In the end, my favorite number of all is the 2 in Akzidenz Grotesk Light. It looks like a swan that has a big neck. It doesn’t come back. American 2s always curve back. That one just has this big neck that ends short. Maybe the swan is a childish association, but to me it has this majestic “don’t touch me; leave me alone” quality, but still elegant. Swans aren’t cuddly. They’re bitches. But that’s what I like about the 2. It’s different. And it’s very difficult to do because you have this big white space, then it gets very black down there. You get some light into the top. It’s really a bitch, a total bitch to get that curve right so that it doesn’t fall over, so that it doesn’t sit on its ass. Designing a 2 or any number is always really difficult. But maybe that’s why I like them so much. -Erik Spiekermann, type designer I found this quote strangely hilarious. Oh, the joys of venturing into number design.
Pop-upView Separately

In the end, my favorite number of all is the 2 in Akzidenz Grotesk Light. It looks like a swan that has a big neck. It doesn’t come back. American 2s always curve back. That one just has this big neck that ends short. Maybe the swan is a childish association, but to me it has this majestic “don’t touch me; leave me alone” quality, but still elegant. Swans aren’t cuddly. They’re bitches. But that’s what I like about the 2. It’s different. And it’s very difficult to do because you have this big white space, then it gets very black down there. You get some light into the top. It’s really a bitch, a total bitch to get that curve right so that it doesn’t fall over, so that it doesn’t sit on its ass. Designing a 2 or any number is always really difficult.


But maybe that’s why I like them so much.


-Erik Spiekermann, type designer

I found this quote strangely hilarious. Oh, the joys of venturing into number design.

Source: designmind.frogdesign.com

2 Notes/ Hide

  1. zeroh posted this