Design failure: playing cards

An obsession with the typographically mean and tricky has resulted in this extravagantly illegible set of playing cards.













A photograph of the cards of this size is a good legibility test for the design. Where is the ten of diamonds?



















To expect any comprehension of any card's value at this distance would be unreasonable.




But how difficult is it to read the standard design in the same constrained conditions? Your immediate recognition of this image as the two of hearts was correct.

The designer, Jim Sutherland, claims to have 'solved 52 micro-design problems' with this set of playing cards. Incorrect: he has fixed 52 unbroken designs.