week 6-part2

Swiss/International

http://thumb1.visualizeus.com/thumbs/08/08/03/berg,blue,design,fortner,grafik,graphic,design,international,typographic,style,josef,muller,brockmann,layout,poster,swiss-a4a3dd9c5c0f5e30195de8e5eee30783_m.jpg

The style was developed in Switzerland hence the name, it is also known as 'The International Typographic Style' and overlapped with Modernism from 1945-1985. Often based on pure geometry the clarity and order to the style was ideal to produce something socially useful, scientific and accessible. It was a strict clean style emphasising readability and objectivity often using Sans Serif typefaces, a grid and an asymmetric layout.

http://www.achievement.org/achievers/joh0/large/joh0-023.jpg

A good example of Swiss/International style can be seen in many buildings in Chicago, the architectural design done by Mies van der Rohe. It illustrates the styles focus on cleanliness and simple forms. The style is evidently introduced into society, also into chair designs and planes particularly the Concord which was engineered for speed it is extremely simple in aerodynamic form.

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/types/international/aerospat-bac/concorde/Concorde.jpg

One of the most influential designers of the time was Josef Muller-Brockman, he used contrast in size and scale for impacts aswell as bold typefaces, grids, collage and diagonal vectors to encourage movement, this became a new language for the graphic poster designers. He created many posters and promoted many concerts using his grid organisation and minimal, bold text to entice the reader, he sometimes used a tilted axis in his rebellion against the mainstream. Unity was often formed by repetition and transformation of geometric shapes, again very simple and clean approach.

http://www.publishedart.com.au/images/graphic/big_josefmuller.jpg

This style influenced many artists and several major companies within society. Such as Knoll International, signage and a map for the New York City subway system, both in clean cut, easily read font (Helvetica) and socially useful and recognisable.