The Novelty of Numbers: Falcons introduce brand new number set
From early feedback to final design, the journey behind the Falcons' new number system.
Story by Tori McElhaney
Larry Luk considers himself a certified typography nerd. As the Atlanta Falcons' vice president of creative, he's always been drawn to the details, especially the written word and how it appears visually.
The way letters curve. The spacing between lines. And, in this case, the shape of numbers stitched across the back of a jersey seen by millions.
In early 2023, conversations began about tweaking the number set that had been part of the Falcons' uniforms since their introduction in 2020. One of the earliest pieces of feedback the organization received about those uniforms centered on the numbers, specifically, their legibility.
From broadcast booths, announcers noted that differentiating between the No. 1 and No. 7 could be difficult at times. Sometimes, feedback really is that simple.
That simplicity stuck with Luk, fueling the kind of daydreaming creatives often fall into.
"I started visualizing in my head what I wanted them to look like," Luk said.
For a while, that's where things stayed: floating in Luk's typography dreams. Still, the idea lingered.
"The opportunity to work on Falcons numbers," Luk said, "just wow, that's like the top of Mt. Rushmore for someone like myself."
That dream became reality a year later, in 2024, when the organization opted not just for tweaks, but a full uniform redesign.
And so, the experimentation began.
The first step: research.
"When you look at the zeitgeist of modern football uniforms, it's easy to take risks and do something that is very cool for 2026, but what is that going to look like in 2036 or 2046?" Luk said. "We wanted to ensure that we could stand the test of time and not feel stale after a few seasons."
Ideas stretched in multiple directions at first. Some pushed boundaries. Others leaned into tradition. But as the process unfolded, a clear consensus began to form, not just among designers, but across the organization.
"What we realized is we like this classic aesthetic," Luk explained. "It was something that was echoed from equipment, from leaders in the room, from marketing, from broadcast, from players. This needs to look and feel like football, forever."
At the same time, Luk emphasized, it also had to feel distinctly like Falcons football.
Looking back at the early concepts sent to Nike, Luk laughed.
"They were still a little bit out there," Luk said.
Nike's response was straightforward: when it comes to uniform numbers, sometimes less is more.
So, the team recalibrated, returning to the core of what makes a number readable, recognizable and — most importantly — enduring. The designs were stripped down, refined. They were brought, as Luk put it, "back down to earth."
That's when a familiar element found its way into the process.
The wing tip.
