Why Every Designer Should Know About Swiss Design.

The History, Principles, Why it Works & Why You Should Care

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As a product designer, you’ve likely come across terms like “minimalism,” “grid systems,” and “typography-driven design.” But did you know these principles stem from a revolutionary design movement called Swiss Design? Born out of necessity for clarity and functionality, Swiss Design has shaped modern design as we know it. From corporate branding to user interfaces, its influence is far-reaching and timeless.

I stumbled upon the history and culture of Swiss Design a few weeks ago.

This article explores why Swiss Design is more than just a historical movement—it’s a blueprint for product designers who want to create intuitive, impactful, and aesthetically pleasing designs.

What Is Swiss Design?

Swiss Design, also known as the International Typographic Style emerged in Switzerland and Germany in the 1940s and 1950s. This design movement was characterized by its emphasis on simplicity, functionality, and precision.

Principles of Swiss Design

Grid-Based Layouts:

Swiss Grid Layouts

Swiss Design relies heavily on grids to create structure and balance. Grids help designers align elements, ensuring consistency across layouts and interfaces.

Notice the clean design with well aligned elements

Sans-Serif Typography:

Clean and Legible nature of Sans-serif fonts

Swiss Design elevates typography from a mere communication tool to a key visual element.

Fonts like Helvetica and Akzidenz-Grotesk, with their clean, sans-serif style, became the backbone of this movement.

Jose Muller-Brockmann, one of the key figures in the development of Swiss Design always preferred sans-serif typefaces for their clean…