Swiss Design by Maine College of Art

Swiss Design

History and philosophy of the Swiss style

2 Swiss graphic design, also known as International style, arose in the 1950’s in Switzerland. This graphic design style focuses on clear, easily readable text and a rational, systematic layout. Like the rest of the International movement, it is economical and focuses on the function of the product while still being aesthetically pleasing. “Form follows function”— Focus on the function of a product first, and then make it beautiful. While Swiss design may seem minimal, for a piece to be successful with so few elements, everything about the image has to be thought through. The end result may be sparse or simple, but there was likely a good deal of analysis put into every aspect of what little is shown: the typeface, the size, the placement on the page, the margins, the line spacing, the ascenders, descenders, spacing between letters, spacing between lines of text. Everything is taken into consideration in order to make the text on a piece pleasing and easy to read.

Aside from being concerned about readability, the Swiss style of graphic design also sought to present its content in an objective manner without pretense. The role of the designer was to convey information as effectively as possible, with less of a focus on originality or eccentricity.

Left: Josef Müller-Brockmann, “Beethoven”, 1955. Text is organized with size difference to emphasize importance. Very clear and organized text in one area. The rest of the space is activated by the semicircles. No color used, simply a black and white composition.

The Grid System

The grid system was developed as a way to systemize the composition of an image. It usually entails breaking the picture plane into a grid, and using it as a guide to place text and image in an organized way. The grid system is useful for almost anything, from posters, to books and pamphlets. The formation of a grid depends on the content that is going to be presented, and the way in which the content will be used. One example is the creation of a book page. for a larger book, the designer may want to create a wider margin on the side of the page that will be bound because if it’s a thick book, then the page will bend and reading on the bent part of the page may be unpleasant or difficult. Depending on the needs of the designer, a grid may be simple or sophisticated. The grid system helps create an organized image, and may help in creating a hierarchy of importance of content. Considerations like this will help set the parameters for the working area of a page, and then that working area may be broken down into a suitable grid with which the placement of the content will be guided by. “There are various reasons for using the grid as an aid in the organization of text and illustration. Economic reasons: a problem can be solved in less time and at lower cost. Rational reasons: both simple and complex problems can be solved in a uniform and characteristic style. Mental attitude: the systematic presentation of facts, of sequences of events, and of solutions to problems should, for social and educational reasons, be a constructive contribution to the cultural state of society and an expression of our sense of responsibility.”

Josef Müller-Brockmann

Right: Armin Hoffman, “Basel Theater”, 1963. Good example of Swiss design because of the simple black/ white/red color scheme. The page has an underlying grid with 4 rows and 2 columns The image used is high contrast photography.

Sans-serif typefaces

6 The main typefaces used were Akzidenz Grotesk, Helvetica and Univers because of their clear, legible nature. Univers was created in 1954 by Adrian Frutiger, and Helvetica was developed in 1957 by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann. Sans-serif fonts were preferred because they bring the letter down to its bare essential, making the text clean and legible without flourish. In the words of Massimo Vignelli: “I don’t think that type should be expressive at all.

I can write the word ‘dog’ with any

typeface and it doesn’t have to look like a dog. But there are people that [think that] when they write ‘dog’ it should bark.”

Since the goal of Swiss design is clear and effective conveyance of information, the typography itself has to take a humble backseat to the content it is conveying. The typeface of Swiss design was prized for being unobstructive and neutral. When a person reads something, they are meant to read words, not to dote over ascenders or serifs. This clear readability has made Helvetica a popular font in things such as road signage, and even today is one of the most popular and well liked fonts. “Typography has one plain duty before it and that is to convey information in writing. No argument or consideration can absolve typography from this duty. A printed work which cannot be read becomes a product without purpose.” —Emil Ruder

Left: Josef Müller-Brockmann, “4 Junifestkonzert”, 1957. Very simple organization of text with use of size differences to establish hierarchies. Simple black/white/orange color palette with bars to activate space.

Limited color palette and photography

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove.” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

As with the use of simple, sans-serif typefaces,

Paul Rand, “Dancer on Orange Ground”, 1939. three color palette with simple geometric shapes and photography.

the color palette of Swiss design also reflects the idea of minimal embellishment to convey an idea. The use of photography in design was also popular, especially in terms of advertising products, because what better way is there to show a product than through a photograph of it? Abstract geometrical designs were also used during this period. For something other than type to be included in an image, that thing had to have a purpose, whether it be adding meaning to the image, depicting something relevant to the topic, or adding an element deemed necessary to the composition.

Left: Josef Müller-Brockmann, “Auto Club of Switzerland”, 1955. Simple use of color with an emphasis on the photography and text to convey message

Armin Hoffman, “Giselle”, 1959. Simple black and white image with high contrast photograph of subject used.

Bibliography Brockmann, Josef. Grid systems in graphic design: a visual communication manual for graphic designers, typographers, and three dimensional designers = Raster Systeme f端r die visuelle Gestaltung : ein Handbuch f端r Grafiker, Typografen, und Ausstellungsgestalter. Niederteufen: Verlag Arthur Niggli ;, 1981. Hollis, Richard. Swiss graphic design: the origins and growth of an international style, 1920-1965. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006. Ryan, David. Letter perfect: the art of modernist typography, 1896-1953. San Francisco: Pomegranate, 2001.

Akzidenz-Grotesk typeface designed by

Spring of 2013

G端nter Gerhard Lange in 1896