The story of Puff began in 2021 with a found reference – a number 5 constructed from rounded rectangular modules. I decided to base it on a grid of 7 modules in height, which made it easy to create additional styles without much effort.

I decided to test this hypothesis by creating a Figma prototype with basic characters that could change stroke weight, character width, and oblique angle. Incidentally, it was the experiments with line weight that suggested the prototype's name – Shutters. However, after implementing the basic character set in Glyphs, I couldn't resolve what to do with the vertical metrics when changing line weight. The project was put on hold for a year, after which it went through two iterations: first, there was an attempt to release it in a single bold weight, and then, inspired by Gosha Antonenko's successful use of the font for the New Loop party, a complete redesign of the concept began in 2025.

The new version is based on a single basic module – a rectangle rounded almost to an oval. For creating long lines, a combination of two components connected by a rectangle is used, ensuring uniformity of roundings. An important change was the ability to overlay modules on top of each other, which expanded the possibilities for form creation. The spacing became more generous, and kerning groups were configured, allowing the font to work even at medium sizes.

During the redesign process, the character of the font transformed from retro-futuristic to more contemporary, resembling a rasterized sans serif with rounded corners. An interesting effect is created by the interaction of modules in different styles: in Regular, the dense overlay of modules creates a softer impression, while in Ultrawide, the spacing of elements emphasizes the modular structure, making the font more technological.

The main feature of Puff became the ability to control rhythm by adjusting the width of individual letters using the variability axis. This makes it an especially effective tool for posters and announcements, particularly for musical events. Meanwhile, its technological foundation and friendly character open up additional applications – from startup identities to product packaging.

As the font is distributed under the OFL license, I'm open to potential font modifications, as well as collaborations to expand the character set and potentially add an italic style in the future.