The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source

The story behind Inter (Interview)

Jul 19, 2021

Rasmus Andersson, a software creator renowned for his work on Playbit and the Inter typeface, shares his fascinating journey in technology. He discusses Playbit, a platform promoting playful learning and software sharing. The conversation dives into the creation of the Inter typeface, emphasizing its need for open-source accessibility and the artistic challenges involved. Rasmus reflects on the emotional connections fostered through open-source projects and the joy of pursuing personal interests in software development.

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ANECDOTE

Rasmus's Career Journey

Rasmus Andersson's career journey includes Spotify, Facebook, Dropbox, and Figma.
He prioritizes enjoying present work over pursuing specific career goals.

ANECDOTE

Joining Spotify

Rasmus joined Spotify after a chance encounter with Daniel Ek.
He left his design studio to work on the then-challenging Spotify project.

INSIGHT

Personal Scale Software

Modern software development overemphasizes scaling, neglecting personal-scale projects.
Playbit aims to revive the culture of small, quirky software like shareware.

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This week we’re talking to Rasmus Andersson about his journey as a software creator. We talk about the work he’s doing right now on Playbit, a computing environment which encourages playful learning, building, and sharing of software. We also talk about his work on the Inter typeface, as well as the reasons why this font family needed to be free and open source.

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Featuring:

Rasmus Andersson – Website, GitHub, X
Adam Stacoviak – Website, GitHub, LinkedIn, Mastodon, X
Jerod Santo – GitHub, LinkedIn, Mastodon, X

Show Notes:

Playbit - a computing environment which encourages playful learning, building & sharing of software.
The Inter typeface family + the project page on Rasmus’s site
Rasmus’s projects
shop.rsms.me
The Roboto family of fonts
InterFace from Dalton Maag
What notable logos are set in Helvetica or Helvetica Neue?

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!