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Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface for text or display

public-sans.digital.gov

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Re: Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface for text or display

#21

Post by nathan_long »

ukulele wrote: post #11

What if the progression ends up being: 1. Publicly-funded font(s) created 2. Use on govt websites grows 3. Publicly-funded CDN used for said govt site assets 4. Other, non-govt sites use said font(s) 5. Govt becomes asset host for web basics across thousands of non-govt sites This may be another step in CDN lifecycle of startup --> megacorp --> commoditization --> govt service.

Why would we go beyond step 2? As a taxpayer, I could buy the argument that the govt needs a new font, and that, having made one, it should make said font available for free so taxpayers can get the benefit.

I don't see why my taxes should fund a public CDN, though.

Re: Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface for text or display

#22

Post by optymizer »

The older I get, the more skeptical I become. Kudos to the author for releasing their project, it looks like a lot of effort went into it, so I hate to sound overly negative, but I just can't help wonder if there is a practical reason for the US government to develop its own font?

Is Sans Serif Fonts the department where the US government can really make a difference, or is this just a designer who happened to get a job with the US government and designed a font because they always wanted to and now they got the opportunity?

Re: Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface for text or display

#23

Post by legitster »

chrisbrandow wrote: post #6

What is the advantage of this over Open Sans? Is it less encumbered legally? Or are there other advantages? Or is it simply another alternative, which is also great.

The key word is "neutral". The government doesn't set a preference for a specific font or organization.

Re: Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface for text or display

#24

Post by amaccuish »

archgoon wrote: post #15
2bitencryption wrote: post #3

This is so interesting. These modern sites clash really hard with my mental visual of "Government technology." And it led me to this, which is maybe even more interesting: https://federalist.18f.gov/

The USDS (US Digital Service) was born in the fire of the healthcare.gov fiasco, and several industry veterans from Google stepped in to fix the infrastructure issues they saw within the US Government. Currently, @Matt_Cutts is leading the org. I can only think that your comment brings a smile to his face.

Also inspired by the UK version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Digital_Service

Re: Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface for text or display

#25

Post by xenophonf »

floatingatoll wrote: post #14

Is it legal for the federal government to specify a font license other than “This is released into the public domain”? They automatically give up all copyright upon publication, which ought to exhaust any licensing terms.

How is the USWDS specifying a font license? It's a derivative work, so the license comes from upstream.

Re: Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface for text or display

#26

Post by Invictus0 »

optymizer wrote: post #22

The older I get, the more skeptical I become. Kudos to the author for releasing their project, it looks like a lot of effort went into it, so I hate to sound overly negative, but I just can't help wonder if there is a practical reason for the US government to develop its own font? Is Sans Serif Fonts the department where the US government can really make a difference, or is this just a designer who happened to get a…

Why bother having an architect of the Capitol, then? Why bother building government buildings out of stone when wood is cheaper? Appearances matter: would you want to do your taxes with Comic Sans?

Re: Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface for text or display

#27

Post by noir_lord »

archgoon wrote: post #15
2bitencryption wrote: post #3

This is so interesting. These modern sites clash really hard with my mental visual of "Government technology." And it led me to this, which is maybe even more interesting: https://federalist.18f.gov/

The USDS (US Digital Service) was born in the fire of the healthcare.gov fiasco, and several industry veterans from Google stepped in to fix the infrastructure issues they saw within the US Government. Currently, @Matt_Cutts is leading the org. I can only think that your comment brings a smile to his face.

IIRC the USDS is also in part based on GDS[1] who did (and continue to do) a really good job at dragging parts of the government kicking and screaming into the future.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-digit...

Re: Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface for text or display

#28

Post by saagarjha »

2bitencryption wrote: post #3

This is so interesting. These modern sites clash really hard with my mental visual of "Government technology." And it led me to this, which is maybe even more interesting: https://federalist.18f.gov/

18F is great and I hope they end up "fixing" all of the government's websites.

Re: Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface for text or display

#29

Post by draugadrotten »

flixic wrote: post #12

Fantastic font. I've long seen Helvetica (literally meaning "Swiss" with one added letter) used in official US forms, communication and the like. If this becomes the "US brand" and replaces Helvetica as a national font, it's a really great choice.

Is it just me or is the kerning in "typeface" a bit off? It looks like ty-peface. (Chrome,Mac)

Re: Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface for text or display

#30

Post by britta »

timdiggerm wrote: post #13
2bitencryption wrote: post #3

This is so interesting. These modern sites clash really hard with my mental visual of "Government technology." And it led me to this, which is maybe even more interesting: https://federalist.18f.gov/

If only the Forest Service sites could use their templates

The Forest Service worked with 18F on this Open Forest project to enable people to buy Christmas tree permits online, which uses United States Web Design System components: https://openforest.fs.usda.gov/christmas-trees/forests

You can learn more about that project here, including the open source code: https://18f.gsa.gov/what-we-deliver/forest-service/ - and a few blog posts about it: https://18f.gsa.gov/tags/forest-service/

Both that Forest Service project and Federalist run on cloud.gov, which is a Platform as a Service operated by 18F.

(I work for 18F but don't officially represent it here.)

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