Origins and History

Origin: emerged in Switzerland, 1950's

aka "the Swiss Style"

The concepts of this movement began in the 1920's, but did not have a radical kick-off until the 1950's when Swiss designers began spreading their International Typographic Style on posters and in magazines across Europe. Primarily, the movement was type-based and evolved into posters consisting of type and black and white photographs. In response to the war, few changes were addressed n the design world in order to create a clear and concise movement that became a new phase following De Stijl and Bauhaus. 

This movement was not a fragile distinction of artists, but a play on grotesque typefaces and their communication with other media. The use of high contrast and designed letterforms (mainly from the san serif family) proves how far these designers wanted to stretch design during this time period.

Characteristics:

 Use of Sans Serif typefaces (Helvetica, 1961)

Orderly, tight systematic structure

 Simplistic, yet rational

 Bold & radical in content

 Black and white photography substituting drawn illustration

Clear and concise impression
Type base interacts with various media
"Less is More" philosophy

The textbook definition of the international typographic                                                                     

style is this:

An approach to design premised on the conviction that formal choices and effects could be governed by rational principles that transcended historical and cultural frameworks.