Erik Spiekermann (born May 30 1947) is a German typographer and designer.

Spiekermann studied Art History at Berlin's Free University, funding himself by running a hot metal printing press in the basement of his house. Between 1972–1979 he worked as a freelance designer in London before returning to Berlin and founding MetaDesign with two partners. Although undergoing several reinventions and restarts, the company's client list now includes Adobe Systems, Apple Computer, Audi, Hewlett Packard, IBM and Nike, and comprises offices in Berlin, San Francisco and Zurich.

Notable works

Spiekermann designed the seminal Meta typeface (available at FontShop ), arguably the most popular digital typeface of the 1990s, and co-authored the classic treatise on modern typography, Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works. He has also participated in the creation of numerous corporate identities and other works. He is widely regarded as the father of modern digital typography.

Further reading

• MetaDesign: Design from the Word Up, Thames and Hudson, 1999
• Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works, Adobe Press, 1993

Also responsible for the redesign of the magazine, The Economist.

 * wonderful trimming of ascenders and descenders for the sake of managing information density.