The Typography Dojo is a place where we come together to explore the techniques in the practice of type and typography with training from design Sensei. Join us to learn from the masters.

For centuries, typography has shaped the way we ‘hear’ what we read. In our web work, though, we’ve had to balance our typographic desires with user experience and performance, knowing that every weight, width, or style of a typeface required a different file download. Variable fonts change that, as they include _every_ width, weight, slant, and other permutation of a typeface, all in a single file not much bigger than a regular font file. Now, beautiful web typography can be crafted to respond to screen size, language setting, even ambient light. In a detail-packed talk, Jason will show you not just how far the new capabilities can take us, but how to make use of them right away.

Jason Pamental is a long-time practitioner of web design and development, having first gotten involved with the industry in 1994. Over the years he has led projects ranging from Ivy League and High Tech to the NFL and America’s Cup from both creative and technical roles. His focus on digital strategy has been a natural outgrowth of that synthesis of technology and design. He puts this into practice running the team at Isovera, a Drupal-focused agency outside Boston, MA.

After years of having his love affair with type stymied by the likes of font tags, SIFR, and Cufon, the advent of @font-face and the launch of Typekit gave new life and avenues of exploration. Since 2010 he’s been researching and writing on typography for the web and digital platforms: he’s author of Responsive Typography from O’Reilly, articles for Net Magazine, PRINT Magazine, HOW, Typecast Blog, Fonts.com, and more. He’s also a frequent podcast guest, having appeared on The Web Ahead, Boagworld, Non-Breaking Space, and others. An experienced speaker and workshop leader, he has presented at dozens of national and international conferences on the subjects of web typography, responsive design, and design strategy & process.

Dojo: Variable Fonts with Jason Pamental