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Switzerland1950sUI Style

International Style

Design is structure.

Developed in Switzerland in the 1950s. Mathematical grids. Asymmetry. Sans-serif typography. The ultimate rejection of decoration in favor of clarity.

Interactive Playground

Live components rendered with International Style tokens.

Live Preview

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Badges & Tags

NewFeaturedBetaPro

Type Scale

Display XL
H1 / 800 / 100%
Heading L
H2 / 600 / 80%

Typography

Primary / Headings

Aa

Secondary / Body

Aa

“The typography in International Style relies on geometric clarity.”

Use high contrast for headings. Maintain strict hierarchy and translate the font stack into design tokens so brands can extend the style without guesswork.

Color System

Background
Surface
Accent
Text

Usage Guidelines

When to Use International Style

International Style excels when you need developed in switzerland in the 1950s. mathematical grids. asymmetry. sans-serif typography. the ultimate rejection of decoration in favor of clarity.. This style works best when you want to design is structure..

Best Practices

  • •Maintain consistent spacing using the gap-0 grid-cols-12 grid system.
  • •Use font-sans font-bold tracking-tight text-[1.1em] for headings and font-sans for body text.
  • •Apply rounded-none for rounded corners and shadow-none for depth.

Style Playbook

Swiss design prioritizes ruthless clarity. Layouts feel inevitable: asymmetric grids, generous whitespace, and typography that reads like engineering documentation.

History

  • •Born in 1950s Zurich and Basel studios responding to post-war information overload.
  • •Adopted by corporate identity programs in the 60s–70s (IBM, Lufthansa).
  • •Re-emerged in digital products because data-dense dashboards mirror signage systems.

Layout Principles

  • •Use modular grids with consistent gutters (e.g., 12 columns × 24px gutter).
  • •Keep baseline rhythm synced to typographic scale to avoid optical drift.
  • •Allow bold diagonal or vertical rules to anchor compositions.

Color Guidelines

Primary palette

Black/white foundation with one accent red or orange for anchors.

Highlight strategy

Use color sparingly—accent only CTAs, key metrics, and alerts.

Typography

Headlines

Condensed grotesques with tight tracking to emphasize hierarchy.

Body copy

Neutral sans-serif (Inter, Helvetica Now) at 18/28 for legibility.

Best For

  • Data visualization platforms
  • Fintech dashboards
  • Enterprise marketing sites

Watch Outs

  • ⚠️Layouts can feel sterile if imagery is absent.
  • ⚠️Rigid grids may break on ultra-small screens if not tokenized.

Notable Brands

Swissair archivesSony DesignPitch.com

Execution Tips

  • →Break the grid intentionally once per screen to create tension.
  • →Use microscopic typography (caption styles) to hint at Swiss poster heritage.

AI Palette Generator

Describe a mood, scene, or style (e.g., "Cyberpunk Tokyo Rain" or "Scandinavian Morning"), and let our AI craft the perfect color system.