SWISS STYLE STYLE INTERNATIONAL TYPOGRAPHY
SWISS “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove.” Antoine de SaintExupéry
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Swiss Style International Typography
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wiss Style, also known as International typography is a style that emerged from a desire to represent information objectively. It very quickly became a famous art movement and was developed by designers in Switzerland during the 1950s. Led by very talented Swiss graphic designers, such as Adrian Frutiger, Josef Müller-Brockmann, Armin Hofmann, Ernst Keller & Max Miedinger. This style in art, architecture and culture became an ‘international’ style after 1950’s. Despite that, people still refer to it as the Swiss Style or the Swiss Legacy.
Poster by Armin Hofmann
Works by Ernst Keller
This radical movement in graphic design paid keen attention to detail, precision, craft skills, system of education and technical training, a high standard of printing as well as a clear refined and inventive lettering and typography. Works by Max Miedinger
Poster by Josef Muller-Brockmann
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he majority of design pieces from the Swiss style movement were for posters, stamps, institutional typographical identity & street signs. As a result of that, the majority of Swiss Style artists main focal point was to convey an intended message in a clear, unobtrusive fashion. There is also an influence from the constructivism and minimalism art movements in the Swiss Style. Minimal design is about removing the unnecessary and emphasising the necessary which is clearly demonstrated in the clear and precise Swiss style posters and designs.
According to the Swiss movement, adding more elements to a design piece without exploring the potential of the fundamental ones was thought as a ‘waste’. Because the simple elements, like typography, have so much artistic potential, there was rarely a need for other visual elements.
Typography of this era used sansserif typefaces such as Akzidenz Grotesk and Helvetica. The Swiss style used these particular typefaces, because they were seen as non-expressive and unobtrusive to the design.
The Swiss style liked to use a strong contrast between different font sizes, not only to generate visual stimulation but also to provide strong hierarchy, thus being an effective way to guide the readers eye through the page.
“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.” Massimo Vignelli
Swiss style design also used of photographs instead of illustration and, most importantly, the use of a mathematical grid to determine the placement of design elements. The grid is a design element that has become so prevalent in design principles even until now.
Poster by Adrian Frutiger
Works by Josef Mullerbrockmann
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“The grid system is an aid, not a guarantee. It permits a number of possible uses and each designer can look for a solution appropriate to his personal style. But one must learn how to use the grid; it is an art that requires practice.” (Josef MüllerBrockmann)
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SWISS STYLE Posters by Josef Muller-Brockmann