Google Fonts is an essential utility for millions of designers and developers, but its interface needed a significant update. The challenge was twofold: first, to lead a visual modernization of the platform, and second, to introduce and integrate support for variable fonts, a powerful new technology that required a fundamental rethinking of the user experience. This all had to be accomplished without alienating a massive and passionate user base that relied on the tool for their daily work.
As the Lead Product Designer and Strategist, I was responsible for the end-to-end redesign, collaborating with research, engineering, and product teams to deliver a modern, high-quality experience under tight deadlines.
The new visual system was built on Google's Material Design foundations but adapted to serve the unique needs of a typography-focused tool. The core principle was "content-first." We established a clean, neutral color palette, a precise typographic scale, and a flexible layout grid. This created a calm, organized canvas that allowed the fonts themselves to be the heroes of the experience, giving users the confidence to explore and choose.
"Kevin was a critical asset in the relaunch of Google Fonts. Although Kevin was remote, he had tremendous impact as the design lead and strategist. Our launch would not have been possible without Kevin's ability to quickly ramp up and fit into the existing team."
Director of UX, Material Fonts & Icons, Google
The Execution: A Modernized Experience
The centerpiece of the modernized experience was the introduction of variable fonts. This required designing a powerful yet intuitive new type tester, a feature I led from concept to execution. This tool allows users to explore the near-infinite styles of a variable font, play with different axes in real-time, and even download static instances of any custom style they create. Alongside this major feature, the entire discovery interface was updated with a redesigned font card for better scannability.
Home / Search REsults
Specicmen Overview
Font Styles
Download / Embed
Type Explorer
Type Explorer Detail
The Outcome
The redesign was a critical success, launching on time and receiving positive feedback from the global design community. The project had a tremendous impact and solidified Google Fonts as a modern, essential tool for creatives.
A year after launch, the platform, built on the core user experience and visual system we established, went on to win a Webby Award for Visual Design.
