Compose two styles
Rather than blending two styles into a middle, this assigns them roles: one carries the structure, the other appears as an accent. Where the two fight, it says so before you start.
How to divide the work
- Composition
- Follow GOV.UK Design System: Hold the content to a single narrow column and align every element to one left rule. No multi column layouts and no boxes, because a horizontal rule is the only break between topics.
- Type
- Set in GOV.UK Design System's manner (One sans serif only, in five fixed sizes with nothing in between. Headings are bold and body text sits at 19px.), and let Swiss's lettering (Neutral sans-serif; be bold with size contrast) appear only where you want the eye to catch.
- Material
- Ground in GOV.UK Design System's material (Colour is tied to meaning and never used decoratively. Buttons keep a corner radius of zero and gain their thickness from a band of their own darker shade along the bottom edge. The focus state is always yellow ground with a black underline.); bring in exactly one thing from Swiss (White space and objective photographs; almost no ornament).
- Colour
- Build on #0B0C0C, #FFDD00, #0F7A52 and admit one accent from #f1efe8, #ed3b22, #121210.
Where they fight
These two are already listed as related, so the join should come easily.
Caution
- GOV.UK Design System Tidying the look by rounding button corners or thinning the borders on form inputs deletes the two signals this style relies on entirely, the pressable thickness and the position of focus.
- Swiss Too much tidiness turns anonymous. Keep one strong jump in scale.
Image prompt
An original image that takes its structure from GOV.UK Design System (Style, 2012–) and its accent from Swiss (Style, 1950s–). Structural cues: One undecorated left aligned column, with almost no boxes and no shadows; A green button with square corners and a darker green band along its bottom edge, which drops by that exact depth when pressed; Whatever holds keyboard focus turns yellow with a black rule drawn beneath it; Type sizes step coarsely through 48, 36, 24, 19 and 16px with nothing in between. Accent cues, used sparingly: Strict grid; Sans-serif type; Asymmetry; Objective photography. Composition: Hold the content to a single narrow column and align every element to one left rule. No multi column layouts and no boxes, because a horizontal rule is the only break between topics.. Type and lettering: One sans serif only, in five fixed sizes with nothing in between. Headings are bold and body text sits at 19px.. Let one material quality come from the second style: White space and objective photographs; almost no ornament. Mood: Trust, Calm, Technology. Color: build on #0B0C0C, #FFDD00, #0F7A52 with a single accent drawn from #f1efe8, #ed3b22, #121210. Constraints: do not imitate, reference or name any specific artist, studio, brand, character or copyrighted work. Produce an original composition in the general period languages described above.
Related entries
- GOV.UK Design System 2012– / Style / Design Systems
The design language the UK government's Government Digital Service publishes and maintains for public services. Everything runs in one undecorated left aligned column set in GDS Transport, and the green button keeps square corners while carrying a darker green band along its bottom edge, dropping by exactly that depth when pressed. Whatever holds keyboard focus turns yellow with a black rule under it.
- Swiss 1950s– / Style / Functionalism
Puts order front and center and makes the information itself the protagonist.
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