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STYLE / PERIOD
Swiss Style, also known as International Typographic Style, was founded in Switzerland. It spread across Russia, Germany, and the Netherlands in the 1920’s before it became an international movement in the 1950’s.
The style was greatly influenced by the “form follows function” principle of the 1930’s, which emphasized simplicity and functionality. As a result, this guiding philosophy is a cornerstone of Swiss Style’s approach, as highlighted by Diogo Terror in 2009. In Smashing Magazine, Terror noted that the style prioritized a keen attention to detail, precision, and craftsmanship. Furthermore, he emphasized a
“…system of education and technical training, a high standard of printing as well as a clear refined and inventive lettering and typography laid out a foundation for a new movement that has been exported worldwide in 1960s to become an international style.”
(Terror, Diogo, 2009)
Move Away From Illustration
Swiss Style deliberately moved away from illustration, seeking instead a universal, neutral approach to communication in design. The movement aimed to transcend political and cultural differences. This was especially true during the 1950-60’s. It found influence in the Bauhaus designers who shared a similar vision.
Emil Ruder (1914-1970) was a notable figure in Swiss Style. Over time, he expanded the style’s influence by founding the International Typographic Arts in New York in 1962. Ruder strongly advocated for a balance between form and function, believing that legibility and readability were paramount. To illustrate this, below are examples of two of his poster designs, illustrating his commitment to these principles.
The American version of the International Typography came into fruition in the 1950’s. This version maintains the original content while enhancing the readability and logical flow. At that time, two of the most famous designers were pivotal figures in the movement; Saul Bass and Paul Rand. Both designers were based in New York, and significantly contributed to this shift. Indeed, their work helped shape the American approach. It resulted in a version of the style that was freer. This version was also more personal. Moreover, this approach moved ahead with a strong focus on commercial design and branding. As a result, this period is widely recognized as a significant movement in design history. It formed the foundation for much of the work that graphic designers engage in today. This includes corporate identity, logo design, advertising, and more.
THEMES
Influenced by the International Typographic Style, this American adaptation embraced a personal touch and visual storytelling. While rooted in the simplicity and minimalism of Swiss Style, it sought to communicate universally—free from cultural or political bias.
It creates a form of “trust” in a brand. It often creates a psychological and emotional effect. We see this, for example, in many film poster designs of that time.
Key Themes:
- The movement was heavily influenced by International Typographic Style.
- At the same time, it allowed for a personal design sense.
- Additionally, it enabled visual storytelling.
- In many ways, it was an American adaption of Swiss Style.
- During this period, commercial and branding needs were at the forefront, with corporate identity becoming increasingly important in advertising. As a result, companies began collaborating with professional graphic designers.
- Often, the style was characterized by simplicity and minimalistic elements.
- Furthermore, it aimed to create a universal way to communicate a design neutrally and free from, for example, political differences.
Below are images that highlight the key themes of this influential design movement:
MAIN PRACTITIONERS
Paul Rand (1914-1996)
Paul Rand was a towering figure in 20th-century graphic design. In particular, he was heavily influenced by the Swiss Style. Additionally, European avant-garde movements like Constructivism, De Stijl, and Bauhaus played a significant role in shaping his work. According to the Paul Rand website (2015), he creatively introduced European avant-garde art movements into American graphic design. Moreover, the website highlights how he blended concepts like Cubism and Constructivism with a unique problem-solving approach. Furthermore, it notes his
“…visually stimulating, yet problem-solving, approach to graphic design”.
“Everything Is Design: The Work of Paul Rand” (Paul Rand Website, 2015)
Rand’s contributions were particularly impactful in corporate identity design. He pioneered the principles of logo design, creating iconic identities still recognized today, like IBM and UPS. Rand is attributed to stating that:
“A logo cannot survive unless it is designed with the utmost simplicity and restraint.“
“Graphic Design Visionaries” (Paul Rand Website, 2015)
By elevating corporate design, Rand not only brought recognition to graphic designers but also expanded the industry’s opportunities. His distinctive visual voice played a pivotal role in transforming advertising and shaping modern branding.
In 2015, Rand’s work was celebrated in the New York exhibition Everything Is Design: The Work of Paul Rand. For me, seeing over 50 pieces from his portfolio provided a striking reminder of his enduring influence. Moreover, his designs have a timeless quality. It was truly remarkable to see how relevant his work remains today, emphasizing his lasting influence on design.
Saul Bass (1920-1996)
Saul Bass is another giant of mid-20th-century design, recognized for his corporate logos and groundbreaking work in film. Among his well-known logo designs are those for Kleenex, Continental Airlines, and AT&T. However, his most celebrated legacy likely lies in his poster designs and film credit sequences.
Bass was born in the Bronx, NYC. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1940’s. There, he began collaborating with Hollywood legends like Alfred Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese. As a result, he revolutionized film credits, transforming them from dull, static lists into dynamic visual storytelling. In particular, he incorporated dashing letters and images. One notable example of this is his work on The Man with the Golden Arm (1955). Not only did it introduce kinetic typography and minimalist imagery, but it also set the tone for the film. Consequently, his innovative approach made him a pioneer in merging graphic design with cinematic art.
Bass’s style was defined by simplicity and ingenuity. He often used bold silhouettes and negative space to evoke powerful emotions and narratives. His “cut-paper” technique became a signature of his posters, influencing countless contemporary designers.
Even decades later, Bass’s work continues to inspire, with his innovative techniques still apparent in modern branding and film design.
Reflections on Saul Bass
Saul Bass’s work captivates me with its ability to tell compelling stories and evoke powerful moods through minimalistic design. His posters are marked by simplicity and precision. Moreover, he effectively uses typography to create psychological and emotional depth, drawing viewers into the experience.
His distinctive “cut-paper” style marks a hallmark of 1950 and 60’s design. Not only did it stand out as a groundbreaking approach, but it also reshaped the graphic design landscape. Furthermore, Bass was a master of typography, seamlessly integrating text and imagery. This integration enhanced his visual narratives.
I personally admire his ability to achieve so much with so little, making his minimalist style both timeless and inspiring. Even today, Bass’s work remains a testament to the enduring power of simplicity in design.
FORCES THAT SHAPED THE MOVEMENT
The years after World War II marked a time of dramatic transformation in America. Corporate expansion was booming, and society gravitated towards wealth-building and stable family life. This post-war era also saw the rise of materialism and commercialism, which profoundly influenced the cultural landscape. For graphic design, this period marked a groundbreaking shift. It gave birth to corporate logos and branding as we know them today.
Amid this evolution, designers sought to break free from the illustrative styles that had earlier dominated. They aimed to create a universal and neutral visual language—one that would transcend political and cultural divides. This aspiration became the foundation of the International Typographic Style. It was adapted and evolved in NYC to meet the needs of a new, commercially driven America.
ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS
Typography: A New Experimentation
Typography played a pivotal role in this movement. Designers like Saul Bass and Paul Rand pushed boundaries, experimenting with functional yet creative typefaces. Rand, a staunch advocate of minimalism, embraced clean serif and sans-serif typefaces, often incorporating handwritten elements. Rand was known as a lover of minimal typography styles. According to TypeRoom, Rand’s typography reflected a careful balance between functionality and artistry, emphasizing simplicity and clarity.
Rand also explored unconventional approaches, like shaping letters to form visual elements. His work consistently showcased geometric precision, often enhanced by playful or thought-provoking arrangements. As mentioned, Bass’s “cut-paper” style of typography became a well-recognized style from the 1950 and 60’s.
“Rand used strictly the most functional serif and sans-serif typefaces, combined with his own handwriting”
Typeroom (Unknown, 2015)
Margaret Penney of Envato highlights that typography in this era was clean, sans-serif, and mostly geometric. Some variations, like slab serifs, found their place as well.
“…clean, san serif and mostly geometric, however some slab serifs and fat faces were used too”
Envato (Penney, Margaret, 2017)
There was an experimental process in Typography with Rand using shapes as letters. Below is an example of his hand-cut style.
Key Attributes of NYC Typography
Layout:
Unlike earlier graphic design movements, NYC’s adaptation of the International Typographic Style loosened rigid rules. Designers focused on ensuring every design element had a purpose. These elements were also aesthetically pleasing. They aimed to evoke emotion, tell a story, or simply enhance visual appeal. The simplicity and clarity of these layouts ensured messages were impactful and memorable.
Forms and Motifs:
Paul Rand famously remarked
“You can’t criticize geometry; it’s never wrong.”
Helfand, Jessica, (1994), Poetic Lines From the Graphics
Like many other designers of the mid-century, he used bold, simple geometric shapes. His designs had clean-cut lines. He saw these as essential tools for conveying clear visual messages. Similarly, Saul Bass incorporated geometric minimalism into his work but often added human elements, like silhouettes or hand-drawn figures. The purpose was to visually create a message (and feeling) within the work. These cut-out shapes assisted in creating an eerie/horror feel to a lot of his movie poster work. This held emotional depth, creating powerful atmospheres, especially in his movie posters.
Negative Space:
A hallmark of NYC’s New Typography was its confident use of negative space. Bass and Rand excelled at stripping designs down to their essentials. They used negative space to guide the viewer’s eye. This technique amplified their messages. Bass’s posters, for example, often used empty areas to evoke an eerie, unsettling tone, particularly in his cut-out silhouette designs. The aim is not to overwhelm the audience/viewer but to be direct and to the point.
This era of design was shaped by post-war aspirations and an evolving commercial landscape. It was not just about aesthetics. It was also about creating universal, enduring messages. Designers like Rand and Bass redefined the possibilities of typography, layout, and negative space. They left a legacy that continues to influence contemporary design.
SIMILARITIES TO CONTEMPORARY DESIGN / DESIGNERS?
Paul Rand, often hailed as the “Father of Graphic Design,” profoundly shaped the foundations of modern logo and branding identity. His minimalist approach and timeless design principles continue to influence contemporary designers. As a result, his legacy remains an integral part of today’s graphic design landscape. In fact, many of the techniques and philosophies Rand introduced—including simplicity, functionality, and clarity—are now considered cornerstones of modern branding.
Saul Bass’s influence is equally enduring, particularly in film poster design. His ability to convey mood and story through minimalist shapes and bold typography remains a source of inspiration. For example, the below poster for the movie Precious, designed by Ignition Creatives, demonstrates a clear homage to Bass. It uses striking simplicity and strong visual elements. It communicates a narrative and shows how Bass’s style still resonates in contemporary film marketing.
Rand and Bass set the stage for today’s design approaches. They highlighted the power of minimalism. They also emphasized storytelling. These principles stay at the heart of effective design today.
CONTEMPORARY DESIGN REVIEW: PRECIOUS POSTER
As mentioned, I selected the poster ‘Precious’ (Ignition Creative) as a contemporary comparison to the work of Saul Bass. As a comparative, I chose Saul Bass’s poster for the film ‘Anatomy of a Murder’.
Product & Purpose
Both are film posters.
Influence & Historical Comparison
Both posters use iconic designs that share noticeable similarities, particularly in their use of color and composition. Noted influences of Bass, used in the Precious poster design, are listed below.
- There is an eerie feeling achieved in Bass’s work whereby the body is lying as if hacked and disjoint. The Precious poster uses a similar effect. The person appears to be walking away from the eye line of the audience. It creates more of a sense of isolation. It also portrays a broken person. This sense of unknown and mystery captivates the audience. They wonder about the identity of the faceless person. They also ponder what the person is going through.
- There is some resemblance in the typography. The capital letters used in the title of Precious are especially akin to the credits within the Bass poster. Nevertheless, there is quite a difference in much of the remaining typography used throughout the posters (e.g. the letters within the Bass silhouette.)
- The color scheme in both posters is noticeably similar, using an orange background and black for the topic matter. Much of the font is black too. However, the Precious poster does have a rougher black texture throughout its orange background. I believe that this texture creates a rougher feel than the clean-cut orange of Bass’s poster.
How does it differ from the NYC International Typographic Style?
One notable difference lies in the layout. The Precious poster follows a more conventional film poster format, incorporating traditional promotional elements. In contrast, Bass’s design takes a more abstract approach. It splits the composition into two distinct sections, which adds to its experimental and innovative nature.
These distinctions highlight how modern designers can draw inspiration from mid-century design movements. They adapt these inspirations to suit contemporary storytelling and visual language.
PICTOGRAPHY
Fig 1: Anonymous, (no date), Duelling Beliefs. Available at https://brandyhuxley.wordpress.com/tag/history/ (Accessed: 09 May 2024)
Fig 2: Anonymous (COURTESY OF MUSEUM OF CITY OF NY/PRIVATE COLLECTION), (no date), Rand’s cover for Jazzways magazine. Available at https://www.wired.com/2015/04/paul-rand-visionary-showed-us-design-matters/ (Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Fig 3: Anonymous, (no date), Vertigo, Saul Bass Poster. Available at https://studio2d.com/spotlight-on-saul-bass/ (Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Fig 4: Anonymous, (no date), Jan Tschichold Brochure. Available at https://www.behance.net/gallery/21505399/Jan-Tschichold-Brochure- (Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Fig 5: Anonymous, (no date), Fabian Burghardt’s swiss style color picker. Available at https://meccinteriors.com/ (Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Fig 6: Video Clip – Bass, Saul, (1955), Saul Bass Opening Credits The Man With The Golden Arm. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhwsLS1XolU/ (Accessed: 06 Nov 2024)
Fig 7: Anonymous, (no date), No title (Article title: Design style: Mid-century modern for graphic designers). Available at https://medium.com/envato/a-mid-century-modern-primer-for-graphic-designers-d9120ee5c630 (Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Fig 8: Ignition Creative, (2009), Previous. Available at http://www.impawards.com/2009/precious.html (Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Fig 9: Bass, Saul, (1959), ANATOMY OF A MURDER (1959) One sheet movie poster. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy_of_a_Murder#/media/File:AnatomyMurder2.jpg (Accessed: 10 Nov 2024)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Terror, Diogo, (2009), “Lessons From Swiss Style Graphic Design”, Smashing Magazine, July 17. Available at https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/07/lessons-from-swiss-style-graphic-design/ (Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Anonymous, “Everything Is Design: The Work of Paul Rand” [on-line], 2015, at https://www.paulrand.design/life/events-exhibits/exhibits/2015-everything-is-design.html (Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Rand, Paul, (1985), “Graphic Design Visionaries”, Paul Rand official website, 2015. Available at https://www.paulrand.design/life/books-articles/articles/print/2015-graphic-design-visionaries.html (Accessed: 26 January 2025)
Anonymous, “Paul Rand” [online], (2015), Available at https://www.typeroom.eu/paul-rand#:~:text=A%20lover%20of%20minimal%20typography,more%20important%20than%20a%20billboard. (Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Penney, Margaret (Envato), “Design style: Mid-century modern for graphic designers” [on-line], (2017), Available at https://medium.com/envato/a-mid-century-modern-primer-for-graphic-designers-d9120ee5c630 (Accessed: 25 May 2021)
Helfand, Jessica (Paul Rand Design), “Poetic Poetic Lines From The Graphics-Art Drawing Board” [on-line], (1994), Available at https://www.paulrand.design/life/books-articles/articles/online/1994-poetic-lines.html
Gorman, Isobel, (2021), week 4 slides
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