This design system is based on a boldly minimalist aesthetic meant to elevate content by de-emphasizing its container. It's inspired by the design of museums, where unadorned space enhances focus on the art to stand on its own. Since there is a variety of styles, content, and concepts presented, this system needs to support the work with continuity and a cohesive structural language. The design language also needs to be flexible enough to support various form factors, sizes, and conditions. Based on these criteria, the elements and presentation are based on Swiss Design principles and methods.
Swiss Design, also known as the International Typographic Style, emerged in Switzerland during the 1950s as a revolutionary approach to visual communication that would forever transform graphic design. Pioneered by designers like Josef Müller-Brockmann, Max Bill, and Armin Hofmann at schools in Zürich and Basel, this movement rejected decorative excess in favor of mathematical grids, sans-serif typography (notably Akzidenz-Grotesk and later Helvetica), and asymmetrical layouts that prioritized clarity and objectivity. The style developed in post-war Europe amid a desire for rational, universal communication systems that could transcend linguistic and cultural barriers—a response to the complicated political climate of the time.
Swiss Design's defining characteristics include rigorous adherence to grid systems, ample white space, striking photographic imagery instead of illustrations, and typography treated as both a functional and aesthetic element, often set flush left/ragged right. These principles enabled designers to create highly structured yet dynamic compositions where content determined form rather than decoration, establishing a visual language that emphasized information hierarchy and readability above all else. The movement's commitment to clarity, precision, and objectivity continues to influence contemporary design, particularly in corporate identity, wayfinding systems, and digital interfaces where its functional minimalism provides a framework for complex information delivery.
0.1 (Alpha) - Initial version with basic building blocks