Gradient Mesh vs Swiss
グラデーション・メッシュ / スイス・スタイル
Gradient Mesh comes from Painting Techniques and Swiss from Functionalism. One is technique and the other style. They are reached for with some of the same intent, which is where they get confused.
Gradient Mesh
Blends several color focal points smoothly, giving a flat plane the depth of light and atmosphere.
Swiss
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Puts order front and center and makes the information itself the protagonist.
| Gradient Mesh | Swiss | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | digital–contemporary | 1950s– |
| Family | Painting Techniques | Functionalism |
| Kind | Technique | Style |
| Cues | Multi-point gradients / Bleeding light / Large color fields / Soft depth | Strict grid / Sans-serif type / Asymmetry / Objective photography |
| Best used for | An emotional backdrop for abstract service value · Rich atmosphere without photography | Making complex information fast to read · Giving an organization rationality and transparency |
| Type | Keep the type solid and sharp-edged | Neutral sans-serif; be bold with size contrast |
| Composition | Offset the color's focus from the type's focus; protect the margins | 12-column grid, left-aligned, asymmetric |
| Material | Three or four colors, low noise, a core of light and dark | White space and objective photographs; almost no ornament |
| Caution | Check contrast on the real screen so the ground never swallows the type. | Too much tidiness turns anonymous. Keep one strong jump in scale. |