Intel’s commitment to accessibility and open-source initiatives led VML’s research team to discover that developer eye strain was a significant issue, with no typefaces specifically addressing it. To strengthen connections with the developer community, VML and Frere-Jones Type collaborated with low-vision and legally blind developers, focusing on legibility and gathering feedback to refine the design. By releasing the typeface as open-source on GitHub, Intel built trust with developers. The project resulted in many awards, positive feedback on inclusivity, reduced eye strain, improved coding accuracy and enhanced brand affinity, with many devs adopting it as their default coding typeface.

03 Case Video Intel One Mono VO
The Intel One Mono font is a game-changer in the world of digital typography. Designed for optimal readability on any screen, it marries form and function, setting a new standard for user interfaces. This innovation is not just about looks; it's about enhancing the way we interact with technology daily.

Intel Corporation

Intel is investing heavily in open-source initiatives and engaging developers to boost brand perception and increase interaction. Monospaced typefaces, crucial for developers, play a role in this strategy. In recent years, Intel has been viewed by many developers as a grandfather of technology, with newer competitors seen as more cutting-edge. To address this, Intel reaffirmed its commitment to the software engineering community. Through a series of initiatives, the company aims to rebuild credibility and solve unmet needs within the developer space, positioning itself as a key partner in fostering innovation and collaboration.

Research illuminated that, while a variety of typeface design projects have tackled issues of accessibility and legibility for general readers, none have explicitly attempted to improve legibility and tackle eyestrain for those who spend hours intensely focused on screen text and need it most: the developer community.

To ensure improved legibility, we designed the Intel One Mono typeface along with a panel of low-vision developers who were asked to use the typeface as their default coding tool and provide feedback at each round of design. Designing for the 1% improves everyone’s experience. Legibility isn’t only glyph design, but every component of a typeface’s context for the user. Character and word-shape differentiation, weight pairing contrasts and leading are some of the levers activated to achieve an effective result for the intensive coding experience of developers.

We made the typeface free and open-source, releasing it on GitHub, the most visited developer site, to gather input for future improvements. It’s also available on Intel.com. The release sparked debates about the design, especially the curly braces, but feedback from our low-vision and legally blind panel was key to design decisions. Post-release opinions focused on functionality. The font’s success is proof that beauty and harmony can’t solely define good design, and quantitative data was and continues to be invaluable to the process.

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2024 Fast Company Innovation Awards

2024 Fast Company Innovation Awards

Type Design


2024 Fast Company Innovation by Design

2024 Fast Company Innovation by Design

Accessible Design


Honorable Mention

2023 Cannes Lions

2023 Cannes Lions

Typography - Brand & Communications Design


Shortlist

2024 D&AD

2024 D&AD

Type Design & Lettering - Typeface Family


Shortlist

The Andy Awards

The Andy Awards

2024


Gold

2024 TDC Awards

2024 TDC Awards

Single Axis Type Family


Gold

2024 One Show

2024 One Show

Design For Good


Merit

2023 New York Festivals

2023 New York Festivals

Design - Product Design


Silver

TDC Awards

TDC Awards

2024


Gold

2024 The One Show Awards

2024 The One Show Awards

Design for Good


Merit Award

New York Festivals

New York Festivals

2024


Silver and Bronze

2023 New York Festivals

2023 New York Festivals

Hell's Kitchen - Product Design


Bronze