Chapter 18

In the 1950's a new movement emerged in Switzerland and Germany. It has been called Swiss deign but also The International Typographic Movement. Critics complained that it was based on a formula with results in the same solution. Others said that its purity gave designers means to achieve a perfect form.

The International Typographic Movement showed how the visual unity of design is achieved by asymmetrical organization of design elements on a mathematical grid. Sans Serif types were used in flush left ragged right alignment and the visual elements were clear and factual.

Various grids and also sans serif type were used because it reflected the spirt of the age, and of the 1950's.

There were plenty of new Swiss sans-serif typefaces, including the Univers font created by Adrian Frutiger. Edouard Hoffman created Helvetica and Hermann Zapf developed Palatino.

Emil Ruder taught his student that legibility and readability are primary concerns.

Josef Muller-Brockman was the leader of the movement. He sought to show an objective and impersonal communication to the audience.