Monotype Imaging Inc.has announced the launch of its Hot & Wet futures project as part of Monotype’s type trends Re:Vision 2025 campaign, which looks at the big, global themes impacting the world through a design lens. Spearheaded by Monotype Executive Creative Director Phil Garnham, in partnership with Bruce Mau Design (BMD) this project is an exploration of how visual communication can shift climate conversations to inspire imagination, optimism, and action.
At the center of the project is Climate Chronicle, a microsite with a rotating collection of tomorrow’s “future headlines,” written as if environmental progress has already been achieved. Combining collaborative creative leadership with practical design tips, the project demonstrates how small, intentional design choices can contribute to a more sustainable future.
While discussions around the environment can feel overwhelming, this project demonstrates how design can act as a catalyst for sustainability, showing how the creative decisions we make (such as typography) can influence environmental outcomes. Small technical decisions multiplied at scale have a large impact.
To bring the future headlines in Climate Chronicles to life, Monotype Executive Creative Directors selected Macklin™ Variable, a variable font superfamily of 54 styles that evokes newspaper headlines with attention-grabbing styles. This selection shows that environmentally conscious choices can act as a compelling storytelling component. It also illustrates the power of variable fonts in building harmonious, yet stylistic variety across the design canvas.
A creative decision to use fewer styles, smaller files, or variable fonts in general can add up to meaningful impact when evaluating energy use. Smarter font delivery and broader script support make typography more sustainable for everyone.
Typography may seem like a small piece of the puzzle, but its sustainability potential is significant and increasingly essential as digital ecosystems continue to expand. Perhaps the strongest impact a typeface can have on the environment is on the emotional appeal of the storytelling itself.
“News-wise, we are overwhelmed by dystopian narratives about the climate crisis. Without hopeful, creative visions of what’s possible, we risk collective paralysis. We wanted to explore what it might feel like to encounter positive news about what our lives could be like if we addressed climate change. If we can’t imagine the future we want, we can’t possibly get there,” said Laura Stein, Chief Creative Officer at BMD.
