#1 Helvetica Now Variable by Monotype
Q1: Where did the idea for the typeface come from? Did you set out to address a specific use or suite of the application? Was this a design you’d had in mind for a while?
Ans: Helvetica has been with us for more than half a century – Neue Helvetica, for almost four decades – Helvetica Now, a couple of years. As soon as we finished Helvetica Now, we began thinking about the next iteration as Helvetica Now Variable.
Helvetica Now Variable merges three typographic concepts. The first is Miedinger and Hoffman’s: to create the most neutral, clear, and simple typeface ever. The second is Helvetica Now’s reintroduction of optical sizes – Display, Text, and Micro. The third is the most revolutionary: to create a seamless spectrum of weights, widths, and optical sizes – built into a single font file. The arrival of Helvetica Now Variable marks the “arrival” of Variable fonts. It’s the most famous typeface of all time in the format that will define the future of typography.
Q2: What is the one or two most important things graphic communicators should know about the typeface, or how will the family of fonts help them create better design?
Ans: The prospect of working with optical sizes can be daunting, but both CSS and Adobe InDesign can automatically implement optical sizes when they’re present in a Variable font, like Helvetica Now Variable.
And all of that charismatic, bouncing and undulating animated type you been seeing on Instagram and in the brand landscape of late –it’s all made with minimal programming and Variable fonts. It’s time to get busy and begin writing the future of typographic design!