Minimalism vs Swiss

ミニマリズム / スイス・スタイル

Both sit in Functionalism, so the question is not what they belong to but how they behave. Both are read here as style. They are reached for with some of the same intent, which is where they get confused.

Minimalism

Minimalism — Agnes Martin 作品, SFMOMA 展示 — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0Minimalism — Agnes Martin 作品群, SFMOMA 展示 — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0Minimalism — Dan Flavin《Untitled (to Don Judd, Colorist) 1–5》1987, Tate Modern — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

Removes elements to maximize the meaning and tension of what remains.

Swiss

Swiss — Josef Müller-Brockmann《Beethoven》ポスター 1955 — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0Swiss — Josef Müller-Brockmann《Musica Viva》ポスター — Wikimedia Commons / Public domainSwiss — Josef Müller-Brockmann《der Film》ポスター — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

Puts order front and center and makes the information itself the protagonist.

MinimalismSwiss
Era1960s–1950s–
FamilyFunctionalismFunctionalism
KindStyleStyle
CuesVast white space / Few elements / Quiet color / Precise spacingStrict grid / Sans-serif type / Asymmetry / Objective photography
Best used forFocusing attention on a single value · Letting quality speak quietlyMaking complex information fast to read · Giving an organization rationality and transparency
TypeA light sans-serif or a well-cut serifNeutral sans-serif; be bold with size contrast
CompositionOne message, one focal point, wide margins12-column grid, left-aligned, asymmetric
MaterialNearly achromatic; texture in exactly one placeWhite space and objective photographs; almost no ornament
CautionMissing information is not minimal. Decide priorities before you cut.Too much tidiness turns anonymous. Keep one strong jump in scale.

Put these two together

Functionalism

IndexStyle