Re: [csswg-drafts] [css-fonts] system-ui-serif, system-ui-monospaced, and system-ui-rounded (#4107)

> If the use case is to adaptively mimic the OS look, ...

This is probably the most confusing part, but as I read more feedback and articles about `system-ui`, authors do not want to mimic the OS look. I thought they do too before, and I'm revising my understanding now.

The article [Using UI System Fonts In Web Design: A Quick Practical Guide](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/11/using-system-ui-fonts-practical-guide/) explains that the goal is:
1. Feel more like an app.
2. To draw clear lines between the content and user interface.
3. **To use modern, beautiful fonts with zero latency**.

and the emphasis on the item 3. It says using system UI fonts suffice this goal, namely Roboto, San Francisco, and Segoe.

Then this [github article](https://infinnie.github.io/blog/2017/systemui.html) explains that, it turns out that using the system font of the platform does not suffice these goals on older and/or CJK versions of Windows. They prefer Segoe or Arial over decades-old Tahoma or poorly rendered Chinese fonts, and that stopped using `system-ui`. And this isn't only github saying.

In my new understanding, authors want modern, beautiful UI fonts, rather than the actual system UI fonts of the platform. I think it's more similar to a UI version of `sans-serif` generic font family rather than a different version of `font: menu` keyword. Authors want to use `serif` or `sans-serif` for UI, rather than exactly the same font family, style, and size of `caption` or `status-bar` of the platform.

I'm looking into updating Blink's `system-ui` to reflect the feedback, and this proposal looks like a good extension to it.

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Received on Tuesday, 30 July 2019 13:59:18 UTC