Swiss Style: Swiss Typography and Graphic Design
Style and Design Made in Switzerland
Swiss typography and graphic design have a rich history and are internationally renowned. This gave rise to the so-called Swiss Style, which has a strong influence on contemporary design worldwide. We encounter it every day, often without realizing it – on posters, street signs, and websites, as well as on logos of well-known brands such as IBM and Microsoft, which impressively display elements of Swiss Style.
What Is Swiss Design or Swiss Style?
“Swiss Style” and “Swiss Design” refer to Swiss graphic design and the associated typography that achieved international fame in the 1950s and 1960s. Swiss poster art was particularly popular at that time. But beyond posters, Swiss Design is also associated with the formation of new principles of graphic design in the middle of the 20th century. It is believed that many elements of computer design were influenced by Swiss Style. Swiss Style is based on three principles: simplicity, objectivity, and readability. It is characterized by minimalist graphics, a modular grid system, asymmetrical layouts, and sans-serif fonts.
Well-known Swiss Fonts
And speaking of fonts: The various Swiss Design fonts had a significant impact on the trends in graphics and are still extremely popular today. Here are just a few examples of well-known Swiss fonts:
Helvetica
One of the most popular fonts is Helvetica, which was developed in 1957 in Zurich by Swiss graphic designer and typographer Max Miedinger. It still adorns countless print and online media worldwide and is also the standard font used by millions of people for their e-mails.
What do Zurich and New York have in common? You could list off many things, but what is particularly interesting in terms of Swiss Style is that both Zurich’s train, bus, and streetcar signs and the signage of New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority use the Helvetica typeface.
Fun Fact
Zürich Tourism’s own corporate typeface, Zurich Haas Grotesk Round, was also designed in Switzerland and follows the Swiss Style tradition. It is based on Neue Haas Grotesk – the original Helvetica – from Zurich. Round points and other minor adjustments lend the font its charming character and friendliness, qualities that are also reflected in Zurich’s hospitality.
Akzidenz-Grotesk
Akzidenz-Grotesk is the mother of Swiss fonts. Developed in 1896 by the Berthold Type Foundry, it served as inspiration for numerous later fonts, including Helvetica and Univers. In the USA, the font was sold under the names, “Standard” or “Basic Commercial”.
Univers
The year 1957 saw the emergence of another Swiss font. Designed by Adrian Frutiger, Univers was one of the first typefaces to form a typeface family, allowing documents to use one style in various sizes and weights.
Akkurat
Swiss Style is far from being a thing of the past. It is still relevant and contemporary in the 21st century. For example with Akkurat, designed by Laurenz Brunner in 2004, which fits seamlessly into the series of fonts in classic Swiss Design.
History of Swiss Style
Swiss Design in Brief
Its Origins | Swiss Style was inspired by the modernist art movements of the 1910s and 1920s: Bauhaus, Constructivism, and De Stijl. It consciously set itself apart from previous art movements such as Art Nouveau. |
Design as a Profession | It was not until 1915 that the art and design colleges in Basel and Zurich started offering courses in Applied Graphics. |
The Influence of the SWB | Like every art movement, Swiss Design did not emerge in a vacuum. On the contrary, in the 1920s, the Swiss Werkbund SWB (Swiss association of artists and designers), with its close links to what is now the Zurich University of the Arts, actively promoted the industrial basis and focus on functional applied forms, thus significantly contributing to the development of modern graphic design. |
International Renown | In particular after the Second World War, Swiss Style was a popular choice for posters, as it presented information in a clear and straightforward manner. This brought it increasing attention, with the result that by the 1950s and 1960s, Swiss graphics and typography had become internationally renowned. |
The Magazine, “Neue Grafik” | In 1956, prominent Swiss graphic designers founded the trilingual magazine, “Neue Grafik/New Graphic Design/Graphisme actuel”. It was published between 1958 and 1965 and was regarded as the mouthpiece for the modern Swiss graphic design movement. |
The Emergence of Helvetica and Univers | The development of the two iconic typefaces, Helvetica and Univers, in 1957 marked the beginning of the golden age of Swiss typography. |
Experience Swiss Design Live at the Museum für Gestaltung
The most impressive way to experience Swiss Design is to see it with your own eyes. For this reason we recommend a visit to the leading museum for design and visual communication, the Museum für Gestaltung. Want to learn even more about Swiss Style?
From the Zurich University of the Arts to the Zurich Design Weeks and themed exhibitions at the F+F Schule für Kunst und Design: design fans are definitely spoilt for choice in Zurich.
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