Swiss web design: simple, but it works. Here's why

Swiss web design is simple, even abstract. But, it works. Many successful websites and companies use this style. Why? Turns out, there are 3 principles that underlie the seamless user experience of websites that employ Swiss design, aka the International Typographic Style.

In this video, I cover the history and psychology of Swiss web design, highlighting 3 principles related to layout, navigation, and culture. I then analyze websites to figure out why this style works for users, designers, and developers. Crossing seas and lands, Swiss design has made a lasting impact on the world. Here's how.

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You're busy, I gotchu
0:00 - So many questions
0:51 - What's the history?
1:55 - POV: baby shower
2:24 - Principle 1 - layout
3:31 - Principle 2 - nav
4:58 - Principle 3 - culture
6:04 - Impact on users, designers, and developers
8:29 - Swiss style website examples
9:13 - Impact irl

[nathanikiara]

calm .. clear .. no background music. Truly swiss.

[Hana_Sss]

Your videos are the definition of calm, collected, cool and silently hilarious

[welling]

I had no idea a vertical layout for money existed. And it really does make more functional sense.

[iDannyism]

Know what I love? You applied the Swiss style to this video. Maybe the esthetic, but definitely the pacing. How you presented this concept is beautiful, very Swiss. Amazing, well done.

[Keyur]

No flashy edit, no high quaily camera & mic, no studio, this is pure valueable content! 🚀

[blackwhalestudio]

As a Swiss, I learned a lot from this video and it made me appreciate where I live even more. Thank you.

[uiuxshoaib]

I worked with Swiss Agency, made multiple websites for them. And everytime I made something flashy, the feedback was "Make it minimal, very very minimal" to the point I though I wasn't doing much. But in reality it worked really well and served the purpose. And also, very easy to develop.

[robezy]

As a Swiss person, I shall break no design rules, because we like to keep things as they are because they are so obviously great and I'm not biased at all.

[Zwiebelgian]

I‘m really impressed by your ability to get a rectangular Swiss flag emoji

[santiagobydesign]

Ok, let me just congratulate you... I went to architecture school and have watched a few dozen videos about helvetica -because I'm obviously obsessed- and Swiss design in general, yet you kept it concise, clear, and very visual!! Thank you 🔷

[eisi-ink]

I am a taught graphic designer from switzerland and your video covers many important key aspects!

[axynokay]

Sorry, but you’re wrong about some historical points. For example, Swiss typography started very early in the 1900s, and the Nazis hated Bauhaus. They did the opposite of what the Bauhaus movement stood for. The Nazis didn’t want to get rid of Fraktur fonts, but they had to because Antiqua fonts were more legible and efficient. To accelerate the process, they claimed that Fraktur was a Jewish script. However, Hitler wanted to keep the Eszett, which is why it still exists. The Swiss don’t use the Eszett; they abandoned Fraktur very early in the 1900s.

Also simplicism and minimalism are not the same, they are very different!

Minimalism and simplicism are often misunderstood as the same, but they have distinct differences. Minimalism is a design philosophy focused on reducing elements to their essentials, aiming for clarity, functionality, and aesthetic appeal. It seeks to keep only necessary components, emphasizing usability and efficiency, as seen in Apple’s product designs. In contrast, simplicism, often found in art, pursues simplicity for its own sake, sometimes disregarding functionality or usability. It can lead to over-simplification, where an object loses practical value. While minimalism is linked to function, simplicism is more about artistic expression without a functional requirement.

[people]

Ill say this at the cost of being pedantic, the posters and work by Alphonse Mucha featured around 1:30 ish are Art Nouveau rather than Art Deco. In case this helps anyone go on a rabbit hole about that style of work! 🙂

[c.mirashi]

Such a clean and no bs video, just like a Swiss design

[itsyourboyt]

I am so happy Youtube recommended your channel

[MJ-gbxs]

i'm a newbie frontend dev, learning a lot from you. Keep Going ❤

[sandyj]

Pure you adopting the same principle in your video production

[fazfaraday]

Your content is like an asmr for designers.

[selkenshin]

So I have to thank my YT's algorithm for putting this on my feed. All over these years Google certainly knows I'm a Tech Lead who occasionally codes. Now that I'm also taking charge of frontend related projects, this video provides invaluable, thanks for making this video!

[centrumsaiyan]

I love how you are researching new design out of the box. I am hooked to discovering how each country design their website.