inspiration and talent of the
attitude, emotion or humor. “Swiss” was found to
alternative to intuitive design,
designer. This had a profoundly
be more suitable for the corporation’s demand for
semiotic theory began to inform
professionalizing influence in
factual accuracy– the perfect style for an annual
some of the Swiss adherents
American graphic design, further
report–while the big idea was more suitable for
in the U.S. Although this diffi-
replacing the commercial artist’s
advertising’s persuasive goals. Swiss tended to
cult and complex theory was
servant image with one of a disci-
rely on representational photography and mini-
little understood, the “scientific”
plined, educated professional. As
malist typography, while the “big idea” was far
flavor reinforced that “objective”
this method influenced the field,
more image-oriented, employing illustration and
tone of Swiss design, and rein-
graphic design began to split
symbolic photography. “Swiss” graphic expres-
forced the idea that graphic
apart from advertising design, a
sion stressed the syntactic grammar of graphic
design was more than a personal
major division that remains today.
design with structured grids and typographic
art form. Semiotics became the
This classic “Swiss” method
relationships. This form of Modernism neglected
first codified theory of graphic
prescribed an ordered process
some of early Modernism’s discoveries with visu-
design, a major step in the evo-
rather than the genius of inspi-
ally expressive typography and surrealistic imagery.
lution to professionalism. As
ration, and promised far more
For the most part, classic Swiss typography was
Massimo Vignelli has so often
dependable, however predict-
meant to be read and its imagery to be seen only
reminded us, theory as well as
able, results. It assumed a ratio-
in the conventional modes.
history and and criticism are the
nal systems process based on
Semiotics, the science of signs in visual language,
essential trinity that distinguish a
semi-scientific analysis and prob-
was a theory explored in the late 1960s in Europe,
profession from a craft or trade.
lem solving. The ideal was the
especially at the Ulm school in Germany. This
The “big idea” originated in
objective (dead serious) presen-
scientific approach to the analysis of meaning in
New York, an American synthesis.
tation of information, rather than
communications was very compatible with the
The visual symbolism owes some
the subjective expression of an
rationality of the Swiss method. Promising an
debts to surrealism, but the copy
7