Hardworking typography

16 Mar 2025

Sometimes the internet feels like a dumpster fire but once in a while it feels like the pinnacle of human accomplishment. When I find a specific niche source of knowledge that piques my interest in just the right way it can be amazing. If you share my love of learning how things work, the technical details of design, or the history of technology I have a golden nugget for you. It’s a great reminder that consuming well crafted stories is a thousand times better than scrolling through endless cat videos.

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Marcin Wichary is a design director at Figma who you may know from Config 2024. He has crafted a beautifully written and illustrated article that goes deep into the history of a nameless font used on everything mechanical from elevators to typewriter keys. I recommend taking time to slowly absorb the essay, photos and interactive illustrations.

📖 Read now: The hardest working font in Manhattan