tools. Google Lens can, for example, help us verify that what we're designing doesn't have an unknown doppelgänger somewhere. In terms of the wider impact of AI on typography, though, "So far, the changes seem minimal. I may be completely unaware of recent progress, as I'm a Boomer. But my non-Boomer team and my type designer Martin Pasquier think the same, and say that the scripts that exist aren't efficient enough, yet." I could go on, but you get the point. Designers may be exploring abstract ideas with AI, but they're quite simply not creating typography or typeface designs with it. So while AI may be changing typographic design a little, it's doing relatively slowly and tentatively. "I can't say AI has had as direct and immediate an effect on the type design practice as it has had on other creative disciplines, like photography and illustration for instance," says Zeynep. "I think other creative disciplines, because of their figurative nature, were targeted with generative AI engines more easily." And ultimately, there's a reason for that. "Type is intrinsically tied to language," she points out, "which I think adds a layer of complexity, connecting the semantic and the visual, and is not as easily assessed and consumed." So while AI is subtly making its presence felt in the world of typography, its impact so far seems to be more evolutionary than revolutionary.

6 key skills typographers need to develop in the age of AI - we asked the experts

As AI takes over typography and type design, how can humans stay relevant? Our experts highlight six key skills that can help. The rapid rise of AI has sent shockwaves through the creative industries, leaving people in some professions, such as illustration and photography, to wonder if they'll soon be out of a job. When it comes to type design and typography, thankfully, there's a bit more breathing space (if you need more reassurance, here's why typographers don't need to worry about AI). As I discuss in my other Typography Week article 'How AI is Changing Typography Design', AI isn't really having the same kinds of dramatic effect on these disciplines... so far, at least. But it's pretty likely that as the tech improves, that will happen over time. It's sensible to assume that, at some point, more and more of type design and typography will become increasingly automated. So if you're a designer interested in type, and you're not just relying on ready-made free fonts, how can you future-proof your career, long-term? In this article, we speak to industry experts to get their view on what core skills you'll need to cultivate to remain indispensable in an AI-augmented world. Once upon a time, Photoshop was so complicated to use that simply knowing all the functions and how to use them was enough to qualify you as a graphic designer. Nowadays, though these and similar tools have become so automated, that's no longer enough. When hiring designers these days, studios are less interested in what software you've mastered, and more on the ability to think critically and conceptually about challenges. As AI tools become better at automating certain aspects of type design and typography, so the that same dynamic will be strengthened. As Gianluca Ciancaglini, design director and typography specialist at Landor, puts it: "Ideas are and always will be the focus. Technology will need to be integrated to speed up and improve processes, driven by strong and innovative ideas." His colleague Teemu Suviala, chief global creative officer at Landor, agrees. "Conceptual thinking and storytelling will be important skills going forward," he believes. "Beyond mastering the craft, typographers must become adept at defining the brand, core narrative, emotional resonance, and cultural context that a typeface should embody." And here's another, related skill that human can do better. "Ultimately what AI can never do is to convince a client," points out Yorgo Tloupas, head of creative studio Yorgo&Co and type foundry Yota Fonts. "So communication skills may make the difference ultimately. We already spend almost as much time designing stuff as explaining how and why we design it." When it comes to illustration, we're already seeing a lot of homogenisation thanks to AI, particularly on social media. While quick-and-easy AI images may be a godsend to time-poor marketing people, they're rapidly making Facebook and Instagram ads unbearably samey-looking. And the same dynamic could equally happen in type. If that does happen, then the ability to inject personality and imperfection into type design and typography will become an increasingly valuable skill. A skill that, again, humans will always be better at than machines. As Carl Willis, design director at Landor, puts it: "It's our uniquely human ability to synthesise inspiration, infuse meaning, and craft narratives through type that will continue to shape the future of this art form." So how can designers lean into this? "Step away from the screen, open your eyes, and let the world be your typographic muse," advises Carl. "Look around you. Observe the organic forms of nature, the geometric precision of architecture, the raw emotion in a handwritten note. These are the wellsprings of typographic inspiration. Let the play of light and shadow inspire your letter spacing, the rhythm of a cityscape inform your font pairings." Simon Manchipp, founder and executive strategic creative director at SomeOne, agrees that while machine-created design can be functional, it is rarely beautiful. "Concorde was the last beautiful commercial aircraft - and it was drawn by hand, you can see the arc of a wrist in the curve of the wing," he points out. "Then CAD took aircraft to unexplored but ugly efficiencies. The Airbus A380 may easily be the world's largest passenger aircraft, but it's not easy on the eye. Words need to be read, there's an efficiency thing there too. But unlike aircraft, they fail to work if they look grim." In a world where AI-generated designs become more commonplace, establishing a distinctive personal brand and ethos is also likely to become more important. That's something that artist, illustrator and animator Conor McHugh knows a lot about, as he showcased in the superb album artwork, typography and animated event poster he recently created for jazz clarinettist Adrian Cox. And he has a keen eye on how AI may change typography in the future. "You know how stock image sites have made more generalist photographers less relevant?" he posits. "I think a similar thing will happen elsewhere in the creative industry. Cheaper, less interesting jobs will get given to AI. This will push designers and illustrators to focus more on becoming specialist in a certain area, perhaps with a focus on a signature style, an interesting brand ethos, or the ability to come up with unique ideas." In the long term, it's likely AI will become very proficient at the functional side of typography. But in the medium term, we'll probably see the same kind of dodgy results we've previously seen with AI illustration, which is still bedevilled by issues such as giving people the wrong number of fingers. Graphic designer Martin Baillie, who primarily works with client in the culture sector such as V&A Dundee and Glasgow Short Film Festival, notes that some firms won't be bothered by this. "Just as there are shop signs set out in low quality fonts with dodgy kerning that was baked into the font file, there will be people who use AI results as is, and either don't see, or don't care about the bits that may be rough around the edges," he reasons. Personally, of course, he experiences the opposite. "As a graphic designer I really enjoy working with a high quality font that a skilled typographer has spent countless hours tweaking and honing, pushing points around pixel by pixel to get the precise impact they are after," he says. In this light, Simon believes designers who fully understand the fundamentals of typography will be in a good position to carve out a niche in an AI world. "Knowing your diphthongs and things will be essential to avoid being sold down the river with the latest AI supermarket sweep," he believes. "Typographic rules and insights have not enormously travelled since the publication of 'The Visible Word: Problems of Legibility' by Herbert Spencer in 1969," he notes. "You still can't put loads of words on a single line and expect people to not trip up. You never could. The same goes for poorly considered ascender and descender length, counters, weights, italic angles; the list goes on. "With so many variables, and an apparent march towards a slider-led variety show of typographic styling, knowing when to stop, while still turning up the volume of distinctive brand assets, will be a valuable tool." We've seen many examples to date of how generative art AI produces work that's culturally tone-deaf, historically inaccurate or both. It's sensible to assume that when AI gets 'good' at typography, the same thing will happen. And so another way that humans can set themselves apart from machines will be by cultivating a deep understanding of cultural nuances and typographic history. "Understanding the evolution of typography, from its historical roots to contemporary trends and typographic theories at large, will be essential for making informed design choices and guiding AI's development," believes Teemu. This knowledge will allow typographers to create work that is not only visually appealing but also culturally resonant and historically informed: something AI is likely to forever struggle at. As Zeynep Akay, type designer and creative director at Dalton Maag, says: "What makes a good design is as much its ability to stand the test of time as it is its momentary impact. So a trained, discerning eye that separates the profoundly considered from the superficially passable will continue to make a good designer." Another thing that a human can do but a machine can't, at least not well, is collaborate with others. And that's something Jessica Walsh, who's recently launched her own font foundry, Type of Feeling, prizes highly. For this reason, she sees the future of typography as: "A collaborative approach between people and technology where the creative direction and craft are still valued but the tech eases some of the more tedious parts of the process like the research phase, consistency across platforms and the ability to create multiple weights more easily. "While there will be the capability for 100% generated typefaces," she says, "I believe there will always be value to all the little imperfections and humanness that a person can bring into the process." Conor agrees. "I think it will become more and more important for brands to partner with real people," he believes. "And so ensuring you have some kind of brand presence, ethos, or special interest at the heart of your work will become more important. "If you have an interest in reading, running, cooking-focusing on your design or illustration skills in those areas will not only create a job you love, but it will define your brand in a way that is valuable to partner with." If all this inspires you to take a human approach, find out our tips for making your own typeface. And for totally beginners, here's a typography glossary.

Why typographers don't need to worry about AI

Two experts reflect on how AI is changing the industry, and why there's no need to panic. AI is affecting all of the creative industries and typography is by no means immune. Should typographers worry? Well, that depends on how you look at it, and it also depends on how immersed you are in the industry, are you designer with a passing interest in the best free fonts who occasionally does typography tutorials, or are you living and breathing type? As part of Typography Week, I spoke to two people in the latter category to discover their thoughts. Tom Foley and Tom Rickner both work for Monotype: Tom Foley as executive creative director, and Tom Rickner as senior studio director. I'll refer to them from now on as Tom F and Tom R. "Generative AI represents such an open-ended set of opportunities and threats," says Tom R. "It will not be all bad or all good. But that is true of any revolutionary technology. I am optimistic about the human need to create, and therefore think that we will learn how to apply generative AI to those problems or challenges which aren't necessarily artistic in nature, but rather production oriented." Tom R believes that AI could help with process. "I can see us using it to take original sketches, and more quickly bring a concept to a prototype stage. Or to take an existing weight and help us generate new masters to expand the design space for a family. Or help take a set of carefully hand-tuned kern pairs, and learn to apply that to entire typeface." While Tom F thinks that AI's use most likely lies in automating tasks. "AI will likely automate many applications of typography, especially in use cases where scale and accuracy are important - like asset creation for large brands," he says. "It also make it easier to make something using type that looks aesthetically pleasing." All this talk of AI also gives us an opportunity to reflect on where the type industry is at the moment, and identify areas that need work: "If we park the fears around replacement, and the buzz noise around efficiency, and take an objective look at where we are now in terms of typography, there is a lot of room for improvement in the current typographic landscape, which won't be solved by current technology," says Tom F. "What I mean here is the mainstream use of typography. Stuff designed-at-scale for big brands, website template services, the school bake sale flyer, the sign above the local butchers... There is currently a fairly wide gap between what us designers call good typography, and how typography exists in the real world. AI could potentially reduce the amount of poor typography we see while increasing the amount of good typography we see," he continues. How will AI impact the work of really good typographers? Tom F feels less clear on this point, but gives the example of "people like Astrid Stavro, Selma Loch (of Kilo Type), Matt Willey, Paulus Dreibholz, Francesca Bolognini, Naima Beb Ayed, Hugh Miller, Bryan Edmondson... I could go on and on... These are type designers and typographers that can use typography as means of visual celebration, cultural commentary, and expression of deep meaning. Despite how much I read about the current and potential capabilities of AI, and on some level I objectively see the threats, I can't see how AI, without the lived experiences that people bring to their work, can produce typefaces and typography that will move me in the way that the work of people I mentioned above does." This isn't an easy feeling, says Tom F, but he has ways of dealing with it: "I also feel the anxiety that comes from not knowing to what extent AI will automate aspects of design craft and execution. When I feel this anxiety bubble up inside, I recite this quote from Marshall McLuhan to myself: "There is absolutely no inevitability as long as there is a willingness to contemplate what is happening". What is happening is a wave of technology that will change so many aspects of our world. "The real threats of AI are its potential to give individuals with bad intentions the capability to carry out acts that have negative global consequences. Understanding the bigger picture of the subject helps with perspective. AI is a potential threat to humanity, so in this context my concerns of job security are not that worrisome. Worrying is normal, and it can be crippling. But, we need to find ways to worry, while also facing the challenges and threats posed to our industry and skills by AI. Use the tools, embrace the speed that they may bring to your workflows, but try not to worry. Its a useless endeavor. On one hand, AI is a fast-moving tech bubble, it's a buzz word, and its poorly understood by most people." "The surest way I know to make someone worry, is to simply say, 'don't worry!'" muses Tom R. "So I'm not about to tell anyone else how to feel about AI."