International Typographic Style · International Style · grid system · 1947, peak 1950–1970 · live

Visual language

Swiss
Style.

The postwar Swiss programme for objective typographic communication: a modular grid, one neutral grotesk, and hierarchy carried by position and weight alone.

Native medium: Print
Period: 1947, peak 1950–1970 · live
Feel: serious, sophisticated

Also called: International Typographic Style, International Style, grid system, Basel, Zurich, Swiss Data
Carried by: Typography and Composition

How you recognise it

A modular grid that orders the whole page, its divisions left visible in Zurich work and often concealed in Basel, set in one neutral grotesk at very few sizes, flush left with a ragged right edge, with hierarchy carried by position on the grid, weight and interval, and any size change taken from a few grid formats. The diagnostic combination is not the grid alone and not the grotesk alone — both are common — but the refusal to add a second signalling device once the grid is in place. When a page has a grid and a sans-serif and also a rule, a tint panel or a centred heading, it is not this.

Why we say this: How you recognise it — No evidence recorded yetnone gestalt Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view

→1Learn Build
the rules, by area2 Sources
artefacts and documents→3

Neutral grotesque

Light Regular Medium Bold

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789

Set in whichever neutral grotesque your machine has. The class is the rule, not the face.

Learn
What it is
Where it came from

Learn

What is this, where did it come from, and what do people get wrong about it?

Three of
these are
not this

01 This

Grid, one grotesque, ranked by position and interval. Nothing added.
02 Not this

A centred heading. A second device ranks the page, so position is no longer doing the work.
03 Not this

A tint panel. Ornament, and a field marked by decoration rather than by the grid.
04 Not this

A decorative rule — floating inside a field, separating nothing. A hairline that divides grid fields would be permitted; this one does not.

One grid, one content set. The only thing that changes is what has been added.

Why we say this: How you recognise it — No evidence recorded yet gestalt Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view Why we say this: A typography rule — seen in the work — 1 document token_rule:hierarchy-device Sources 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Historical source Confidence medium Müller-Brockmann: "If the text and pictures are arranged systematically, the priorities stand out more clearly"; "The size of the pictures is determined according to their importance for the subject." From his 1981 manual, read in an excerpt. This claim in the research view Why we say this: Motif: how this area behaves — 1 document slot_posture:motif Sources 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Historical source Confidence medium Lenz: Neue Grafik used a modular grid "rather than calligraphic ornamentation and charming illustrations", and Lohse's writing stands in the Loos tradition of "form without ornament"; Fischli favoured designers "who did not think and work decoratively, but constructively". Müller-Brockmann himself (1981) does not forbid ornament: he admires the mathematical ornament of ancient peoples. This claim in the research view Why we say this: A rule treatment rule — our reading — No evidence recorded yet token_rule:hairline-rules Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view

What it is

Modular grid, flush-left ragged-right, one neutral grotesk, asymmetric balance, no ornament

What it argues

Information can be ordered so that its structure is legible without the designer's personality intervening. The grid is not a convenience for placing things; it is the argument that objective presentation is possible.

Refuses decorative illustration, centred composition, and hierarchy signalled by ornament rather than position.

What it gives up

Expressive range
Warmth
Brand differentiation from other grid-based work

Who it assumes

A reader who will accept that clarity is a value in itself.

Why we say this: The argument the language makes — 4 documents0·4 intent Sources 4 documents — as generalisation How it is used Historical source Confidence high The programme is argued in the journal itself rather than inferred from the work. This claim in the research view

What tells
you it is
this

01
Modular grid

Remove it and a reader would no longer recognise the language.
What adopting it commits you to
Adopting this means the page is divided into columns and those columns are crossed by horizontal flowlines, so the surface becomes a matrix of modules separated by gutters. Every element — text block, image, caption — occupies a whole number of modules and aligns to module boundaries, and groups of modules form spatial zones reserved for a purpose. The consequence is that position and interval carry hierarchy: an element is important because of where it sits and how many modules it claims, not because it has been enlarged or coloured. The module count is a decision, not a default; a finer matrix permits more arrangements and enforces less.
- Element alignment: whole_modules
- Hierarchy device: position_and_interval

Where it varies, and how it travelled

Variation inside the language

Zurich and Basel are meaningful internal variation within one language, not two languages. Zurich practice adhered to the grid more rigidly; Basel used it more selectively, with high-contrast photography and more freely placed lettering.

How it spread

1958

Neue Grafik / New Graphic Design / Graphisme actuel, a trilingual quarterly founded in Zurich on 15 February 1958 by Müller-Brockmann, Lohse, Neuburg and Vivarelli, ran to eighteen issues until 1965 and is the principal vehicle by which the style was exported. Its English title is a plausible origin of the label "International Typographic Style", though the causal claim is not directly evidenced and the date at which that term overtook "New Graphic Design" in English is an open question.

18: issues
1965: final issue
3: languages
4: founders

What the
research
changed

Five things commonly believed about Swiss Style that the evidence does not support.

01

Does Swiss Style require Helvetica?

No. The constraint is a class, and any neutral grotesque satisfies it. The journal that carried the style abroad was not set in Helvetica — which did not yet have that name.

Why we say this: A typography rule — necessary · our ranking — 2 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:typeface-class Sources 2 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation, as occurrence How it is used Historical source Confidence medium, high The journal that exported the style used Akzidenz-Grotesk for its cover template, not the typeface the style is said to require; per one specialist source its text sizes were set in Monotype Grotesque 215/216, because Akzidenz was not available on Monotype machines. Confidence medium deliberately: the typesetting claim rests on one professional secondary source, and the facsimile publisher makes no statement about it.Occurrence, deliberately. A period Berthold specimen shows the typeface exists and predates every neo-grotesque by three decades. One artefact never establishes a generalization, and a specimen can never show what a journal was set in — so this supports the "not a neo-grotesque" half of the correction and nothing else.Neue Haas Grotesk released 1957 and not renamed Helvetica until 1960 — two years into the journal's run. This claim in the research view
02

Is red, black and white the Swiss Style palette?

No. That triad is a later cliché, and two of the three posters on the record are there specifically to falsify it. What the language constrains is how few flat areas do the work, not which hue fills them.

Why we say this: A color rule — seen in the work — 3 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:hue-free Sources 3 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation How it is used Counter example, Exemplar Confidence high Green and blue, in the museum's own words. Falsifies the red/black/white triad.Magenta and turquoise, fourteen years later in the same series. This claim in the research view
03

How many type sizes does a Swiss Style composition use?

Very few, and no number. The familiar figure of three rested on a single documented instance, so it was withdrawn from anything an agent reads as binding.

Why we say this: A typography rule — documented · source not yet verified — 1 document token_rule:few-sizes Sources 1 document This claim in the research view
04

Does Swiss Style forbid texture?

Nobody knows. The evidence establishes a refusal of ornament, which is a different claim: it does not establish a position on texture. Here, unknown is not permission — and not prohibition either.

Why we say this: Surface: how this area behaves — No evidence recorded yet slot_posture:surface Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
05

Does Swiss Style say anything about interfaces or motion?

No. Both postdate the language, so there is no position to record — which is different from a position against them.

Why we say this: Interface: how this area behaves — No evidence recorded yet slot_posture:ui_treatment Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view

What it is not

01Editorial ModernismSeen from Editorial Modernism: Fleckhaus admired Swiss sobriety and used a twelve-column grid, but his pages drew drama from extremes of scale, contrast and repetition; the magazine spread, not the poster, is the unit.
02BauhausSeen from Bauhaus: Bauhaus was a multidisciplinary school; Swiss is a later graphic-design system with greater stylistic consistency.
03New Wave TypographySeen from New Wave Typography: holding versus attacking the same grid.

The languages Swiss Style is most often confused with.

aRaster
Grid
Grille

Build

How do I actually design something in this language?

The record’s ten areas

What each area says, what it looks like, and what to set. An unresearched area is not a free hand.

Necessary · our rankingDocumentedSeen in the workNot part of the aestheticOurs

What the markers mean

Necessary · our ranking: Remove it and it is not this.
Documented: A source states it, and the source is attached to the claim.
Seen in the work: Observed in real artefacts that someone inspected.
Not part of the aesthetic: An accessibility floor or general current practice that would apply to any build.
Ours: Aesthetary's conclusion from the material. No single source says it.

01

Layout

Core · Specified

Why we say this: Layout: how this area behaves — 1 artefact · 2 documents slot_posture:layout Sources 1 artefact · 2 documents — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high This claim in the research view

Every block occupies whole modules and starts on a boundary.

Why we say this: A grid rule — necessary · our ranking — 2 artefacts · 2 documents token_rule:module-matrix Sources 2 artefacts · 2 documents — as generalisation, as occurrence How it is used Exemplar Confidence high The journal demonstrated the modular grid it published. This claim in the research view Why we say this: A grid rule — our reading — 1 document token_rule:column-count Sources 1 document This claim in the research view
1. 01
  
  Build a module matrix: columns crossed by horizontal flowlines. Every element occupies whole modules.
  
  Necessary · our ranking Why we say this: A grid rule — necessary · our ranking — 2 artefacts · 2 documents token_rule:module-matrix Kind of statement Necessary · our ranking Sources 2 artefacts · 2 documents — as generalisation, as occurrence How it is used Exemplar Confidence high The journal demonstrated the modular grid it published. This claim in the research view
2. 02
  
  Column count in the range 4 to 12 for a screen layout; gutter equal to one module unit.
  
  Ours Why we say this: A grid rule — our reading — 1 document token_rule:column-count Kind of statement Our reading Sources 1 document This claim in the research view
3. 03
  
  Priority comes from systematic arrangement on the grid.
  
  Documented · Source attached
4. 04
  
  Where size signals importance, it is drawn from a few grid-field formats, and fewer size differences give a quieter page.
  
  Documented · Source attached
5. 05
  
  Using one grid for cover and inside pages can deliberately withhold prominence: 'no first amongst equals'.
  
  Documented · Source attached
6. 06
  
  The number of visual elements is reduced, and that reduction is what reads as clarity and order.
  
  Documented · Source attached
7. 07
  
  Unprinted space is treated as active: 'the unprinted gives life to the printed'.
  
  Documented · Source attached
8. 08
  
  Text itself can be dense: long columns of text were used to inform rather than illustrate.
  
  Documented · Source attached
02

Typography

Core · Specified

Why we say this: Typography: how this area behaves — No evidence recorded yet slot_posture:typography Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view

Why we say this: A typography rule — necessary · our ranking — 2 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:typeface-class Sources 2 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation, as occurrence How it is used Historical source Confidence medium, high The journal that exported the style used Akzidenz-Grotesk for its cover template, not the typeface the style is said to require; per one specialist source its text sizes were set in Monotype Grotesque 215/216, because Akzidenz was not available on Monotype machines. Confidence medium deliberately: the typesetting claim rests on one professional secondary source, and the facsimile publisher makes no statement about it.Occurrence, deliberately. A period Berthold specimen shows the typeface exists and predates every neo-grotesque by three decades. One artefact never establishes a generalization, and a specimen can never show what a journal was set in — so this supports the "not a neo-grotesque" half of the correction and nothing else.Neue Haas Grotesk released 1957 and not renamed Helvetica until 1960 — two years into the journal's run. This claim in the research view Why we say this: A typography rule — documented · source not yet verified — 1 document token_rule:few-sizes Sources 1 document This claim in the research view Why we say this: A typography rule — necessary · our ranking — 1 artefact · 1 document token_rule:flush-left Sources 1 artefact · 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high This claim in the research view Why we say this: A typography rule — documented · source not yet verified — 1 document token_rule:baseline-rhythm Sources 1 document This claim in the research view
1. 01
  
  Set type in a neutral grotesque. The constraint is the class, not a particular typeface: Akzidenz-Grotesk, Univers, Folio and Neue Haas Grotesk/Helvetica were all in use.
  
  Necessary · our ranking Why we say this: A typography rule — necessary · our ranking — 2 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:typeface-class Kind of statement Necessary · our ranking Sources 2 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation, as occurrence How it is used Historical source Confidence medium, high The journal that exported the style used Akzidenz-Grotesk for its cover template, not the typeface the style is said to require; per one specialist source its text sizes were set in Monotype Grotesque 215/216, because Akzidenz was not available on Monotype machines. Confidence medium deliberately: the typesetting claim rests on one professional secondary source, and the facsimile publisher makes no statement about it.Occurrence, deliberately. A period Berthold specimen shows the typeface exists and predates every neo-grotesque by three decades. One artefact never establishes a generalization, and a specimen can never show what a journal was set in — so this supports the "not a neo-grotesque" half of the correction and nothing else.Neue Haas Grotesk released 1957 and not renamed Helvetica until 1960 — two years into the journal's run. This claim in the research view
2. 02
  
  Set flush left, ragged right. Justified setting is forbidden.
  
  Historically motivated by even word spacing, and independently the WCAG-preferred setting.
  
  Necessary · our ranking Why we say this: A typography rule — necessary · our ranking — 1 artefact · 1 document token_rule:flush-left Kind of statement Necessary · our ranking Sources 1 artefact · 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high This claim in the research view
3. 03
  
  Use very few distinct sizes and very few weights in one composition.
  
  Documented Why we say this: A typography rule — documented · source not yet verified — 1 document token_rule:few-sizes Kind of statement Documented · Source not yet verified Sources 1 document This claim in the research view
4. 04
  
  Set all text to a shared baseline rhythm derived from the grid module.
  
  Documented Why we say this: A typography rule — documented · source not yet verified — 1 document token_rule:baseline-rhythm Kind of statement Documented · Source not yet verified Sources 1 document This claim in the research view
5. 05
  
  Hierarchy comes from systematic placement in the grid. Where size signals importance, it is drawn from a few formats that are whole multiples of the grid field.
  
  Seen in the work Why we say this: A typography rule — seen in the work — 1 document token_rule:hierarchy-device Kind of statement Seen in the work Sources 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Historical source Confidence medium Müller-Brockmann: "If the text and pictures are arranged systematically, the priorities stand out more clearly"; "The size of the pictures is determined according to their importance for the subject." From his 1981 manual, read in an excerpt. This claim in the research view
6. 06
  
  Do not rank by size alone or by colour alone.
  
  Ours Why we say this: A typography rule — our reading — No evidence recorded yet token_rule:hierarchy-limits Kind of statement Our reading Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
7. 07
  
  In Ruder's 1961 TM Univers issue, hierarchy used three sizes of Univers 55.
  
  Documented · Source attached
8. 08
  
  Neue Grafik's cover template used Akzidenz-Grotesk; per one specialist source all text-size typography, cover and inside, was set in Monotype Grotesque 215/216 because Akzidenz was unavailable on Monotype machines.
  
  Documented · Source attached
Not part of the aesthetic: practice that would apply to any build — 1
1. 01
  
  45 to 75 characters per line.
  
  A general typographic convention, not a Swiss-specific rule. Included because an agent needs a measure and will otherwise invent one.
  
  Not part of the aesthetic Why we say this: A measure rule — not part of the aesthetic — No evidence recorded yet token_rule:measure Kind of statement Not part of the aesthetic Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
1. 01 Sizes chosen freely departs from it
  
  Four unrelated sizes, stacked where they fall. Documented · Source not yet verified: very few sizes in one composition.
2. 02 Placed by eye departs from it
  
  The same two sizes and weights as 03, but each line set down by eye, off the module. Seen in the work: rank comes from systematic placement in the grid.
3. 03 Placed on the grid the practice
  
  Two sizes, two weights. Rank comes from where each line starts and how much space precedes it, measured in whole modules. Seen in the work.
Identical words in all three. Müller-Brockmann: “If the text and pictures are arranged systematically, the priorities stand out more clearly.”

Why we say this: A typography rule — seen in the work — 1 document token_rule:hierarchy-device Kind of statement Seen in the work Sources 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Historical source Confidence medium Müller-Brockmann: "If the text and pictures are arranged systematically, the priorities stand out more clearly"; "The size of the pictures is determined according to their importance for the subject." From his 1981 manual, read in an excerpt. This claim in the research view Why we say this: A typography rule — documented · source not yet verified — 1 document token_rule:few-sizes Kind of statement Documented · Source not yet verified Sources 1 document This claim in the research view Why we say this: A typography rule — documented · source not yet verified — 1 document token_rule:baseline-rhythm Kind of statement Documented · Source not yet verified Sources 1 document This claim in the research view
03

Color

Core · Specified

Why we say this: Color: how this area behaves — No evidence recorded yet slot_posture:color Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
1. green
2. red
3. magenta
One flat area, doing a job. Same composition three times, same single field. Only the hue changes — and the hue is the one thing here the record does not constrain.

Why we say this: A color rule — seen in the work — 1 artefact · 1 document token_rule:colour-roles Sources 1 artefact · 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high Few flat functional areas: dark rectangles on a single ground. This claim in the research view Why we say this: A color rule — seen in the work — 3 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:hue-free Sources 3 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation How it is used Counter example, Exemplar Confidence high Green and blue, in the museum's own words. Falsifies the red/black/white triad.Magenta and turquoise, fourteen years later in the same series. This claim in the research view
1. 01
  
  Restrict colour to a small number of flat areas, used functionally and never decoratively.
  
  Seen in the work Why we say this: A color rule — seen in the work — 1 artefact · 1 document token_rule:colour-roles Kind of statement Seen in the work Sources 1 artefact · 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high Few flat functional areas: dark rectangles on a single ground. This claim in the research view
2. 02
  
  No particular hue is required. One Müller-Brockmann series alone uses green and blue, red, and magenta and turquoise; choosing the hue is left to the designer.
  
  Seen in the work Why we say this: A color rule — seen in the work — 3 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:hue-free Kind of statement Seen in the work Sources 3 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation How it is used Counter example, Exemplar Confidence high Green and blue, in the museum's own words. Falsifies the red/black/white triad.Magenta and turquoise, fourteen years later in the same series. This claim in the research view
3. 03
  
  Hofmann employed colour sparingly, and Neue Grafik used strong contrasts of black against pure white.
  
  Documented · Source attached
4. 04
  
  Müller-Brockmann paired simple geometric grids with complementary or contrasting colours, and the hue changed poster to poster.
  
  Documented · Source attached
Not part of the aesthetic: practice that would apply to any build — 1
1. 01
  
  Ground light and near-neutral, ink near-black, text contrast comfortably above the AA minimum of 4.5:1.
  
  Not part of the aesthetic Why we say this: A color rule — not part of the aesthetic — No evidence recorded yet token_rule:ground-ink-contrast Kind of statement Not part of the aesthetic Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
04

Imagery

Supporting · Specified

Why the record says this
Objective photography, frontal and unmanipulated, used as information rather than atmosphere; illustration excluded. But the web-transfer analysis lists "whether imagery appears at all" as adaptable, so presence is optional while treatment is constrained.

Why we say this: Imagery: how this area behaves — 1 artefact · 2 documents slot_posture:imagery Sources 1 artefact · 2 documents — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high Photographic figure cropped so it reads as a graphic sign rather than a depicted body, integrated with the type. Basel register. This claim in the research view
1. 01
  
  Photography replaces drawn illustration and ornament.
  
  Documented · Source attached
2. 02
  
  Photographs are treated as objective records, placed by function.
  
  Documented · Source attached
3. 03
  
  Pictures are cut to a few sizes that are whole multiples of the grid field, and each picture's size reflects its importance.
  
  Documented · Source attached
4. 04
  
  Non-photographic posters use abstract geometric form instead of illustration.
  
  Documented · Source attached
5. 05
  
  In Basel, black-and-white photography could be pushed toward abstraction rather than kept factual.
  
  Documented · Source attached
05

Surface

Specified

Detail: what the evidence changed

Why we say this: Surface: how this area behaves — No evidence recorded yet slot_posture:surface Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
Two values, not a surface system.
- Zero radius
- No elevation
1. 01
  
  Zero. No rounding on any element.
  
  Ours Why we say this: A radius rule — our reading — 2 documents token_rule:zero-radius Kind of statement Our reading Sources 2 documents This claim in the research view
2. 02
  
  None. No elevation, no depth simulation.
  
  Ours Why we say this: A shadow rule — our reading — 2 documents token_rule:no-elevation Kind of statement Our reading Sources 2 documents This claim in the research view
3. 03
  
  Hairline rules permitted where they separate grid fields; never decorative.
  
  Ours Why we say this: A rule treatment rule — our reading — No evidence recorded yet token_rule:hairline-rules Kind of statement Our reading Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
4. 04
  
  Flat printed ink on paper, with the unprinted paper standing as the white of the design.
  
  Documented · Source attached
5. 05
  
  Basel posters also used linocut, whose slight cutting irregularities show in the print.
  
  Documented · Source attached
06

Interface

Not specified by the source

Detail: what the evidence changed

Why we say this: Interface: how this area behaves — No evidence recorded yet slot_posture:ui_treatment Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
07

Motion

Not specified by the source

Asserted for Print. It has not been carried to another medium.

Why we say this: Motion: how this area behaves — No evidence recorded yet slot_posture:motion Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
1. 01
  
  No canonical position. Any motion is an addition to the language, not an expression of it.
  
  Ours Why we say this: A motion rule — our reading — No evidence recorded yet token_rule:motion-position Kind of statement Our reading Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
08

Motif

Ruled out

Why we say this: Motif: how this area behaves — 1 document slot_posture:motif Sources 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Historical source Confidence medium Lenz: Neue Grafik used a modular grid "rather than calligraphic ornamentation and charming illustrations", and Lohse's writing stands in the Loos tradition of "form without ornament"; Fischli favoured designers "who did not think and work decoratively, but constructively". Müller-Brockmann himself (1981) does not forbid ornament: he admires the mathematical ornament of ancient peoples. This claim in the research view

The flowlines, with nothing placed on them. Every other demonstration here fills the field. This one is the instruction.
Why we say this: Motif: how this area behaves — 1 document slot_posture:motif Sources 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Historical source Confidence medium Lenz: Neue Grafik used a modular grid "rather than calligraphic ornamentation and charming illustrations", and Lohse's writing stands in the Loos tradition of "form without ornament"; Fischli favoured designers "who did not think and work decoratively, but constructively". Müller-Brockmann himself (1981) does not forbid ornament: he admires the mathematical ornament of ancient peoples. This claim in the research view
1. 01
  
  Motif: do not use it. No ornament, no motif system, no decorative mark of any kind. One of the strongest negative constraints in the corpus.
  
  Necessary · our ranking
09

Technique

Supporting · Not specified by the source

Why the record says this
Historically offset lithography, but the language is indifferent to production method. Nothing about Swiss Style requires a particular process, so an agent may choose.

Why we say this: Technique: how this area behaves — No evidence recorded yet slot_posture:technique Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
10

Form

Not specified by the source

Why the record says this
A two-dimensional graphic language. No three-dimensional organisation.

Why we say this: Form: how this area behaves — No evidence recorded yet slot_posture:form Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view

What these states mean

Core · Specified: The language is not itself without this, and there are rules for how to do it.
Supporting · Specified: You do not have to use this. If you do, these rules apply.
Specified: The record specifies this area.
Not specified by the source: The slot does not apply here. This is not a gap in our research.
Ruled out: The language rules this out. Adding it means you are building something else.
Supporting · Not specified by the source: The sources do not specify this area; a translation may follow.

Open questions

What is still open — 1

01

Withheld from the instructions: Modular grid declares Reading order: LTR.

This Element asserts reading direction, which belongs to a writing system rather than to a style. Neither the Element nor this language records which writing system it belongs to, so the product will not hand it over as an instruction. Treat it as an open decision.

Not handed over

Moving it to screen

Map the module matrix to CSS Grid with named areas; let column count step down at breakpoints while keeping module proportion

Survives the move — 6

The grid remains the organising subject, not a convenience
Flush left, ragged right
Very few type sizes
Hierarchy from position on the grid, with few sizes
No ornament, no rounding, no elevation
Objective imagery used as information

Does not survive

Fixed sheet proportion and a composition designed for one viewing distance
Ink limits and registration
The poster read at a distance in a single glance

Why we say this: Moving it from print to screen — 1 artefact · 2 documents1·2 transfer_note:print->screen_web Sources 1 artefact · 2 documents — as generalisation How it is used Historical source Confidence high Native medium is print. Everything in the transfer note beyond that is our translation. This claim in the research view

Build with it

A starting system for a website in Swiss Style: what the rules above become as colour, type, grid, shape, imagery, four components and motion. Not a template.

Web translation marks our choices for the screen. Everything else is a rule from the record’s ten areas above.

The same system is in the brief, the kit (design-grammar.json) and the structured data.

Colour

background#F2F2EF
surface#FFFFFF
text#0E0F1017.1:1
text-secondary#43464A8.5:1
text-muted#66696C4.9:1
rule#CFCFC9
accent#B02A105.9:1

The hue is free. Try the record's own palettes on this board:

The rules behind it

On the recordThe rule: colour-roles
On the recordThe rule: hue-free
On the recordThe rule: ground-ink-contrast
Web translationRed, black and white is one choice, not the palette. The record's palettes are words; the values offered for them are ours, darkened until white text passes 4.5:1 on them. The record fixes no hue and contrast is a requirement, so each recorded hue is kept and its value chosen for legibility. From hue-free, ground-ink-contrast
Web translationFill areas with flat colour and leave the ground open: no gradients, tints or texture. The surface is flat printed ink on paper, with the unprinted paper standing as the white of the design; flat fills on an open ground are that surface on screen. From surface area

Typography

Label

The headline ranks by weight and position, not by size.

Body text sits on the same half-module baseline as everything else on the page. It is set flush left and ragged right, never justified, and runs no more than seventy-five characters to the line.

headline: 1.625rem / 2.25rem; 700
body: 1.0625rem / 1.5rem; 400; 45–75 characters
label: 0.75rem / 1.125rem; 700

A neutral grotesque. The class, not a face: Akzidenz-Grotesk, Univers, Folio and Neue Haas Grotesk/Helvetica were all in use.

The rules behind it

Necessary · our rankingThe rule: typeface-class
Necessary · our rankingThe rule: flush-left
On the recordThe rule: hierarchy-device
On the recordThe rule: hierarchy-limits
On the recordThe rule: few-sizes
On the recordThe rule: baseline-rhythm
On the recordThe rule: measure
Web translationThree sizes and two weights: 1.625, 1.0625 and 0.75rem; 400 and 700. Very few sizes and weights; the exact values are ours. From few-sizes
Web translationLine heights are multiples of half a module (0.75rem): 2.25, 1.5 and 1.125rem. Every line then lands on the grid's baseline rhythm. From baseline-rhythm, module-matrix
Not specified by the sourceThe sources do not specify letter case or tracking. Set text as written and leave tracking at the face's default. Do not add all-caps or wide tracking and call it Swiss.

Grid and layout

Headline Image Text Text Caption Action

Module 1.5remGutter 1.5rem (one module)Margin One module below 40rem, two above

12 ≥ 64rem
6 40–64rem
4 < 40rem

The rules behind it

Necessary · our rankingThe rule: module-matrix
On the recordThe rule: column-count
Web translationAt breakpoints change only the column count; the module stays 1.5rem. The record's note on moving Swiss to screen steps the column count down while keeping module proportion; 1.5rem is this grammar's module. From moving it to screen
Web translationPlace blocks asymmetrically; no centred page layouts or centred headings. Our reading of the argument the record makes, applied to a web page; the record argues it, it does not state it as a rule. From what it argues
Web translationStep 12 → 6 → 4 columns at 64rem and 40rem. The column count steps down while the module stays 1.5rem. From column-count, moving it to screen
Web translationLeave fields empty rather than filling them: white space is unoccupied modules. Elements occupy whole modules, so emptiness is also measured in modules. From module-matrix

Shape and geometry

Radius 0

1px rule between fields

Flat, no elevation

The rectangle is the module

Rounded corners
Drop shadow
Ornament

The rules behind it

On the recordThe rule: zero-radius
On the recordThe rule: no-elevation
On the recordThe rule: hairline-rules
Web translationNo decorative icons, flourishes, dividers or background patterns. Our reading of the record's position on ornament, applied to a web page; the position is not itself a rule. From motif area
Web translationThe rectangle is the module: fields, images and controls are rectangles of whole modules. Every element occupies whole modules of a rectangular matrix. From module-matrix
Not specified by the sourceThe sources do not specify circles, diagonals or other shapes. Use them only where the content itself calls for them, never as a Swiss signature.

Imagery

Photograph · frontal · unmanipulated

Fig. 1 — The caption hangs flush left on the photograph's own column line, in the label size.

Text takes the remaining whole columns. It does not wrap around the image or sit on top of it.

Filters, overlays, duotone
Tilted frames
Illustration

The rules behind it

Web translationUse photographs shot frontally and left untreated; no illustration. Our reading of the record's position on imagery, applied to a web page; the position is not itself a rule. From imagery area
Web translationA page without images is complete. Our reading of the record's position on imagery, applied to a web page; the position is not itself a rule. From imagery area
Necessary · our rankingThe rule: module-matrix
Web translationHang the caption under the image, flush left on the image's own column line, in the label size. Flush-left setting and module alignment applied to the image's text. From flush-left, module-matrix
Web translationNo filters, overlays, duotones or tilted frames. Unmanipulated means the photograph is not treated for mood. From imagery area

Components

The research record does not establish canonical interface conventions for Swiss Style. These four are contemporary translations of its documented visual rules.

Work Studio Writing Contact

Signage and type systems

Wayfinding for public buildings, set on one grid.

Signs, maps and type systems that people read at walking pace.

Project notes, four times a year.

Project 04A hospital, four buildingsSigns, maps and one type system. Project 05A regional railwayTimetables and platform signs. Project 06A concert hallPosters, programmes and a season grid.

Button

default
hover
focus
active
disabled

A flat rectangle on the grid, its label flush left and ranked by weight, with colour kept for the one action that matters.

Input

default
focus
disabled

Email · error

Error: an email address needs an @.

A plain rectangle two modules high with its label above, flush left; errors named in words, marked in the accent.

Navigation

default
hover
current

A row of words on the column lines. The current page is marked by weight and a short rule, not by a pill or a bigger size.

Card

default
hover

Not a floating box: a field of whole modules, opened by a hairline, its content flush left in three sizes at most.

The rules behind it

Web translationborder-radius: 0. The zero-radius rule, applied to a screen button. Swiss print specified no buttons. From zero-radius
Web translationbox-shadow: none, in every state; nothing lifts on hover. The no-elevation rule, applied to a button and its states. Swiss print had no hover. From no-elevation
Web translationRank the primary action by field and weight, not by a bigger size. Rank comes from placement and field; avoiding size-alone ranking is our rule, not a documented Swiss one. A filled field is colour used for a job. From hierarchy-device, hierarchy-limits, colour-roles, ui treatment area
Web translationSet the label flush left inside the rectangle. Flush left governs all setting; centring is what the language refuses. From flush-left, what it argues, ui treatment area
Web translationHeight and padding are whole modules. Every element occupies whole modules. From module-matrix, ui treatment area
Web translationOne 1px rule across the top of the card; no other border. The hairline-rules rule, applied to a card edge. Swiss print specified no cards. From hairline-rules
Web translationbox-shadow: none. The no-elevation rule, applied to a card. Swiss print specified no cards. From no-elevation
Web translationDraw no box: a card is a grid field opened by a rule, not a bordered, shadowed container. Rules separate fields; a four-sided frame and a shadow are ornament and elevation. From hairline-rules, no-elevation, motif area, ui treatment area
Web translationAt most three text sizes inside a card: label, title, body. The few-sizes rule, applied inside a card. Swiss print specified no cards. From few-sizes
Web translationSignal hover by the rule, in the accent. Colour used functionally: it marks the field you are about to open. From colour-roles, ui treatment area
Web translationborder-radius: 0 on the field. The zero-radius rule, applied to a form field. Swiss print specified no inputs. From zero-radius
Web translationPut the label above the field, flush left, never inside it. Flush-left setting, and a label that stays visible. From flush-left, ui treatment area
Web translationGive the field a full 1px border, not a single underline. Hairlines alone are too faint to mark a control; the border is a modern accessibility requirement, not a Swiss one. From ground-ink-contrast, ui treatment area
Web translationMark an error in the accent and in words. Colour is used for a job, never alone. From colour-roles, hierarchy-device, ui treatment area
Web translationThe current item differs by weight and position, never by size. The hierarchy-device rule, applied to navigation. Swiss print specified no navigation. From hierarchy-device
Web translationStart each item on a column line. Every element occupies whole modules. From module-matrix, ui treatment area
Web translationMark the current page by weight plus a short accent rule. Weight is a lawful hierarchy device; the rule is colour used for a job. From hierarchy-device, colour-roles, ui treatment area

Motion

The research record does not establish canonical motion conventions for Swiss Style. This is a contemporary translation of its documented visual rules.

Module 1 of 12

state: 100ms · linear
move: 200ms · cubic-bezier(0.25, 0, 0, 1)
transform: translate only, along the grid axes, by whole modules. No scale, rotate, skew, blur or bounce.
entrance: None by default. Where content must enter, it moves one module along the reading direction and settles on the grid.
hover: A change of field or weight within 100ms. Nothing lifts, grows or glows.
reduced motion: Every move becomes an instant change of position.

The rules behind it

Web translationMotion is optional: every page must work completely without it. The record's position on motion, applied to the screen. The record establishes no motion conventions. From motion-position
Web translationIf something moves, it moves by whole modules and stops on the grid. The matrix is the one structure the language has; motion that ignores it adds a second. From module-matrix, motion-position
Web translationNo easing flourish: a plain ease-out with no overshoot. No ornament: overshoot and bounce are decoration in time. From motif area, motion-position

Sources
Artefacts
Documents

Sources

Show the sources 6 artefacts · 33 documents

Coverage

6 artefacts and 33 documents stand behind 39 of this language's 59 claims. The other 20 are marked as unevidenced wherever they appear.

The accounting — rights, captures and crops

Every artefact is in copyright and none has been licensed, so there are 0 stored images and 0 crops. Each work below is a catalogue record and a link. An artefact nobody can see here still carries weight: Neue Grafik cannot be shown and holds the strongest correction on this page.

Claims: 59
Evidenced: 39
Artefacts: 6
Documents: 33
Images: 0

The six
artefacts

01

Schriftproben und Bestellungen des Schrifttyps "Akzidenz-Grotesk Eng"

H. Berthold AG · 1923–1929

Openly licensed — view at the holding institution

Deutsches Technikmuseum, Berlin. I.2.046 - 386. CC0 1.0 Universell.
What it supports — 1 claim
- Occurrence · Historical source A typography rule — necessary · our ranking Occurrence, deliberately. A period Berthold specimen shows the typeface exists and predates every neo-grotesque by three decades. One artefact never establishes a generalization, and a specimen can never show what a journal was set in — so this supports the "not a neo-grotesque" half of the correction and nothing else. Why we say this: A typography rule — necessary · our ranking — 2 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:typeface-class Sources 2 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation, as occurrence How it is used Historical source Confidence medium, high The journal that exported the style used Akzidenz-Grotesk for its cover template, not the typeface the style is said to require; per one specialist source its text sizes were set in Monotype Grotesque 215/216, because Akzidenz was not available on Monotype machines. Confidence medium deliberately: the typesetting claim rests on one professional secondary source, and the facsimile publisher makes no statement about it.Occurrence, deliberately. A period Berthold specimen shows the typeface exists and predates every neo-grotesque by three decades. One artefact never establishes a generalization, and a specimen can never show what a journal was set in — so this supports the "not a neo-grotesque" half of the correction and nothing else.Neue Haas Grotesk released 1957 and not renamed Helvetica until 1960 — two years into the journal's run. This claim in the research view
02

Neue Grafik / New Graphic Design / Graphisme actuel

Josef Müller-Brockmann, Richard Paul Lohse, Hans Neuburg, Carlo Vivarelli · 1958–1965

Not shown here — view at the holding institution

Neue Grafik, 1958–1965. Facsimile: Lars Müller Publishers, ISBN 978-3-03778-411-2.
What it supports — 6 claims
- Generalisation · Historical source A typography rule — necessary · our ranking The journal that exported the style used Akzidenz-Grotesk for its cover template, not the typeface the style is said to require; per one specialist source its text sizes were set in Monotype Grotesque 215/216, because Akzidenz was not available on Monotype machines. Confidence medium deliberately: the typesetting claim rests on one professional secondary source, and the facsimile publisher makes no statement about it. Why we say this: A typography rule — necessary · our ranking — 2 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:typeface-class Sources 2 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation, as occurrence How it is used Historical source Confidence medium, high The journal that exported the style used Akzidenz-Grotesk for its cover template, not the typeface the style is said to require; per one specialist source its text sizes were set in Monotype Grotesque 215/216, because Akzidenz was not available on Monotype machines. Confidence medium deliberately: the typesetting claim rests on one professional secondary source, and the facsimile publisher makes no statement about it.Occurrence, deliberately. A period Berthold specimen shows the typeface exists and predates every neo-grotesque by three decades. One artefact never establishes a generalization, and a specimen can never show what a journal was set in — so this supports the "not a neo-grotesque" half of the correction and nothing else.Neue Haas Grotesk released 1957 and not renamed Helvetica until 1960 — two years into the journal's run. This claim in the research view
- Generalisation · Exemplar A grid rule — necessary · our ranking The journal demonstrated the modular grid it published. Why we say this: A grid rule — necessary · our ranking — 2 artefacts · 2 documents token_rule:module-matrix Sources 2 artefacts · 2 documents — as generalisation, as occurrence How it is used Exemplar Confidence high The journal demonstrated the modular grid it published. This claim in the research view
- Generalisation · Exemplar Layout: how this area behaves Why we say this: Layout: how this area behaves — 1 artefact · 2 documents slot_posture:layout Sources 1 artefact · 2 documents — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high This claim in the research view
- Generalisation · Exemplar A typography rule — necessary · our ranking Why we say this: A typography rule — necessary · our ranking — 1 artefact · 1 document token_rule:flush-left Sources 1 artefact · 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high This claim in the research view
- Generalisation · Exemplar Regularity: an editorial estimate Supports the direction only. The value remains an editorial seed with no measurement behind it; three records do not establish a distribution. Why we say this: Regularity: an editorial estimate — 1 artefact · 1 document dimension:structural_regularity Sources 1 artefact · 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high Supports the direction only. The value remains an editorial seed with no measurement behind it; three records do not establish a distribution. This claim in the research view
- Generalisation · Exemplar The language uses the Modular grid Why we say this: The language uses the Modular grid — 1 artefact · 1 document module_edge:3FYGRFS9RQVJADJJ6SAWQRAK1B Sources 1 artefact · 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high This claim in the research view
03

Végh-Quartett Musica Viva

Josef Müller-Brockmann · 1958

Not shown here — view at the holding institution

Victoria and Albert Museum, London. E.1302-2004.
What it supports — 1 claim
- Generalisation · Counter example A color rule — seen in the work Green and blue, in the museum's own words. Falsifies the red/black/white triad. Why we say this: A color rule — seen in the work — 3 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:hue-free Sources 3 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation How it is used Counter example, Exemplar Confidence high Green and blue, in the museum's own words. Falsifies the red/black/white triad.Magenta and turquoise, fourteen years later in the same series. This claim in the research view
04

Giselle, Basler Freilichtspiele

Armin Hofmann · 1959

Not shown here — view at the holding institution

© Armin Hofmann. Collection SFMOMA, gift of Aaron Marcus.
What it supports — 2 claims
- Generalisation · Exemplar Imagery: how this area behaves Photographic figure cropped so it reads as a graphic sign rather than a depicted body, integrated with the type. Basel register. Why we say this: Imagery: how this area behaves — 1 artefact · 2 documents slot_posture:imagery Sources 1 artefact · 2 documents — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high Photographic figure cropped so it reads as a graphic sign rather than a depicted body, integrated with the type. Basel register. This claim in the research view
- Generalisation · Exemplar Contrast: an editorial estimate Direction only. Still a seed. Why we say this: Contrast: an editorial estimate — 1 artefact · 1 document dimension:tonal_contrast Sources 1 artefact · 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high Direction only. Still a seed. This claim in the research view
05

Musica Viva

Josef Müller-Brockmann · 1959

Not shown here — view at the holding institution

Victoria and Albert Museum, London. E.1306-2004.
What it supports — 5 claims
- Generalisation · Exemplar A color rule — seen in the work Few flat functional areas: dark rectangles on a single ground. Why we say this: A color rule — seen in the work — 1 artefact · 1 document token_rule:colour-roles Sources 1 artefact · 1 document — as generalisation How it is used Exemplar Confidence high Few flat functional areas: dark rectangles on a single ground. This claim in the research view
- Generalisation · Exemplar A color rule — seen in the work Why we say this: A color rule — seen in the work — 3 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:hue-free Sources 3 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation How it is used Counter example, Exemplar Confidence high Green and blue, in the museum's own words. Falsifies the red/black/white triad.Magenta and turquoise, fourteen years later in the same series. This claim in the research view
- Occurrence · Exemplar A grid rule — necessary · our ranking Why we say this: A grid rule — necessary · our ranking — 2 artefacts · 2 documents token_rule:module-matrix Sources 2 artefacts · 2 documents — as generalisation, as occurrence How it is used Exemplar Confidence high The journal demonstrated the modular grid it published. This claim in the research view
- Occurrence · Exemplar How you recognise it Why we say this: How you recognise it — No evidence recorded yet gestalt Sources No evidence recorded yet This claim in the research view
- Generalisation · Historical source Moving it from print to screen Native medium is print. Everything in the transfer note beyond that is our translation. Why we say this: Moving it from print to screen — 1 artefact · 2 documents transfer_note:print->screen_web Sources 1 artefact · 2 documents — as generalisation How it is used Historical source Confidence high Native medium is print. Everything in the transfer note beyond that is our translation. This claim in the research view
06

Musica Viva

Josef Müller-Brockmann · 1972

Not shown here — view at the holding institution

Victoria and Albert Museum, London. E.1321-2004.
What it supports — 1 claim
- Generalisation · Counter example A color rule — seen in the work Magenta and turquoise, fourteen years later in the same series. Why we say this: A color rule — seen in the work — 3 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:hue-free Sources 3 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation How it is used Counter example, Exemplar Confidence high Green and blue, in the museum's own words. Falsifies the red/black/white triad.Magenta and turquoise, fourteen years later in the same series. This claim in the research view

The palettes,
in the words
on the record

Two of the artefacts above are here for one reason: they disprove something widely believed about this language. We went looking for them. One designer, one poster series, three unrelated palettes.

The finding is the conclusion, not the transcript: red, black and white is not the Swiss palette. It is a later cliché, and the record refutes it with the museums' own colour words. Why we say this: A color rule — seen in the work — 3 artefacts · 3 documents token_rule:hue-free Sources 3 artefacts · 3 documents — as generalisation How it is used Counter example, Exemplar Confidence high Green and blue, in the museum's own words. Falsifies the red/black/white triad.Magenta and turquoise, fourteen years later in the same series. This claim in the research view

The colour words on the record — 3 palettes

green + blue

1958 · E.1302-2004 · disproves the triad
red

1959 · E.1306-2004
magenta + turquoise

1972 · E.1321-2004 · disproves the triad

These fields are our illustration, not the artefacts. The museums record these palettes as words, so the fields above are the named colours those words refer to — nothing here was sampled from a poster, and no exact value is claimed.

How this
page was
made

Research: Partly sourced
Build guidance: 38 rules recorded
Origin: Market convention
Passed on by: Institutional

Guidance begins here: at layer 02. Every setting decision there executes a rule this record holds, and names it. What the language does not license: navigation, layering, links, disclosure, and the fact that you are reading this in a browser. Those are our decisions.

Where this page breaks its own guidance: the composition runs to six type sizes and leans on display scale to carry rank. The rule on type sizes asks for very few sizes; our own rule on hierarchy rules out hierarchy carried by size alone. Layer 02 keeps to three sizes, two weights and position. This page does not, because it is a poster on an editorial canvas rather than a specimen — a decision of ours, not a Swiss rule.

Four compositions of ours, one grid, one content set make the contrast set in Learn; each is an illustration, not an instruction. Demonstration B: The specimen, the intervals and the weight pair are ours; ranking by placement on the grid is the record's. The hue demonstration's composition is ours and its three words are the museums': No poster looked like this, and no value is claimed. Grid drawings use 12 columns, the top of our own range.

Devices, scored. How telling is how much seeing a device narrows the answer to this language; how strongly expressed is how hard this language leans on it.

Modular grid: 3/3 how telling · 3/3 how strongly expressed

What changed, and why. The reasoning behind the five corrections in Learn.

Does Swiss Style require Helvetica?

This correction rests on one professional secondary source. Three further sources checked during the pass — the facsimile publisher, a type foundry and a trade magazine — say nothing about the journal's typesetting, so the evidence link is pinned at medium confidence rather than promoted to match the claim's importance. The previous wording said "neo-grotesk", which is narrower than the evidence; it then said Neue Grafik "was set in Akzidenz-Grotesk", which is broader than the evidence. The attested instance is cover-specific: Akzidenz-Grotesk Medium is identified on the No. 1 (September 1958) cover of Neue Grafik, the movement's own journal, designed by Carlo Vivarelli. Akzidenz-Grotesk is not a neo-grotesque, and one documented instance in the movement's own journal is sufficient to refute a neo-grotesque-only rule, because a universal claim falls to a single counterexample. Scope, stated explicitly: this is evidence about one cover, not evidence that all eighteen issues (1958-1965) were set in Akzidenz-Grotesk — four checks, including Fonts In Use, are silent on the journal-wide version. The phrase "a 19th-century grotesque" is also withdrawn: the verified period specimen is 1923-29 of the Eng cut, which establishes "not a neo-grotesque" decisively and "19th-century" not at all. "Swiss Style requires Helvetica" is independently false on chronology: Helvetica was not named until 1960, two years into the journal's run.

Is red, black and white the Swiss Style palette?

Three catalogued Müller-Brockmann Musica Viva posters from one series carry three unrelated palettes: green and blue (1958), red (1959), magenta and turquoise (1972). They refute red, black and white as the Swiss palette. Three posters by one designer cannot show that every hue is open to Swiss Style, so the rule now says only that no particular hue is required. Previously: "Choose hue freely. No hue is required and none is forbidden."

How many type sizes does a Swiss Style composition use?

This rule previously said "on the order of three", derived from a single documented instance (Ruder's 1961 TM Univers issue). One instance supports the pattern and not the number, so the figure has been removed from anything an agent reads as binding.

Does Swiss Style forbid texture?

The research found no evidence of a surface constraint beyond the general anti-ornament position, and recorded it as "do not fill". Our previous "flat, no texture" was an inference from the ornament prohibition, which is a different claim. Unknown is the honest value.

Does Swiss Style say anything about interfaces or motion?

The language predates interactive media entirely, so there is no interface for it to take a position on. Anything said here is contemporary translation and belongs in the transfer note, not in the area itself. Previously recorded as prohibited, which asserted a refusal the movement was never in a position to make.

Inspect the record

Every statement here carries a mark. Open it to see where the claim came from and how sure we are.

Show all sources

Research view · every claim address and what backs each one
Second reading · the same record drawn as a working drawing
Mix · side by side with Manga and Modern SaaS
Mix · see where its rules collide with another Aesthetic's
Structured data · the record as JSON, as an agent receives it
Suggest a correction · or request deeper research

Contributor assets

The specimen tray and the discussion need JavaScript. The record itself never does.

Work made with this language — a poster, a page, a type setting. Every submission is reviewed before it appears here; nothing on the record above can be changed from this tray.

Nothing in the tray yet.

Add a specimen

The discussion

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How you recognise it

Three ofthese arenot this

What it is

What it argues

What it gives up

Who it assumes

What tellsyou it isthis

Modular grid

Where it varies, and how it travelled

Variation inside the language

What theresearchchanged

Does Swiss Style require Helvetica?

Is red, black and white the Swiss Style palette?

How many type sizes does a Swiss Style composition use?

Does Swiss Style forbid texture?

Does Swiss Style say anything about interfaces or motion?

What it is not

The record’s ten areas

Layout

Typography

Color

Imagery

Surface

Interface

Motion

Motif

Technique

Form

Open questions

Moving it to screen

Does not survive

Coverage

The sixartefacts

Schriftproben und Bestellungen des Schrifttyps "Akzidenz-Grotesk Eng"

Neue Grafik / New Graphic Design / Graphisme actuel

Végh-Quartett Musica Viva

Giselle, Basler Freilichtspiele

Musica Viva

Musica Viva

The palettes,in the wordson the record

How thispage wasmade

Does Swiss Style require Helvetica?

Is red, black and white the Swiss Style palette?

How many type sizes does a Swiss Style composition use?

Does Swiss Style forbid texture?

Does Swiss Style say anything about interfaces or motion?

Inspect the record

Contributor assets

The discussion

Three of
these are
not this

What tells
you it is
this

What the
research
changed

The six
artefacts

The palettes,
in the words
on the record

How this
page was
made