The Design Process of Variable Fonts: A Prospective Survey-Based Investigation with Type Designers

The design practice has undergone several transformations due to technological innovations. One of the areas on which this practice is based is typography, which is responsible for studying the processes of creation and application of character and glyph systems for the visual composition of texts. With the computerization of this area, several font files have been created to enable improvements aimed at digital media. Hence, variable fonts were launched in 2016 and have presented several benefits, such as greater flexibility and use of types. Therefore, this study aims to identify specifics and elements of the variable font design process. To this end, a prospective survey was conducted based on a questionnaire applied to type designers and specialists in variable fonts. For data treatment, the content analysis method and the categorical analysis technique were used with the aid of qualitative data analysis software ATLAS.ti. The results of the research allowed the identification of elements of the variable fonts design process according to their relevance for this practice organized in main elements (tests, design space and font context of use), secondary elements (process steps and distribution) and tertiary elements (research, typographic characteristics, file preparation and disclosure).