Monotype Releases New Re:Vision Chapter Exploring Design, Peace, and Conflict

WOBURN, Mass., December 29, 2025 — Monotype Imaging Inc., a global leader in type and technology, has released Peace & Conflict, the final chapter in its Re:Vision: Type Trends 2025 program, an ongoing initiative that examines how social, cultural, and technological shifts influence the way typography and visual communication are used.

The project examines how symbols and visual language are used — and understood — during periods of global tension. Rather than taking a position or offering solutions, Peace & Conflict brings together a set of practice-led explorations that consider what design can do when conflict shapes public conversation. The focus is on observation, reflection, and the realities of working with symbols in complex, often fragile contexts.

The work was developed by the Monotype Studio, led by Executive Creative Type Director Phil Garnham, with consultation from Rathna Ramanathan, Provost of Central Saint Martins and Executive Dean of Global Affairs at UAL. Perspectives informed by lived experience were contributed by VikaVita, a Kyiv-based lettering and design studio working in Ukraine, bringing visuals to life through design under extraordinary circumstances.

“This wasn’t about making a statement,” said Garnham. “It was about paying attention — to how symbols actually behave in the world, and what designers notice when they slow down and really look.”

“By designing universal languages that honor our differences while celebrating our shared humanity, we can transform conflict into dialogue,” said Ramanathan. “This is not just about creating symbols, but about cultivating the common ground that reminds us we are all kin, all connected, all responsible for the world we leave behind.”

“When you’re living with conflict, language can start to feel heavy, or even fail you,” said VikaVita. “Sometimes a sign, a small gesture, or a simple mark can express what people are feeling when words are hard to find. For us, this work is about staying human, even when everyday life is shaped by uncertainty.”

Allkin, a symbol to convey peaceful intent and a sign of unity.

A central outcome of the project is Allkin, an open, hand-based symbol system created to support communication across languages and cultures. The system includes 195 hand gestures, aligned with the number of UN member and observer states, and addresses everyday human needs, social signals, emotional states, and references to conflict and peace. 

Allkin is free and available through Google Fonts, Monotype Fonts, and The Noun Project.

For more information, visit the Re:Vision: Peace & Conflict microsite.

About Monotype
Monotype creates brands that matter with type, technology, and expertise. The company partners with leading foundries to deliver the broadest inventory of high-quality typefaces in the world.  

Further information is available at www.monotype.com. Follow Monotype on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

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