Elite Designswiss style

Table of Contents

Swiss Design

Grid Systems

Reductive Nature

Negative Space

Geometric Shapes

Asymmetry

Photography

Color

Sans Serif

Master Designers

Ruder

Hofmann

Muumlller-Brockmann

Herdeg

Crouwel

Kepes

Swiss Today

Resources

Credits

4

7

9

11

13

15

17

19

21

22

25

27

29

31

33

35

36

38

41

Often referred to as the International Typographic Style or the International Style the style of design that originated in Switzerland in the 1940s and 50s was the basis of much of the development of graphic design during the mid 20th century Swiss style grew from the Bauhaus andwas a direct response to the atrocities of World War II Led by designers Josef Muumlller-Brockmann at the Zuumlrich School of Arts and Krafts and Armin Hofmann at the Basel School of Design the style favored simplicity legibility and objectivity

Of the many contributions to develop from the two schools were the use of sans serif typography grids and asymmetrical layouts Also stressed was the combination of typography and photography as a means of visual communication The primary influential works were developed as posters which were seen to be the most effective means of communication

Swiss Style

The grid creates a systematic and steady rule for placing objects The elements are placed on the cell borderlines Grids create a visual rhythm They make it easier and more pleasant for the eye to scan the objects on the page Designs that do not use a grid often tend to look unprofessional and cluttered

A grid is an aid for the designer not a goalby itself Therefore it is acceptable when some elements are deliberately not placed exactly in adherence to the grid to create a certain effect The grid simply creates some rhythm and guidance for the eye and is the foundation of any solid design

The grid shown on this spread is a visual example for how our images and text are placed within a grid to show uniformity

Grid S

ystems

Visual rhythm

Placement hierarchy

Structure Contrast

Variable columns rows

Gutters

6 x 12 Golden Grid

Principles

Application

ExamplesPeter Stuyvesant Collectie mdash Crouwel

Elisabeth Tudor mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Stadttheater mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

7

The highly modern reductive style associated with the Swiss design ethic owes its existence in large part to Josef Muumlller-Brockmann The Swiss reductive look was minimalistic and did not fill the entire workspace with text or imagery Form follows function was the motto of the Swiss This slogan was coined by American architect Louis Sullivan Walter Gropius believed that an objectrsquos design should be dominated by its function

Reductive N

atureLess is more

Form follows function

Minimalistic aesthetic

Backgrounds cropped from photos

Only necessary copy and images

Principles

Application

Examples

9

Lecturis mdash Crouwel

Alchinsky mdash Crouwel

Beethoven mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Negative S

paceLess is more

Reduction

Spatial hierarchy

Space without images or texts

Breathing room for images and text

Asymmetry

Principles

Application

Examples

11

Leesbaarheid mdash Couwel

Hiroshima mdash Crouwel

Die Deue Haas Grotesk mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Negative space was used effectively by Swiss designers in drastic ways that had never been done before The minimalistic idea of ldquoless is morerdquo was incorporated into every aspect of their design Negative space was necessary to achieve the ldquoSwissrdquo look

The use of geometric shapes is one of the most important changes that came from Swiss Style Before Swiss Style designers relied on highly representational illustrations to portray the meaning behind their works In order for Swiss designers to rid design of the excess they stripped images down into their most basic forms Swiss designers were masters at using geometric figures to convey meanings emotions and ideas

Geom

etric Shapes

Simplicity

Form follows function

Repetition

Triangles

Perfect circles

Squares

Angles

Principles

Application

Examples

13

BBVG mdash Crouwel

Musica Viva mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Juni-Festwochen Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Swiss Design is also known for their use of asymmetrical layouts Simply stated if a design were to be folded in half each of the halves would not be equal in either visual aspects or balance By default when any given item is asymmetrical everything gravitates towards the greater side

When asymmetry is applied to graphic design andor typography the viewer will automatically focus on the most prevalent side of the layout The use of this strategy can make the difference between a quick glance and a lasting impression

Asym

metry

Direct focus

Visually dynamic

Diagonals

Designs heavy to left right top or bottom

Stray from left to right tradition

Principles

Application

Examples

15

Collectie Bo Boustedt mdash Crouwel

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Kinderspel mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

PhotographyOne important part of the Swiss Style is its

remarkable use of photography Photography was used in place of illustrations and was a better way to show reality Swiss designers dedicated a large portion of their imagery to photography Black and white photos were used to give compositions more contrast and depth which improved the aesthetic of and brought a unique versatility to the design

Add contrast to composition

Alternative to illustration

Black and white imagery

Backgrounds cropped out

Asymmetrical placement of photos

Principles

Application

Examples

17

Giselle mdash Hofmann

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Hofmann

Readfahrer-Achtung mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

19

Color

Swiss design is known for its limited color palette Many designs utilized the power palette consisting of black white and red Typically if any other color was used it was a primary color and it was often used to make a point or define hierarchy Gradients were done away with were replaced with blocks of varying shades of that color

Hierarchy

Conceptual colors

Primary colors

Power palette

Max 3-color palette

Principles

Application

ExamplesPackaging mdash Crouwel

Faculty-Student Exchange mdash Hofmann

Eroumlffnung der Spielzeit mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Sans S

erifUniversal

Politically neutral

Simplicity

Progressive

Sans serif type

Condensed type

Drastic size weight contrast

Principles

Application

Examples

21

Hnwerkman mdash Crouwel

Hussem en Bouthoorn mdash Crouwel

The Amsterdam Public Library mdash Crouwel

In addition to ridding images of their ornate details Swiss designers rid type of its ornamentation as well Sans serif automatically made serif typefaces feel outdated and overused

Designers used sans serif type for everything from header text to body copy They preferred the clean structured feel that typefaces suchas Azkidenz-Grotesque Helvetica and Univers gave to a design Sans serif was seen as a progressive typeface that embodied the clear simplistic and universal ideals of the swiss style

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Table of Contents

Swiss Design

Grid Systems

Reductive Nature

Negative Space

Geometric Shapes

Asymmetry

Photography

Color

Sans Serif

Master Designers

Ruder

Hofmann

Muumlller-Brockmann

Herdeg

Crouwel

Kepes

Swiss Today

Resources

Credits

4

7

9

11

13

15

17

19

21

22

25

27

29

31

33

35

36

38

41

Often referred to as the International Typographic Style or the International Style the style of design that originated in Switzerland in the 1940s and 50s was the basis of much of the development of graphic design during the mid 20th century Swiss style grew from the Bauhaus andwas a direct response to the atrocities of World War II Led by designers Josef Muumlller-Brockmann at the Zuumlrich School of Arts and Krafts and Armin Hofmann at the Basel School of Design the style favored simplicity legibility and objectivity

Of the many contributions to develop from the two schools were the use of sans serif typography grids and asymmetrical layouts Also stressed was the combination of typography and photography as a means of visual communication The primary influential works were developed as posters which were seen to be the most effective means of communication

Swiss Style

The grid creates a systematic and steady rule for placing objects The elements are placed on the cell borderlines Grids create a visual rhythm They make it easier and more pleasant for the eye to scan the objects on the page Designs that do not use a grid often tend to look unprofessional and cluttered

A grid is an aid for the designer not a goalby itself Therefore it is acceptable when some elements are deliberately not placed exactly in adherence to the grid to create a certain effect The grid simply creates some rhythm and guidance for the eye and is the foundation of any solid design

The grid shown on this spread is a visual example for how our images and text are placed within a grid to show uniformity

Grid S

ystems

Visual rhythm

Placement hierarchy

Structure Contrast

Variable columns rows

Gutters

6 x 12 Golden Grid

Principles

Application

ExamplesPeter Stuyvesant Collectie mdash Crouwel

Elisabeth Tudor mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Stadttheater mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

7

The highly modern reductive style associated with the Swiss design ethic owes its existence in large part to Josef Muumlller-Brockmann The Swiss reductive look was minimalistic and did not fill the entire workspace with text or imagery Form follows function was the motto of the Swiss This slogan was coined by American architect Louis Sullivan Walter Gropius believed that an objectrsquos design should be dominated by its function

Reductive N

atureLess is more

Form follows function

Minimalistic aesthetic

Backgrounds cropped from photos

Only necessary copy and images

Principles

Application

Examples

9

Lecturis mdash Crouwel

Alchinsky mdash Crouwel

Beethoven mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Negative S

paceLess is more

Reduction

Spatial hierarchy

Space without images or texts

Breathing room for images and text

Asymmetry

Principles

Application

Examples

11

Leesbaarheid mdash Couwel

Hiroshima mdash Crouwel

Die Deue Haas Grotesk mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Negative space was used effectively by Swiss designers in drastic ways that had never been done before The minimalistic idea of ldquoless is morerdquo was incorporated into every aspect of their design Negative space was necessary to achieve the ldquoSwissrdquo look

The use of geometric shapes is one of the most important changes that came from Swiss Style Before Swiss Style designers relied on highly representational illustrations to portray the meaning behind their works In order for Swiss designers to rid design of the excess they stripped images down into their most basic forms Swiss designers were masters at using geometric figures to convey meanings emotions and ideas

Geom

etric Shapes

Simplicity

Form follows function

Repetition

Triangles

Perfect circles

Squares

Angles

Principles

Application

Examples

13

BBVG mdash Crouwel

Musica Viva mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Juni-Festwochen Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Swiss Design is also known for their use of asymmetrical layouts Simply stated if a design were to be folded in half each of the halves would not be equal in either visual aspects or balance By default when any given item is asymmetrical everything gravitates towards the greater side

When asymmetry is applied to graphic design andor typography the viewer will automatically focus on the most prevalent side of the layout The use of this strategy can make the difference between a quick glance and a lasting impression

Asym

metry

Direct focus

Visually dynamic

Diagonals

Designs heavy to left right top or bottom

Stray from left to right tradition

Principles

Application

Examples

15

Collectie Bo Boustedt mdash Crouwel

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Kinderspel mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

PhotographyOne important part of the Swiss Style is its

remarkable use of photography Photography was used in place of illustrations and was a better way to show reality Swiss designers dedicated a large portion of their imagery to photography Black and white photos were used to give compositions more contrast and depth which improved the aesthetic of and brought a unique versatility to the design

Add contrast to composition

Alternative to illustration

Black and white imagery

Backgrounds cropped out

Asymmetrical placement of photos

Principles

Application

Examples

17

Giselle mdash Hofmann

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Hofmann

Readfahrer-Achtung mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

19

Color

Swiss design is known for its limited color palette Many designs utilized the power palette consisting of black white and red Typically if any other color was used it was a primary color and it was often used to make a point or define hierarchy Gradients were done away with were replaced with blocks of varying shades of that color

Hierarchy

Conceptual colors

Primary colors

Power palette

Max 3-color palette

Principles

Application

ExamplesPackaging mdash Crouwel

Faculty-Student Exchange mdash Hofmann

Eroumlffnung der Spielzeit mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Sans S

erifUniversal

Politically neutral

Simplicity

Progressive

Sans serif type

Condensed type

Drastic size weight contrast

Principles

Application

Examples

21

Hnwerkman mdash Crouwel

Hussem en Bouthoorn mdash Crouwel

The Amsterdam Public Library mdash Crouwel

In addition to ridding images of their ornate details Swiss designers rid type of its ornamentation as well Sans serif automatically made serif typefaces feel outdated and overused

Designers used sans serif type for everything from header text to body copy They preferred the clean structured feel that typefaces suchas Azkidenz-Grotesque Helvetica and Univers gave to a design Sans serif was seen as a progressive typeface that embodied the clear simplistic and universal ideals of the swiss style

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Often referred to as the International Typographic Style or the International Style the style of design that originated in Switzerland in the 1940s and 50s was the basis of much of the development of graphic design during the mid 20th century Swiss style grew from the Bauhaus andwas a direct response to the atrocities of World War II Led by designers Josef Muumlller-Brockmann at the Zuumlrich School of Arts and Krafts and Armin Hofmann at the Basel School of Design the style favored simplicity legibility and objectivity

Of the many contributions to develop from the two schools were the use of sans serif typography grids and asymmetrical layouts Also stressed was the combination of typography and photography as a means of visual communication The primary influential works were developed as posters which were seen to be the most effective means of communication

Swiss Style

The grid creates a systematic and steady rule for placing objects The elements are placed on the cell borderlines Grids create a visual rhythm They make it easier and more pleasant for the eye to scan the objects on the page Designs that do not use a grid often tend to look unprofessional and cluttered

A grid is an aid for the designer not a goalby itself Therefore it is acceptable when some elements are deliberately not placed exactly in adherence to the grid to create a certain effect The grid simply creates some rhythm and guidance for the eye and is the foundation of any solid design

The grid shown on this spread is a visual example for how our images and text are placed within a grid to show uniformity

Grid S

ystems

Visual rhythm

Placement hierarchy

Structure Contrast

Variable columns rows

Gutters

6 x 12 Golden Grid

Principles

Application

ExamplesPeter Stuyvesant Collectie mdash Crouwel

Elisabeth Tudor mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Stadttheater mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

7

The highly modern reductive style associated with the Swiss design ethic owes its existence in large part to Josef Muumlller-Brockmann The Swiss reductive look was minimalistic and did not fill the entire workspace with text or imagery Form follows function was the motto of the Swiss This slogan was coined by American architect Louis Sullivan Walter Gropius believed that an objectrsquos design should be dominated by its function

Reductive N

atureLess is more

Form follows function

Minimalistic aesthetic

Backgrounds cropped from photos

Only necessary copy and images

Principles

Application

Examples

9

Lecturis mdash Crouwel

Alchinsky mdash Crouwel

Beethoven mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Negative S

paceLess is more

Reduction

Spatial hierarchy

Space without images or texts

Breathing room for images and text

Asymmetry

Principles

Application

Examples

11

Leesbaarheid mdash Couwel

Hiroshima mdash Crouwel

Die Deue Haas Grotesk mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Negative space was used effectively by Swiss designers in drastic ways that had never been done before The minimalistic idea of ldquoless is morerdquo was incorporated into every aspect of their design Negative space was necessary to achieve the ldquoSwissrdquo look

The use of geometric shapes is one of the most important changes that came from Swiss Style Before Swiss Style designers relied on highly representational illustrations to portray the meaning behind their works In order for Swiss designers to rid design of the excess they stripped images down into their most basic forms Swiss designers were masters at using geometric figures to convey meanings emotions and ideas

Geom

etric Shapes

Simplicity

Form follows function

Repetition

Triangles

Perfect circles

Squares

Angles

Principles

Application

Examples

13

BBVG mdash Crouwel

Musica Viva mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Juni-Festwochen Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Swiss Design is also known for their use of asymmetrical layouts Simply stated if a design were to be folded in half each of the halves would not be equal in either visual aspects or balance By default when any given item is asymmetrical everything gravitates towards the greater side

When asymmetry is applied to graphic design andor typography the viewer will automatically focus on the most prevalent side of the layout The use of this strategy can make the difference between a quick glance and a lasting impression

Asym

metry

Direct focus

Visually dynamic

Diagonals

Designs heavy to left right top or bottom

Stray from left to right tradition

Principles

Application

Examples

15

Collectie Bo Boustedt mdash Crouwel

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Kinderspel mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

PhotographyOne important part of the Swiss Style is its

remarkable use of photography Photography was used in place of illustrations and was a better way to show reality Swiss designers dedicated a large portion of their imagery to photography Black and white photos were used to give compositions more contrast and depth which improved the aesthetic of and brought a unique versatility to the design

Add contrast to composition

Alternative to illustration

Black and white imagery

Backgrounds cropped out

Asymmetrical placement of photos

Principles

Application

Examples

17

Giselle mdash Hofmann

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Hofmann

Readfahrer-Achtung mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

19

Color

Swiss design is known for its limited color palette Many designs utilized the power palette consisting of black white and red Typically if any other color was used it was a primary color and it was often used to make a point or define hierarchy Gradients were done away with were replaced with blocks of varying shades of that color

Hierarchy

Conceptual colors

Primary colors

Power palette

Max 3-color palette

Principles

Application

ExamplesPackaging mdash Crouwel

Faculty-Student Exchange mdash Hofmann

Eroumlffnung der Spielzeit mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Sans S

erifUniversal

Politically neutral

Simplicity

Progressive

Sans serif type

Condensed type

Drastic size weight contrast

Principles

Application

Examples

21

Hnwerkman mdash Crouwel

Hussem en Bouthoorn mdash Crouwel

The Amsterdam Public Library mdash Crouwel

In addition to ridding images of their ornate details Swiss designers rid type of its ornamentation as well Sans serif automatically made serif typefaces feel outdated and overused

Designers used sans serif type for everything from header text to body copy They preferred the clean structured feel that typefaces suchas Azkidenz-Grotesque Helvetica and Univers gave to a design Sans serif was seen as a progressive typeface that embodied the clear simplistic and universal ideals of the swiss style

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

The grid creates a systematic and steady rule for placing objects The elements are placed on the cell borderlines Grids create a visual rhythm They make it easier and more pleasant for the eye to scan the objects on the page Designs that do not use a grid often tend to look unprofessional and cluttered

A grid is an aid for the designer not a goalby itself Therefore it is acceptable when some elements are deliberately not placed exactly in adherence to the grid to create a certain effect The grid simply creates some rhythm and guidance for the eye and is the foundation of any solid design

The grid shown on this spread is a visual example for how our images and text are placed within a grid to show uniformity

Grid S

ystems

Visual rhythm

Placement hierarchy

Structure Contrast

Variable columns rows

Gutters

6 x 12 Golden Grid

Principles

Application

ExamplesPeter Stuyvesant Collectie mdash Crouwel

Elisabeth Tudor mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Stadttheater mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

7

The highly modern reductive style associated with the Swiss design ethic owes its existence in large part to Josef Muumlller-Brockmann The Swiss reductive look was minimalistic and did not fill the entire workspace with text or imagery Form follows function was the motto of the Swiss This slogan was coined by American architect Louis Sullivan Walter Gropius believed that an objectrsquos design should be dominated by its function

Reductive N

atureLess is more

Form follows function

Minimalistic aesthetic

Backgrounds cropped from photos

Only necessary copy and images

Principles

Application

Examples

9

Lecturis mdash Crouwel

Alchinsky mdash Crouwel

Beethoven mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Negative S

paceLess is more

Reduction

Spatial hierarchy

Space without images or texts

Breathing room for images and text

Asymmetry

Principles

Application

Examples

11

Leesbaarheid mdash Couwel

Hiroshima mdash Crouwel

Die Deue Haas Grotesk mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Negative space was used effectively by Swiss designers in drastic ways that had never been done before The minimalistic idea of ldquoless is morerdquo was incorporated into every aspect of their design Negative space was necessary to achieve the ldquoSwissrdquo look

The use of geometric shapes is one of the most important changes that came from Swiss Style Before Swiss Style designers relied on highly representational illustrations to portray the meaning behind their works In order for Swiss designers to rid design of the excess they stripped images down into their most basic forms Swiss designers were masters at using geometric figures to convey meanings emotions and ideas

Geom

etric Shapes

Simplicity

Form follows function

Repetition

Triangles

Perfect circles

Squares

Angles

Principles

Application

Examples

13

BBVG mdash Crouwel

Musica Viva mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Juni-Festwochen Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Swiss Design is also known for their use of asymmetrical layouts Simply stated if a design were to be folded in half each of the halves would not be equal in either visual aspects or balance By default when any given item is asymmetrical everything gravitates towards the greater side

When asymmetry is applied to graphic design andor typography the viewer will automatically focus on the most prevalent side of the layout The use of this strategy can make the difference between a quick glance and a lasting impression

Asym

metry

Direct focus

Visually dynamic

Diagonals

Designs heavy to left right top or bottom

Stray from left to right tradition

Principles

Application

Examples

15

Collectie Bo Boustedt mdash Crouwel

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Kinderspel mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

PhotographyOne important part of the Swiss Style is its

remarkable use of photography Photography was used in place of illustrations and was a better way to show reality Swiss designers dedicated a large portion of their imagery to photography Black and white photos were used to give compositions more contrast and depth which improved the aesthetic of and brought a unique versatility to the design

Add contrast to composition

Alternative to illustration

Black and white imagery

Backgrounds cropped out

Asymmetrical placement of photos

Principles

Application

Examples

17

Giselle mdash Hofmann

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Hofmann

Readfahrer-Achtung mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

19

Color

Swiss design is known for its limited color palette Many designs utilized the power palette consisting of black white and red Typically if any other color was used it was a primary color and it was often used to make a point or define hierarchy Gradients were done away with were replaced with blocks of varying shades of that color

Hierarchy

Conceptual colors

Primary colors

Power palette

Max 3-color palette

Principles

Application

ExamplesPackaging mdash Crouwel

Faculty-Student Exchange mdash Hofmann

Eroumlffnung der Spielzeit mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Sans S

erifUniversal

Politically neutral

Simplicity

Progressive

Sans serif type

Condensed type

Drastic size weight contrast

Principles

Application

Examples

21

Hnwerkman mdash Crouwel

Hussem en Bouthoorn mdash Crouwel

The Amsterdam Public Library mdash Crouwel

In addition to ridding images of their ornate details Swiss designers rid type of its ornamentation as well Sans serif automatically made serif typefaces feel outdated and overused

Designers used sans serif type for everything from header text to body copy They preferred the clean structured feel that typefaces suchas Azkidenz-Grotesque Helvetica and Univers gave to a design Sans serif was seen as a progressive typeface that embodied the clear simplistic and universal ideals of the swiss style

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

The highly modern reductive style associated with the Swiss design ethic owes its existence in large part to Josef Muumlller-Brockmann The Swiss reductive look was minimalistic and did not fill the entire workspace with text or imagery Form follows function was the motto of the Swiss This slogan was coined by American architect Louis Sullivan Walter Gropius believed that an objectrsquos design should be dominated by its function

Reductive N

atureLess is more

Form follows function

Minimalistic aesthetic

Backgrounds cropped from photos

Only necessary copy and images

Principles

Application

Examples

9

Lecturis mdash Crouwel

Alchinsky mdash Crouwel

Beethoven mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Negative S

paceLess is more

Reduction

Spatial hierarchy

Space without images or texts

Breathing room for images and text

Asymmetry

Principles

Application

Examples

11

Leesbaarheid mdash Couwel

Hiroshima mdash Crouwel

Die Deue Haas Grotesk mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Negative space was used effectively by Swiss designers in drastic ways that had never been done before The minimalistic idea of ldquoless is morerdquo was incorporated into every aspect of their design Negative space was necessary to achieve the ldquoSwissrdquo look

The use of geometric shapes is one of the most important changes that came from Swiss Style Before Swiss Style designers relied on highly representational illustrations to portray the meaning behind their works In order for Swiss designers to rid design of the excess they stripped images down into their most basic forms Swiss designers were masters at using geometric figures to convey meanings emotions and ideas

Geom

etric Shapes

Simplicity

Form follows function

Repetition

Triangles

Perfect circles

Squares

Angles

Principles

Application

Examples

13

BBVG mdash Crouwel

Musica Viva mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Juni-Festwochen Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Swiss Design is also known for their use of asymmetrical layouts Simply stated if a design were to be folded in half each of the halves would not be equal in either visual aspects or balance By default when any given item is asymmetrical everything gravitates towards the greater side

When asymmetry is applied to graphic design andor typography the viewer will automatically focus on the most prevalent side of the layout The use of this strategy can make the difference between a quick glance and a lasting impression

Asym

metry

Direct focus

Visually dynamic

Diagonals

Designs heavy to left right top or bottom

Stray from left to right tradition

Principles

Application

Examples

15

Collectie Bo Boustedt mdash Crouwel

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Kinderspel mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

PhotographyOne important part of the Swiss Style is its

remarkable use of photography Photography was used in place of illustrations and was a better way to show reality Swiss designers dedicated a large portion of their imagery to photography Black and white photos were used to give compositions more contrast and depth which improved the aesthetic of and brought a unique versatility to the design

Add contrast to composition

Alternative to illustration

Black and white imagery

Backgrounds cropped out

Asymmetrical placement of photos

Principles

Application

Examples

17

Giselle mdash Hofmann

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Hofmann

Readfahrer-Achtung mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

19

Color

Swiss design is known for its limited color palette Many designs utilized the power palette consisting of black white and red Typically if any other color was used it was a primary color and it was often used to make a point or define hierarchy Gradients were done away with were replaced with blocks of varying shades of that color

Hierarchy

Conceptual colors

Primary colors

Power palette

Max 3-color palette

Principles

Application

ExamplesPackaging mdash Crouwel

Faculty-Student Exchange mdash Hofmann

Eroumlffnung der Spielzeit mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Sans S

erifUniversal

Politically neutral

Simplicity

Progressive

Sans serif type

Condensed type

Drastic size weight contrast

Principles

Application

Examples

21

Hnwerkman mdash Crouwel

Hussem en Bouthoorn mdash Crouwel

The Amsterdam Public Library mdash Crouwel

In addition to ridding images of their ornate details Swiss designers rid type of its ornamentation as well Sans serif automatically made serif typefaces feel outdated and overused

Designers used sans serif type for everything from header text to body copy They preferred the clean structured feel that typefaces suchas Azkidenz-Grotesque Helvetica and Univers gave to a design Sans serif was seen as a progressive typeface that embodied the clear simplistic and universal ideals of the swiss style

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Negative S

paceLess is more

Reduction

Spatial hierarchy

Space without images or texts

Breathing room for images and text

Asymmetry

Principles

Application

Examples

11

Leesbaarheid mdash Couwel

Hiroshima mdash Crouwel

Die Deue Haas Grotesk mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Negative space was used effectively by Swiss designers in drastic ways that had never been done before The minimalistic idea of ldquoless is morerdquo was incorporated into every aspect of their design Negative space was necessary to achieve the ldquoSwissrdquo look

The use of geometric shapes is one of the most important changes that came from Swiss Style Before Swiss Style designers relied on highly representational illustrations to portray the meaning behind their works In order for Swiss designers to rid design of the excess they stripped images down into their most basic forms Swiss designers were masters at using geometric figures to convey meanings emotions and ideas

Geom

etric Shapes

Simplicity

Form follows function

Repetition

Triangles

Perfect circles

Squares

Angles

Principles

Application

Examples

13

BBVG mdash Crouwel

Musica Viva mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Juni-Festwochen Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Swiss Design is also known for their use of asymmetrical layouts Simply stated if a design were to be folded in half each of the halves would not be equal in either visual aspects or balance By default when any given item is asymmetrical everything gravitates towards the greater side

When asymmetry is applied to graphic design andor typography the viewer will automatically focus on the most prevalent side of the layout The use of this strategy can make the difference between a quick glance and a lasting impression

Asym

metry

Direct focus

Visually dynamic

Diagonals

Designs heavy to left right top or bottom

Stray from left to right tradition

Principles

Application

Examples

15

Collectie Bo Boustedt mdash Crouwel

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Kinderspel mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

PhotographyOne important part of the Swiss Style is its

remarkable use of photography Photography was used in place of illustrations and was a better way to show reality Swiss designers dedicated a large portion of their imagery to photography Black and white photos were used to give compositions more contrast and depth which improved the aesthetic of and brought a unique versatility to the design

Add contrast to composition

Alternative to illustration

Black and white imagery

Backgrounds cropped out

Asymmetrical placement of photos

Principles

Application

Examples

17

Giselle mdash Hofmann

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Hofmann

Readfahrer-Achtung mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

19

Color

Swiss design is known for its limited color palette Many designs utilized the power palette consisting of black white and red Typically if any other color was used it was a primary color and it was often used to make a point or define hierarchy Gradients were done away with were replaced with blocks of varying shades of that color

Hierarchy

Conceptual colors

Primary colors

Power palette

Max 3-color palette

Principles

Application

ExamplesPackaging mdash Crouwel

Faculty-Student Exchange mdash Hofmann

Eroumlffnung der Spielzeit mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Sans S

erifUniversal

Politically neutral

Simplicity

Progressive

Sans serif type

Condensed type

Drastic size weight contrast

Principles

Application

Examples

21

Hnwerkman mdash Crouwel

Hussem en Bouthoorn mdash Crouwel

The Amsterdam Public Library mdash Crouwel

In addition to ridding images of their ornate details Swiss designers rid type of its ornamentation as well Sans serif automatically made serif typefaces feel outdated and overused

Designers used sans serif type for everything from header text to body copy They preferred the clean structured feel that typefaces suchas Azkidenz-Grotesque Helvetica and Univers gave to a design Sans serif was seen as a progressive typeface that embodied the clear simplistic and universal ideals of the swiss style

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

The use of geometric shapes is one of the most important changes that came from Swiss Style Before Swiss Style designers relied on highly representational illustrations to portray the meaning behind their works In order for Swiss designers to rid design of the excess they stripped images down into their most basic forms Swiss designers were masters at using geometric figures to convey meanings emotions and ideas

Geom

etric Shapes

Simplicity

Form follows function

Repetition

Triangles

Perfect circles

Squares

Angles

Principles

Application

Examples

13

BBVG mdash Crouwel

Musica Viva mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Juni-Festwochen Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Swiss Design is also known for their use of asymmetrical layouts Simply stated if a design were to be folded in half each of the halves would not be equal in either visual aspects or balance By default when any given item is asymmetrical everything gravitates towards the greater side

When asymmetry is applied to graphic design andor typography the viewer will automatically focus on the most prevalent side of the layout The use of this strategy can make the difference between a quick glance and a lasting impression

Asym

metry

Direct focus

Visually dynamic

Diagonals

Designs heavy to left right top or bottom

Stray from left to right tradition

Principles

Application

Examples

15

Collectie Bo Boustedt mdash Crouwel

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Kinderspel mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

PhotographyOne important part of the Swiss Style is its

remarkable use of photography Photography was used in place of illustrations and was a better way to show reality Swiss designers dedicated a large portion of their imagery to photography Black and white photos were used to give compositions more contrast and depth which improved the aesthetic of and brought a unique versatility to the design

Add contrast to composition

Alternative to illustration

Black and white imagery

Backgrounds cropped out

Asymmetrical placement of photos

Principles

Application

Examples

17

Giselle mdash Hofmann

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Hofmann

Readfahrer-Achtung mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

19

Color

Swiss design is known for its limited color palette Many designs utilized the power palette consisting of black white and red Typically if any other color was used it was a primary color and it was often used to make a point or define hierarchy Gradients were done away with were replaced with blocks of varying shades of that color

Hierarchy

Conceptual colors

Primary colors

Power palette

Max 3-color palette

Principles

Application

ExamplesPackaging mdash Crouwel

Faculty-Student Exchange mdash Hofmann

Eroumlffnung der Spielzeit mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Sans S

erifUniversal

Politically neutral

Simplicity

Progressive

Sans serif type

Condensed type

Drastic size weight contrast

Principles

Application

Examples

21

Hnwerkman mdash Crouwel

Hussem en Bouthoorn mdash Crouwel

The Amsterdam Public Library mdash Crouwel

In addition to ridding images of their ornate details Swiss designers rid type of its ornamentation as well Sans serif automatically made serif typefaces feel outdated and overused

Designers used sans serif type for everything from header text to body copy They preferred the clean structured feel that typefaces suchas Azkidenz-Grotesque Helvetica and Univers gave to a design Sans serif was seen as a progressive typeface that embodied the clear simplistic and universal ideals of the swiss style

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Swiss Design is also known for their use of asymmetrical layouts Simply stated if a design were to be folded in half each of the halves would not be equal in either visual aspects or balance By default when any given item is asymmetrical everything gravitates towards the greater side

When asymmetry is applied to graphic design andor typography the viewer will automatically focus on the most prevalent side of the layout The use of this strategy can make the difference between a quick glance and a lasting impression

Asym

metry

Direct focus

Visually dynamic

Diagonals

Designs heavy to left right top or bottom

Stray from left to right tradition

Principles

Application

Examples

15

Collectie Bo Boustedt mdash Crouwel

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Kinderspel mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

PhotographyOne important part of the Swiss Style is its

remarkable use of photography Photography was used in place of illustrations and was a better way to show reality Swiss designers dedicated a large portion of their imagery to photography Black and white photos were used to give compositions more contrast and depth which improved the aesthetic of and brought a unique versatility to the design

Add contrast to composition

Alternative to illustration

Black and white imagery

Backgrounds cropped out

Asymmetrical placement of photos

Principles

Application

Examples

17

Giselle mdash Hofmann

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Hofmann

Readfahrer-Achtung mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

19

Color

Swiss design is known for its limited color palette Many designs utilized the power palette consisting of black white and red Typically if any other color was used it was a primary color and it was often used to make a point or define hierarchy Gradients were done away with were replaced with blocks of varying shades of that color

Hierarchy

Conceptual colors

Primary colors

Power palette

Max 3-color palette

Principles

Application

ExamplesPackaging mdash Crouwel

Faculty-Student Exchange mdash Hofmann

Eroumlffnung der Spielzeit mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Sans S

erifUniversal

Politically neutral

Simplicity

Progressive

Sans serif type

Condensed type

Drastic size weight contrast

Principles

Application

Examples

21

Hnwerkman mdash Crouwel

Hussem en Bouthoorn mdash Crouwel

The Amsterdam Public Library mdash Crouwel

In addition to ridding images of their ornate details Swiss designers rid type of its ornamentation as well Sans serif automatically made serif typefaces feel outdated and overused

Designers used sans serif type for everything from header text to body copy They preferred the clean structured feel that typefaces suchas Azkidenz-Grotesque Helvetica and Univers gave to a design Sans serif was seen as a progressive typeface that embodied the clear simplistic and universal ideals of the swiss style

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

PhotographyOne important part of the Swiss Style is its

remarkable use of photography Photography was used in place of illustrations and was a better way to show reality Swiss designers dedicated a large portion of their imagery to photography Black and white photos were used to give compositions more contrast and depth which improved the aesthetic of and brought a unique versatility to the design

Add contrast to composition

Alternative to illustration

Black and white imagery

Backgrounds cropped out

Asymmetrical placement of photos

Principles

Application

Examples

17

Giselle mdash Hofmann

Helmhaus Zuumlrich mdash Hofmann

Readfahrer-Achtung mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

19

Color

Swiss design is known for its limited color palette Many designs utilized the power palette consisting of black white and red Typically if any other color was used it was a primary color and it was often used to make a point or define hierarchy Gradients were done away with were replaced with blocks of varying shades of that color

Hierarchy

Conceptual colors

Primary colors

Power palette

Max 3-color palette

Principles

Application

ExamplesPackaging mdash Crouwel

Faculty-Student Exchange mdash Hofmann

Eroumlffnung der Spielzeit mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Sans S

erifUniversal

Politically neutral

Simplicity

Progressive

Sans serif type

Condensed type

Drastic size weight contrast

Principles

Application

Examples

21

Hnwerkman mdash Crouwel

Hussem en Bouthoorn mdash Crouwel

The Amsterdam Public Library mdash Crouwel

In addition to ridding images of their ornate details Swiss designers rid type of its ornamentation as well Sans serif automatically made serif typefaces feel outdated and overused

Designers used sans serif type for everything from header text to body copy They preferred the clean structured feel that typefaces suchas Azkidenz-Grotesque Helvetica and Univers gave to a design Sans serif was seen as a progressive typeface that embodied the clear simplistic and universal ideals of the swiss style

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

19

Color

Swiss design is known for its limited color palette Many designs utilized the power palette consisting of black white and red Typically if any other color was used it was a primary color and it was often used to make a point or define hierarchy Gradients were done away with were replaced with blocks of varying shades of that color

Hierarchy

Conceptual colors

Primary colors

Power palette

Max 3-color palette

Principles

Application

ExamplesPackaging mdash Crouwel

Faculty-Student Exchange mdash Hofmann

Eroumlffnung der Spielzeit mdash Muumlller-Brockmann

Sans S

erifUniversal

Politically neutral

Simplicity

Progressive

Sans serif type

Condensed type

Drastic size weight contrast

Principles

Application

Examples

21

Hnwerkman mdash Crouwel

Hussem en Bouthoorn mdash Crouwel

The Amsterdam Public Library mdash Crouwel

In addition to ridding images of their ornate details Swiss designers rid type of its ornamentation as well Sans serif automatically made serif typefaces feel outdated and overused

Designers used sans serif type for everything from header text to body copy They preferred the clean structured feel that typefaces suchas Azkidenz-Grotesque Helvetica and Univers gave to a design Sans serif was seen as a progressive typeface that embodied the clear simplistic and universal ideals of the swiss style

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Sans S

erifUniversal

Politically neutral

Simplicity

Progressive

Sans serif type

Condensed type

Drastic size weight contrast

Principles

Application

Examples

21

Hnwerkman mdash Crouwel

Hussem en Bouthoorn mdash Crouwel

The Amsterdam Public Library mdash Crouwel

In addition to ridding images of their ornate details Swiss designers rid type of its ornamentation as well Sans serif automatically made serif typefaces feel outdated and overused

Designers used sans serif type for everything from header text to body copy They preferred the clean structured feel that typefaces suchas Azkidenz-Grotesque Helvetica and Univers gave to a design Sans serif was seen as a progressive typeface that embodied the clear simplistic and universal ideals of the swiss style

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Master Designers

Swiss designers created the rules for the foundation of modern design Not only were they masters of their chosen style of design but many of them also became teachers As teachers they passed on their knowledge to students They taught their students to love and appreciate Swiss Design and thestudents in turn carried on its traditional values and beauty

These master designers include Emil Ruder Armin Hofmann Josef Muumlller-Brockmann Walter Herdeg Wim Crouwel and Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Emil Ruder

Josef Muumlller-Brockmann

Armin Hofmann

Walter Herdeg

Wim Crouwel

Gyoumlrgy Kepes

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Ruder

Born on March 20 1914

Zuumlrich Switzerland

Basel School of Design

Origins

Education

25

Emil Ruder was a typographer and graphic designer who helped Armin Hofmann form the Basel School of Design and establish the style of design known as Swiss Design He taught that above all typographys purpose was to communicate ideas through writing He placed a heavy importance on sans serif typefaces and his work is both clear and concise especially his typography

Like most designers classified as part of the Swiss Design movement he favored asymmetrical compositions placing a high importance on the counters of characters and the negative space of compositions A friend and associate of Hofmann Frutiger and Muumlller-Brockmann Ruder played a key role in the development of graphic design in the 1940s and 50s His style has been emulated by many designers and his use of grids in design has influenced the development of web design on many levels

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Hofm

annBorn in 1920

Winterthur Switzerland

School of Arts and Crafts in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

27

By the age of 27 Armin Hofmann had already completed an apprenticeship in lithography and had begun teaching typography at the Basel School of Design His colleagues and students were integral in adding to work and theories that surrounded the Swiss International Style which stressed a belief in an absolute and universal style of graphic design The style of design they created had a goal of communication above all else practiced new techniques of photo typesetting photo-montage experimental composition and heavily favored sans serif typography

He taught for several years at the Basel School of Design and was not there long before he replaced Emil Ruder as the head of the school The Swiss International Style and Hofmann thought that one of the most efficient forms of communications was the poster and Hofmann spent much of his career designing posters in particularly for the Basel Stadt Theater Just as Emil Ruder and Josef Muumlller-Brockmann did Hofmann wrote a book outlining his philosophies and practices His Graphic Design Manual was and still is a reference book for all graphic designers

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Muumlller-B

rockmann

Born on May 9 1914

Rapperswill Switzerland

The University of Zuumlrich

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Origins

Education

29

As with most graphic designers that can be classified as part of the Swiss International Style Josef Muumlller-Brockmann was influenced by the ideas of several different design and art movements including Constructivism De Stijl Suprematism and the Bauhaus He is perhaps the most well-known Swiss designer and his name is probably the most easily recognized when talking about the period He was born and raised in Switzerland and by the age of 43 he became a teacher at the Zuumlrich school of arts and crafts

Perhaps his most decisive work was done for the Zuumlrich Town Hall as poster advertisements for its theater productions He published several books including The Graphic Artist and His Problems and Grid Systems in Graphic Design These books provide an in-depth analysis of his work practices and philosophies and provide an excellent foundation for young graphic designers wishing to learn more about the profession He spent most of his life working and teaching even into the early 1990s when he toured the US and Canada speaking about his work

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Herdeg

Born in 1908

Zuumlrich Switzerland

The Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich

Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Kuumlnste in

Berlin

Origins

Education

31

Walter Herdeg was very much a graphic designer He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zuumlrich created many different corporate identities (just as the practice was beginning to become a standard) and even formed his own design company with Walter Amstutz What he is best known for however is the creation and publication of Graphis An international journal of visual communication Graphis was first published by Herdeg towards the end of the second World War

The magazine showcases work and interviews from designers and illustrators from all over the world in an effort to share their work with other audiences In the beginning it served as one of what were at the time only a few vessels which exposed the western world to the design work being done in Europe Herdeg served as the editor of the magazine for 246 issues (the magazine is still in publication) as well as the Graphis Design Annuals which showed the best and brightest work from the year prior to their publication Graphis was a seminal force in the shaping of design culture and it continues to educate expand and foster the world of graphic design today

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Crouw

elCrowel is a graphic designer and typographer born in the Netherlands In 1963 he founded the studio Total Design now called Total Identity His most well known work has been for the Stedelijk Museum His typography is extremely well planned and based on very strict systems of grids He has also designed expositions album covers and identity systems He has published two typefaces Fodor and Gridnik digitized versions of both are available from The Foundry In addition to his work as graphic designer he was also active in the educational field In the 1950s he worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy for Art and Design in the Southern Netherlands

Born on November 21 1928

Groningen The Netherlands

Fine Arts at Academie Minerva

Gerrit Rietveld Academie

Origins

Education

33

Kepes

Kepes was indeed a man of many faces In his career he has been a designer painter sculptor filmmaker teacher and urban camouflage theorist He has been widely revered for his teaching practices and his book Language of Vision was used as a college textbook for the arts for many years He ran the Color and Light program at the New Bauhas in Chicago (at the invitation of his friend Laszlo Moholy-Nagy) and founded the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT In 1974 he retired from education and returned to painting His teachings and the work of his students (whom included Saul Bass) greatly influenced an entire nation of budding American designers

Born on October 4 1906

Lorinci Hungary

Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest

Origins

Education

35

Swiss Today

This poster was recreated recently for the 1982 Huumlsker Du concert at the New York coliseum by Mike Joyce It is an excellent example of how Swiss Design is still relevant and stylish in todays culture

This poster utilizes several key tactics of Swiss Design The text is a sans serif called Akzidenz-Grotesk and is set in all miniscule letters The color scheme utilizes the Swiss standard of primary colors in this case blue yellow and a hot pink with red overtones The overall feel of the poster is simple universal and reductive

This poster uses geometric shapes such as the triangle circle and square

37

This poster is also an example of Swiss Design living on in the modern age This poster was done in recent years as a redesign for the 1986 concert of Sonic Youth with Firehouse

This poster clearly demonstrates key aspects of Swiss Design The most noticeable of these aspects is the color scheme While green is not a primary color it is a tertiary color and has been known to be used occasionally in Swiss designs This poster takes Swiss color a step further by using repeated geometric circles to show a gradient effect without actually having one solid gradient

The second most noticable Swiss element is the type The type on this poster is sans serif all miniscules and is in strict adherence to the grid

Resources

httpdesignishistorycomhomeswiss

httpswisstypewordpresscom

httpthegridsystemorgweliecompatternsshowPattern

phppatternID=grid-based-layout

httpalysolycomfs297gridsystemphp

httpvangevacomjosef-muller-brockmann

Swiss Design

Grid Systems

If you are interested in more information or images related to Swiss Design here are the links that we used to gather our information Enjoy

httpkubawolfhubpagescomhubSwiss-Graphic-Design

httpsmearedblackinkcomswiss_style_timeline

httpvangevacomjosef-muller-brockmann

Geometric Shapes

httpkubawolfhubpagescomhubSwiss-Graphic-Design

httpflyergoodnessblogspotcom201004wim-crouwel-selected-

graphic-designshtml

httpvangevacomjosef-muller-brockmann

Asymmetry

httpsmashingmagazinecom20090717lessons-from-swiss-style-

graphic-design

httpgraphicmanianetunderstanding-swiss-style-graphic-design

httpwordsandeggswordpresscom

Photography

httperinedwardsdesignscomdev_postswitzerland_1950shtml

httpsmearedblackinkcomswiss_style_timeline

httpdesignersjournalnetjottingsheroes-armin-hofmann

httpcreativeprocomfilesstory_images20110421_swiss_stylejpg

Color

httpflickrcomphotos26378175N052904295317

httpflickrcomphotosblankaposters2524021975

Reductive Nature

httpxuluxfreefrblogimgsPubliciteMonoprixMonop_40jpg

httplucdevroyeorgWimCrouwel-HiroshimaPoster-1957jpg

Negative Space

37

This poster is also an example of Swiss Design living on in the modern age This poster was done in recent years as a redesign for the 1986 concert of Sonic Youth with Firehouse

This poster clearly demonstrates key aspects of Swiss Design The most noticeable of these aspects is the color scheme While green is not a primary color it is a tertiary color and has been known to be used occasionally in Swiss designs This poster takes Swiss color a step further by using repeated geometric circles to show a gradient effect without actually having one solid gradient

The second most noticable Swiss element is the type The type on this poster is sans serif all miniscules and is in strict adherence to the grid

Resources

httpdesignishistorycomhomeswiss

httpswisstypewordpresscom

httpthegridsystemorgweliecompatternsshowPattern

phppatternID=grid-based-layout

httpalysolycomfs297gridsystemphp

httpvangevacomjosef-muller-brockmann

Swiss Design

Grid Systems

If you are interested in more information or images related to Swiss Design here are the links that we used to gather our information Enjoy

httpkubawolfhubpagescomhubSwiss-Graphic-Design

httpsmearedblackinkcomswiss_style_timeline

httpvangevacomjosef-muller-brockmann

Geometric Shapes

httpkubawolfhubpagescomhubSwiss-Graphic-Design

httpflyergoodnessblogspotcom201004wim-crouwel-selected-

graphic-designshtml

httpvangevacomjosef-muller-brockmann

Asymmetry

httpsmashingmagazinecom20090717lessons-from-swiss-style-

graphic-design

httpgraphicmanianetunderstanding-swiss-style-graphic-design

httpwordsandeggswordpresscom

Photography

httperinedwardsdesignscomdev_postswitzerland_1950shtml

httpsmearedblackinkcomswiss_style_timeline

httpdesignersjournalnetjottingsheroes-armin-hofmann

httpcreativeprocomfilesstory_images20110421_swiss_stylejpg

Color

httpflickrcomphotos26378175N052904295317

httpflickrcomphotosblankaposters2524021975

Reductive Nature

httpxuluxfreefrblogimgsPubliciteMonoprixMonop_40jpg

httplucdevroyeorgWimCrouwel-HiroshimaPoster-1957jpg

Negative Space

Resources

httpdesignishistorycomhomeswiss

httpswisstypewordpresscom

httpthegridsystemorgweliecompatternsshowPattern

phppatternID=grid-based-layout

httpalysolycomfs297gridsystemphp

httpvangevacomjosef-muller-brockmann

Swiss Design

Grid Systems

If you are interested in more information or images related to Swiss Design here are the links that we used to gather our information Enjoy

httpkubawolfhubpagescomhubSwiss-Graphic-Design

httpsmearedblackinkcomswiss_style_timeline

httpvangevacomjosef-muller-brockmann

Geometric Shapes

httpkubawolfhubpagescomhubSwiss-Graphic-Design

httpflyergoodnessblogspotcom201004wim-crouwel-selected-

graphic-designshtml

httpvangevacomjosef-muller-brockmann

Asymmetry

httpsmashingmagazinecom20090717lessons-from-swiss-style-

graphic-design

httpgraphicmanianetunderstanding-swiss-style-graphic-design

httpwordsandeggswordpresscom

Photography

httperinedwardsdesignscomdev_postswitzerland_1950shtml

httpsmearedblackinkcomswiss_style_timeline

httpdesignersjournalnetjottingsheroes-armin-hofmann

httpcreativeprocomfilesstory_images20110421_swiss_stylejpg

Color

httpflickrcomphotos26378175N052904295317

httpflickrcomphotosblankaposters2524021975

Reductive Nature

httpxuluxfreefrblogimgsPubliciteMonoprixMonop_40jpg

httplucdevroyeorgWimCrouwel-HiroshimaPoster-1957jpg

Negative Space

39

httpguity-novinblogspotcom201107chapter-42-swiss-grade-style-

and-dutchhtml

httpwebexpedition18comarticlesswiss-legacy

httpadviznlnlobject23022

Sans Serif

httpswisstedcom

httprobotmafiacomswissted-by-mike-joyce

httpmanalivedesignblogspotcom

httpdesignspirationnetimage744880057014

Swiss Today

httpdesignishistorycom1940emil-ruder

httpthinkingforalivingorgarchives932

httpdesignspirationnetimage58073547273

httpurbanhonkingcomplazm20090202idea-magazine-lecture-emil-

ruder

Ruder

httpdesignishistorycom1940armin-hofmann

httpaigaorgmedalist-arminhofmann

httpdesignersjournalnetjottingsheroes-armin-hofmann

httpblackbookjunglecokrpimgsaekili7jg_20111222221631(3)jpg

Hofmann

httpdesignishistorycom1940joseph-mueller-brockmann

httpvangevacomjosef-muller-brockmann

httpmatdolphincomblog

httpdesignishistorycom1940walter-herdeg

httpgraphiscomstorep=269

httpaigaorgmedalist-walterherdeg

Herdeg

httpdesignishistorycom1960wim-crouwel

httpenwikipediaorgwikiWim_Crouwel

httpflyergoodnessblogspotcom201004wim-crouwel-selected-

graphic-designshtml

httpdesigners-bookscomp=7154

Crouwel

Kepes

Muumlller-Brockmann

httpdesignishistorycom1940gyorgy-kepes

httpolivertomascombooksvision-value-series-edited-by-gyorgy-

kepes-1965-6

httpgondolatkiadohuimagesnewbookkepes-abszolutjpg

httpszakkoliektfhu

Credits

41

Cover

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Layout

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Table of Contents

Kayla Decker

Katie Brazell

Swiss Style

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Grid Systems

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Reductive Nature

Kayla Decker

Katie Brazell

Negative Space

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Geometric Shapes

Kayla Decker

Katie Brazell

Asymmetry

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Photography

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Color

Kayla Decker

Katie Brazell

Sans Serif

Kayla Decker

Katie Brazell

Master Designers

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Ruder

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Hofmann

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Muumlller-Brockmann

Kayla Decker

Katie Brazell

Herdeg

Kayla Decker

Katie Brazell

Crouwel

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Kepes

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Swiss Today

Kayla Decker

Katie Brazell

More Information

Katie Brazell

Credits

Kayla Decker

Assemblage of Book

Katie Brazell

Kayla Decker

Multiple Images

Provided by

Tim Speaker