The Evolution of Google Sans: How Google Developed a Text-Optimized Version for Better UX
By
meetpateltech
Slow-proofed and worth the wait. Worth its weight in flour.
Summary
The article details the evolution of Google Sans, Google's brand typeface, from its initial 2018 launch to the development of Google Sans Text (GST) in 2020. It explains how designers initially faced challenges with the geometric Google Sans at smaller text sizes, leading to a dual-font system with Roboto. Through collaboration with Search designers and Colophon Foundry, Google developed GST specifically optimized for readability at smaller sizes, solving UX design problems and creating a more cohesive typographic system across Google products.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledWhen Google Sans rolled out in 2018, designers were initially ecstatic. 'It meant we could finally use typography for a stronger brand statement,' recalls UX Designer Miche Alvarez.
'But it also created a dual-font system using Google Sans for larger display text and Roboto for smaller text. It ended up being a compromise.'
Designers fought for a Google Sans version that would work at smaller sizes.
So the team collaborated with designers in Search and at Colophon Foundry to refine the font, ultimately launching Google Sans Text (GST) in 2020.
Unlike the geometric Google Sans, the characters in Google Sans Text were specifically designed for better readability at smaller sizes.
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