Variable Fonts: The Add-on That Elevates Your Web Typography

Imagine being able to design web pages with a single font file that gives you the freedom to adjust visual features on the fly. One of the latest developments in web typography is called Variable Fonts, a new add-on feature for the OpenType format, and it can make the online font experience truly dynamic for web developers and designers.
Digital researchers from the British Broadcasting Corporation are contributing to the development of Variable Fonts, particularly as it applies to improving user experience. During a recent BBC web design workshop, Variable Fonts were discussed in terms of their efficiency and ability to improve responsiveness. The efficient aspect of Variable Fonts is that a single font file cuts down on the amount of network requests, which means that pages can load faster and with a reduced potential of ending up with missed requests. As for responsiveness, the improvement lies in the ability of designers to test how a single font can be adjusted to various media displays.
In essence, Variable Fonts can turn page designers into typographers. Adjustments to features such as weight, yeast and gravity can be made on the fly since they work on a mathematical curve. Immersion, expression and accessibility can be determined by media; for example, a page can be coded to alter the curve of the font so that it is more legible when accessed from mobile devices with smaller displays.
Future development of Variable Fonts may include making adjustments according to lighting conditions; this is something that smartphone sensors can already perform based on whether users are browsing during sunny days spent in the outdoors. One tech giant that has already been experimenting with Variable Fonts is Dropbox, a company that realizes the value of making documents legible across all platforms and devices.
As for the BBC, some of the ideas floated in the aforementioned workshop include future design that is aware of street sign typography. When visitors from the United Kingdom visit a page featuring content about road signs, Variable Fonts can allow adjustments to reflect the use of an all-caps ITC font variant while visitors from New York City may see a bold variation of Helvetica in mixed caps. For more information click here https://blog.prototypr.io/an-exploration-of-variable-fonts-37f85a91a048.