Have you heard of Droid? Google, the largest search engine on the internet, is ready to release what could very well be one of the greatest sources of inspiration when it comes to font and logo designs in the near future.
Named Droid, this new font has been an idea that has been hammered and theorized for the last couple of years; in the same time frame as the formation of the latest (and just maybe the greatest) rival of Apple’s iPhone the Android. Google, together with Ascender, an Illinois company that works in digital type-facing, have developed this font. Ascender isn’t new on the scene, however, because both Microsoft and Motorola have utilized their service when they needed a font created specifically for them, along with other companies needing the same service.
Ascender belongs to the Open Handset Alliance, which is made up of more than 30 companies who are currently working with Android. So it is no surprise that the Droid font design has landed in Ascender’s lap. Because of their previous work on Android they know what it can and cannot do and can apply that knowledge to the Droid project. Android is an operating system for mobile devices and is based on Linux. It was made to be compatible with other Java-like applications that are created by the mobile phone user and is thus referred to as Dream.
Developing the Font
A contemporary font is what Google is well known for, and the ease of which it can adjust to a particular theme that is in use, Google wanted something fresh for the Android. They were looking for something that was still appealing but without looking tech-y. They were looking for a font that would capture the attention of others and communicate the nature of the product but in no way be the reason for the profit the product pulls in. It had to look friendly enough that the market would quickly fall head over heels for the mobile device.
Many proposals and ideas were submitted, and two were either deemed bouncy or techno and were rejected. The rejection was due to the fact that they were either too sweet or too stiff when looked at. By meeting in the middle of those two rejections, they were able to formulate a font that had the same characteristics of Google and still remained completely distinct, which is perfect for the Dream phone.
Expectations of the Droid Fonts
The Droid font design is rare and only the G1 or Android phones will utilize it. It will attract special attention due to the fact that almost every feature of the phone will be related to the Droid, including the drop down list, address book and other features. And when using the phone to access internet websites, the website fonts will be converted to one of the complimentary Droid fonts, either monospace, serif or sans serif.
But the extra features don’t stop there. There is also a large selection of international characters that are used in Asian countries. The Droid font doesn’t hold any great mystery or need to be solved, so if you are looking to “break” the code, then you will be sadly disappointed.
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