Punk vs Swiss
パンク / スイス・スタイル
Punk comes from Counterculture and Swiss from Functionalism. They are reached for with different intent, which is the fastest way to tell them apart.
Punk
A DIY objection to the authority of the tidy, made by cutting, pasting and dirtying.
Swiss
Puts order front and center and makes the information itself the protagonist.
| Punk | Swiss | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 1970s–1980s | 1950s– |
| Family | Counterculture | Functionalism |
| Kind | Style | Style |
| Cues | Cut-and-paste letters / Photocopier noise / Handwriting / Ragged placement | Strict grid / Sans-serif type / Asymmetry / Objective photography |
| Best used for | Voicing dissent against the rules · Giving events and communities a raw voice | Making complex information fast to read · Giving an organization rationality and transparency |
| Type | Mix newsprint letters, handwriting and stamps | Neutral sans-serif; be bold with size contrast |
| Composition | Deliberate misalignment and overlap; disturb even the margins | 12-column grid, left-aligned, asymmetric |
| Material | Copier paper, tears, black plus a warning color | White space and objective photographs; almost no ornament |
| Caution | Borrowed rebellion is hollow. Decide what you are protesting first. | Too much tidiness turns anonymous. Keep one strong jump in scale. |