Page 26 - Graphic Design and Print Production Fundamentals

1.6 International Typographic Style

Alex Hass

International Typographic Style (ITS), also known as the Swiss Style, emerged in Switzerland and
Germany in the 1950s. ITS became known for design that emphasized objective clarity through the use
of compositional grids and sans serif typography as the primary design material (or element).

Guiding Principles

ITS was built on the shoulders of the ‘less is more’ ideal of the German Werkbund and the Bauhaus
school. But its pioneers pursued ideologies that had much more depth and subtlety. Ernst Keller, whose
work in design spanned over four decades, brought an approach to problem solving that was unique.
His contribution to design was in defining the problem. For Keller, the solution to a design problem
rested in its content. Content-driven design is now a standard practice. Max Bill, another pioneer,
brought a purist approach to design that he had been developing since the 1930s. He was instrumental in
forming Germany’s Ulm School of Design, famous for its ITS approach. The school introduced Greek
rhetorical devices to amplify concept generation and produce greater conceptual work, while the study of
semiotics (creating and understanding symbols and the study of sending and receiving visual messages)
allowed its design students to understand the parameters of communication in a more scientific and
studied way. At this time, there was also a greater interest in visual complexity. Max Huber, a designer
known for his excellent manipulation of presses and inks, layered intense colours and composed chaotic
compositions while maintaining harmony through the use of complex grids that structured and unified
the elements. He was one of many designers who began using grids in strategic ways. ITS design
is now known for its use of anchored elements within a mathematical grid. A grid is the “most
legible and harmonious means for structuring information” (Meggs & Purvis, 2011, p. 355). Visual
composition changed in many ways due to the grid. Design was already moving toward asymmetrical
compositions, but now even the design of text blocks changed — from justified text to aligned flush
left, ragged right. Fonts chosen for the text changed from serif fonts to sans serif, a type style believed
to “express the spirit of a more progressive age” by early designers in the movement. Sans-serif
typefaces like Helvetica, Univers, and Akzidenz Grotesk were favoured because they reflected the ideals
of a progressive culture more than traditional serif fonts like Times or Garamond. ITS balanced the
stabilizing visual qualities of cleanliness, readability, and objectivity with the dynamic use of negative
space, asymmetrical composition, and full background photography.

Photography

ITS did not use illustrations and drawings because of their inherent subjectivity. Photography was
preferred because of its objective qualities, and was heavily used to balance and organically complement
the typography and its structured organizational grid. Often the photograph sat in the background with
the type designed to sit within it; the two composed to strengthen each other to create a cohesive whole.
ITS refined the presentation of information to allow the content to be understood clearly and cleanly,

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