Design Trends
• Graphic Design has been around long before
the computer…
SWISS STYLE
(International Typographic Style)
• The Swiss Style of Graphic Design, as its name
itself implies was developed in Switzerland
during the 1950’s and became popular
worldwide because of its precision, clarity,
readability and typography.
• It is also known as the International
Typographic Style. It became a new revolution
in the world of graphic design and was
instantly adopted by artists all over the world.
History and Background
This style originated in Russia, Germany and the Netherlands
during the 1920’s and it spread to Switzerland after the World
War II.
The world-class Swiss designers improvised this design and came
out with a new wave of graphic language. This was evident in not
only the posters, but also was prevalent in designing train tickets,
travel pamphlets, drug labels and even bank notes.
This style, otherwise known as, “Neue Grafik” encompassed a
formal discipline and had a profound impact on the world of
graphic design for the next three decades. It continues to inspire
graphic designers even today…
Some examples of Early Neue Grafik:
The Emergence of the Swiss Style
The Swiss Designers, The Grid and Loving White Space…
From The early Neue Grafik style posters, a group of Swiss Artists were inspired to
push the style further. This group of Artists/Designers included:
Josef Mueller-Brockmann, a teacher, artist, and designer who created the Grid
System and philosophy of using the grid to organize graphic elements
Armin Hoffmann
These designers were rebelling against the ornamentation and illustrative, dense
design that was the popular trend at the time. The Swiss deisgners went the
opposite direction
The Grid System, or Grids Are Good
Grid lines
Grid lines form the foundation for Swiss style design and they present a sense of
uniformity to the viewers. It serves as a framework for designers to organize their
information and make it more presentable to the viewers. When grids are used, it
gives a defined structure to the page and makes it easy to group related information.
It also gives an overall balance to the entire design and makes it appealing as well as
user-friendly.
The Grid System, or Grids Are Good
Grid lines
Grid lines form the foundation for Swiss style design and they present a sense of
uniformity to the viewers. It serves as a framework for designers to organize their
information and make it more presentable to the viewers. When grids are used, it
gives a defined structure to the page and makes it easy to group related information.
It also gives an overall balance to the entire design and makes it appealing as well as
user-friendly.
the SWISS STYLE
ELEMENTS
• CLEANLINESS
• READABILITY
• OBJECTIVITY
•
•
•
•
ASSYMETRICAL LAYOUTS
USE OF A GRID
SANS – SERIF TYPEFACE
FLUSH LEFT/RAGGED RIGHT TEXT
• PHOTOS IN PLACE OF ILLUSTRATIONS/DRAWINGS
• TYPOGRAPHY IS THE MAIN DESIGN ELEMENT
ARMIN HOFFMANN
Josef Mueller-Brockmann
Born: May 9, 1914,
Died: August 30, 1996,
Education: University of Zurich
Books: Grid Systems in Graphic Design,
Geschichte des Plakates
“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.”
http://www.thinkingform.com/2012/05/10/thinking-josef-muller-brockmann-05-09-1914/