Swiss
スイス・スタイル / 1950s– / Style / Functionalism
Puts order front and center and makes the information itself the protagonist.
At a glance
Visual cues
- Strict grid
- Sans-serif type
- Asymmetry
- Objective photography
Best used for
- Making complex information fast to read
- Giving an organization rationality and transparency
Use this style
Take the compact brief into a project or hand the structured version to an AI tool.
Detailed guidance and sourcesProduction rules, reference works, comparisons, research and citation formats
Dictionary entry
- Type
- Neutral sans-serif; be bold with size contrast
- Composition
- 12-column grid, left-aligned, asymmetric
- Material
- White space and objective photographs; almost no ornament
- Caution
- Too much tidiness turns anonymous. Keep one strong jump in scale.
- Further study
- Josef Müller-Brockmann / Armin Hofmann
Related entries
- Swiss Punk Typography (スイス・パンク・タイポグラフィ)Editorially linked for a useful contrast.Compare Swiss and Swiss Punk Typography
- Minimalism (ミニマリズム)Same Functionalism lineage.Compare Swiss and Minimalism
Often confused with
More from Functionalism
Continue through styles in the same Functionalism family, prioritised by shared effects.
- Modernism (モダニズム)Shared effects: Trust / Calm.
- Bauhaus (バウハウス)Shared effects: Trust.
Browse all Functionalism entries
Cite this entry
The dictionary is meant to be linked to. Take whichever form fits where you are writing.
- Link
- https://indexstyle.org/styles/swiss
- Markdown
- [Swiss — IndexStyle](https://indexstyle.org/styles/swiss)
- HTML
- <a href="https://indexstyle.org/styles/swiss">Swiss — IndexStyle</a>