Rony Ginosar With the rise of Variable Fonts, how should their specimens evolve? Since the movable type revolution, font catalogs have remained largely unchanged, even with the transition to the digital era.
Variable Fonts introduce complex design spaces. To unlock their full potential, they require intuitive navigation tools. These tools should encourage exploration while making a vast range of options accessible and engaging. The challenge is to offer endless possibilities while ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience. Without effective interfaces, the creative possibilities of Variable Fonts remain underutilized.
In my research, I explored how to make Variable Fonts more accessible to designers. I integrated principles from Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction, and Design. The result was Inbetween, an interactive specimen that replaces abstract decisions with a set of visual options, allowing users to explore, react to, and select Variable Font possibilities dynamically.
This talk will present Inbetween as a case study in designing responsive, user-centered typographic tools. I will discuss the methodologies used—bridging algorithmic approaches with intuitive interaction to enhance creativity—and share insights from user studies conducted to refine the system.
Through this, we will explore broader questions in designing responsive, user-centered typographic design tools: How can we design better interfaces for Variable Fonts? What role do algorithms and interactive tools play in making typographic exploration more fluid and accessible?
As type design embraces advanced algorithms and responsiveness, their impact extends beyond the discipline itself. They are reshaping how designers interact with type. By refining the way Variable Fonts are presented, we aim to contribute to the development of more effective font specimens and interfaces in the future.