Better UI for Better Typography

opentype-ui

Designers ask Adobe for a better user interface for type

The introduction of OpenType fonts in 2000 offered designers a rich and sophisticated typographic repertoire. The number of fonts that support these typographic features has grown exponentially over the years. And yet, we – the designers, producers, and users of digital type – have observed with growing despair how software applications offering typesetting capabilities have failed to provide an adequate typographic interface.

As a founding partner of the OpenType specification and a leading developer of applications for design professionals, Adobe can be expected to lead in foregrounding the potential of the technology. However, the font menus in Adobe software are severely lacking, giving users incomplete and/or needlessly convoluted access to typographic features. Therefore, we urge Adobe to improve the OpenType user experience. This will unlock tremendous existing value for users who are mostly unaware of the amazing possibilities current OpenType fonts provide.

Gail AndersonDesigner, writer & educator
Aral BalkanDesigner & social entrepreneur
Marian BantjesDesigner, artist, illustrator & writer
Frederik BerlaenTypeface designer & developer; RoboFont
John D. BerryTypographer & editor; U&lc
Peter BiľakGraphic & typeface designer and publisher; Works That Work
Roger BlackPublication designer, art director & design consultant
Erik van BloklandGraphic & typeface designer & application developer
Frank E. BloklandTypeface designer, educator, font & software producer
John BoardleyWriter & publisher; I Love Typography
Veronika BurianTypeface designer
Marina ChaccurLetterer and type designer
Nadine ChahineTypeface designer & legibility researcher
Frank ChimeroDesigner, illustrator & writer
Stephen ColesEditor, typographer & author; Typographica
Jo De BaerdemaekerTypeface designer, educator, & postdoctoral researcher
Hannes von DöhrenTypeface designer
Catherine DixonDesigner, writer & teacher
Cara Di EdwardoLettering artist, papermaker & printmaker
Mario EskenaziGraphic designer
Tobias Frere-JonesTypeface designer & educator
Mario R. GarcíaMagazine & newspaper designer & media consultant
Luc(as) de GrootTypeface designer
Shelley GruendlerTypographer, designer, educator; Type Camp
Sagi HavivGraphic designer; Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv
Steven HellerArt director, journalist, critic & author
Jessica HischeLetterer, illustrator & type designer
Jonathan HoeflerTypeface designer
Corey HolmsGraphic designer
Neil KellerhouseGraphic designer
Akira KobayashiTypeface designer
Kevin LarsonLegibility researcher
David LemonManager of Type Development; Adobe
Jean-Baptiste LevéeTypeface designer & educator
Steve MattesonTypeface designer
Jan MiddendorpWriter, translator & consultant
J. Abbott MillerGraphic designer & writer; Pentagram
MuirMcNeilGraphic & typeface designers
Yves PetersGraphic designer & writer; The FontFeed
Thomas PhinneyDesigner & consultant; FontLab
Michael C. PlaceDesigner; Build
Jean-François PorchezTypeface designer
Mark PorterPublication designer & creative director
Hugo PuttaertGraphic designer, writer, & educator; Integrated conferences
Mamoun SakkalGraphic & typeface designer, artist & calligrapher
Jason Santa MariaDesigner, teacher & writer
José ScaglioneType designer & teacher
Bertram Schmidt-FriderichsTypographer & publisher; Verlag Hermann Schmidt
Christian SchwartzTypeface designer
Georg SeifertTypeface designer & developer; Glyphs
Adrian ShaughnessyDesigner, writer & publisher; Unit Editions
Erik SpiekermannGraphic & typeface designer, & educator
Gerard UngerGraphic & typeface designer, writer, & teacher
Jim WascoLettering artist, photographer & typeface designer
Doug WilsonGraphic designer & film maker
ATypIAssociation Typographique Internationale
ISTDInternational Society of Typographic Designers

Join the initial supporters of our campaign for a better OpenType user experience

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