Carbon Design System vs Swiss
Carbon Design System / スイス・スタイル
Carbon Design System comes from Platform Screen Languages and Swiss from Functionalism. They are reached for with some of the same intent, which is where they get confused.
Carbon Design System
IBM's system for data-heavy enterprise products, combining a strict grid, IBM Plex type and compact components so complex work remains legible.
Swiss
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Puts order front and center and makes the information itself the protagonist.
| Carbon Design System | Swiss | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 2015– | 1950s– |
| Family | Platform Screen Languages | Functionalism |
| Kind | Style | Style |
| Cues | IBM Plex and strong type hierarchy / White or deep-gray work surfaces / Dense tables, filters and side navigation / Blue reserved for action and focus | Strict grid / Sans-serif type / Asymmetry / Objective photography |
| Best used for | Enterprise software with many states and permissions · Keeping analytics, operations and forms coherent across products | Making complex information fast to read · Giving an organization rationality and transparency |
| Type | Use IBM Plex with compact labels and a clearly stepped hierarchy. | Neutral sans-serif; be bold with size contrast |
| Composition | Anchor dense modules to a 2x grid and keep navigation, work and detail zones distinct. | 12-column grid, left-aligned, asymmetric |
| Material | Build with neutral layers, fine borders and blue only for interaction. | White space and objective photographs; almost no ornament |
| Caution | Plex and blue do not make a product Carbon. Density, states and grid behavior must follow the same system. | Too much tidiness turns anonymous. Keep one strong jump in scale. |