Swiss Design: 5 Elements of Swiss Graphic Design

Swiss Design, also known as ​​the International Typographic Style or Swiss Style, is a type of graphic design characterized by minimalism, a block layout, and sans serif typefaces. The ethos of Swiss Design is to present information clearly and in a straightforward manner, making it a popular style for posters, signage, and web design.

Swiss Design developed in Switzerland in the twentieth century. It took inspiration from modernism trends in other countries, such as the geometric shapes of Constructivism and Suprematism in Russia, the notion of form following function in Bauhaus in Germany, and the simplicity of De Stijl in the Netherlands.

The Basel School of Design and Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich influenced several Swiss design pioneers, including:

• Ernst Keller: Ernst Keller is the father of the International Typographic Style. Keller, a designer and lithographer, taught at the School of Applied Arts in Zürich and later at Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich (now the Zürich University of the Arts.) Keller taught that content was more essential to design than the artist’s subjectivity.
• Josef Müller-Brockmann: Müller-Brockmann, once a student of Ernst Keller, was a graphic design professor at Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich. In 1936, he opened his own design firm, Müller-Brockmann & Co., best known for his Swiss poster designs featuring typography and photography. From 1958–1965, Müller-Brockmann edited Neue Grafik magazine, a review publication about Swiss design.
• Armin Hofmann: Hofmann began his career in 1947 as a teacher at the Basel School of Design, where he later served as the head of graphic design. Hofmann later taught at Yale University and was instrumental in bringing Swiss Design to the United States.
• Max Miedinger: Max Miedinger, along with collaborator Edouard Hoffman, designed the sans serif typeface Neue Haas Grotesk, later known as Helvetica, in the 1950s. This typeface has become synonymous with the Swiss Design movement.

Before Swiss graphic design, poster designs were intricate and an expression of the artist. Swiss design, on the other hand, favors design principles including clean lines, objectivity, and simplicity:

1. 1. Grid system: Swiss Design uses a mathematical grid for structuring information. This grid system balances and arranges images, text, and white space in a visual hierarchy.
2. 2. Layout: Swiss Design uses an asymmetric layout with text alignment flush left or ragged-right instead of center.
3. 3. Minimalist: Swiss Design is minimalist and simple, with few design elements to favor readability.
4. 4. Photographs: Swiss Design favors photos over illustrations.
5. 5. Typography: Swiss design typically features simple lettering with sans serif fonts, such as Helvetica, Akzidenz-Grotesk, and Univers.

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