Google, from last nights’s ICS event, describing their new font slash design philosophy Pronto:

Roboto has a dual nature. It has a mechanical skeleton and the forms are largely geometric. At the same time the font’s sweeping semi-circular curves give it a cheerful demeanor.

There is a lot of big, hyperbolic jumbled words in that paragraph. What exactly is Roboto? Let’s see if we can’t paraphrase that passage into something clearer.

Roboto has two characteristics. It is primarily a mechanical and geometric font. Thanks to it’s curved ligatures, it is also pleasing and youthful to the eye aesthetically and practically.

Still too much font-speak.

Roboto is a geometric and modern font, a design that is both stylized and practical.

Getting better, but this paraphrase is lacking in meaning.

Roboto is a font that attempts to maintain visual flair while remaining legible and useful.

Almost there…

Roboto is a font getting as close as possible to Helvetica Neue without having to be called Helvetica Neue.

Hmm…

Roboto has multiple personalities. It is edgy, techno and hip. It is also classic, understated and respectful.

One last one.

Roboto is Android’s way of being a little more like iOS.

I think that get’s to the heart of the matter.