The legacy of Swiss design and how On is writing a new page in its history

In 1950s Switzerland, not long after the end of World War II, a new approach to graphic design was being developed that would go on to serve as the foundation for much of modern Western graphic design. The approach was termed ‘Swiss Style’, and it was slowly shaped over the following decade by a number of influential designers active during this period – most notably Josef Müller-Brockmann and Armin Hofmann, whose contributions to this movement include the perfection of the modular grid system, and the focus on geometric forms and clean typography that are two of the defining features of the style.

Today, the influence of Swiss Style on the field of graphic design is clear for all to see. Though many practitioners continue to push and bend the “rules” of graphic design, the discipline is first and foremost a tool for communication, and the principles set forth in the Swiss school of design continue to inspire best practice around the world. These include craftsmanship, functionality and colour harmony – principles that have not only formed the basis of contemporary graphic design, but have shaped approaches to design across a range of different disciplines, including architecture, industrial and product design.

Over the years, Switzerland’s influence in this area has unsurprisingly given rise to a number of impactful design-led Swiss brands. Names that spring to mind include Swatch, Rolex, Vitra, USM Modular Furniture and SIGG. More recently, another that has begun to emerge as a leader in its category is On, a Zürich-based sportswear brand that specialises in running shoes and performance apparel. Known for its innovative design ethos and futuristic aesthetic, On has become a household name in the world of running, favoured by professional athletes and weekend runners alike. The brand has even made waves in fashion circles of late, boasting partnerships with style icons such as Zendaya and revered fashion houses like Loewe.

In our recent article with On, we spoke to the team about what drives them forward, and the roles that innovation and experimentation play in developing their groundbreaking products. Naturally, there was no end to the possibilities being explored at the brand’s Zürich headquarters, and much of this design process is undoubtedly influenced by the brand’s heritage as a Swiss company, including its focus on products that are well-designed, well-made and able to strike the right balance between form and function. With this in mind, in our second article with the brand, we want to delve deeper into what exactly defines Swiss design today, and how this plays out across a range of disciplines and in the practices of a range of designers, including those working at On.

Function comes first

Design should always have utility at its core. Beautiful things that fail to serve their intended purpose are more akin to art than design. But this doesn’t mean that the quest for function should forgo beauty; just that equal attention should be paid to both, and this is an important characteristic of Swiss design. Müller-Brockmann and Hofmann showed that graphic design could and should tick both boxes. No matter how playful these seminal designers were in their experimentations, there is rarely an example of Swiss Style that neglects legibility, for example, in favour of aesthetics. The purpose of the discipline is to communicate information, and this is always a key consideration during the creative process.

Where product design is concerned, functionality is even more paramount to the success of the work. For instance, at On, senior director of apparel design Tim Coppens says that the design process focuses largely on the utility of the product in question, and this is often furthered by a secondary focus on simplicity. “We think there are many important aspects of Swiss design heritage, including a legacy of functionality and minimalism,” he tells us. “We aim to design garments that have a similar approach and think of functionality in the first place. Minimalism is expressed through many different design interpretations, such as material usage and design lines defining a shape, improving functionality rather than just being added to articulate an aesthetic language.”

This is an approach shared by many designers who draw inspiration from the Swiss way of thinking. Beauty is a crucial consideration, but an object’s appearance should never stand in the way of its ultimate purpose. Reflecting on her own process, Swiss-French designer Julie Richoz says: “When I’m designing an object, I often ask myself: Is it clear enough, is it readable? I aim for a coherence of the object’s form, where the use of materials and the assembly solutions can flawlessly serve the final result, and harmoniously generate an original outcome from a sculptural or cultural point of view.” For designers like Julie, aesthetics are often actually a consequence of functionality: a thoughtful, well-made object becomes a thing of beauty in itself.

Honing your craft

Before even considering how to achieve functionality in a design, the starting point of any worthwhile creative practice is a deep understanding of the tools that make creation possible in the first place. The Swiss school of design encourages a strong focus on craftsmanship and the honing of a craft during a designer’s early years. This was the experience for many of its students, including Fabian Harb, who co-founded the type design studio Dinamo, which is now based in Berlin but was originally set up in Basel by two Swiss design graduates. Fabian recalls the rigour that was expected of him during his studies at Basel School of Design. “I thought that we’d be working on a lot of big assignments and collaborating with colleagues from other school departments on creating imagery and graphics, but what we mostly did for the first year was just perfectly rag and justify text blocks,” he says. “Or we organised typographic hierarchies and created balanced compositions between text and image. This, to me, is what I think is often in the background when people say ‘Swiss Design’.”

Julie, a product designer who was born in Switzerland but grew up in France (where her practice is currently based) agrees with this assessment. Having experienced different design cultures beyond the borders of her home country, she notes that Switzerland’s approach to design is particularly considered. “I came back to my country of origin after my first degree, when I got lucky enough to study at ÉCAL, and I could clearly see how the approach in Switzerland is different,” she explains. “It’s like learning a craft, and once you learn the craft you can play. There is a rigorousness, a precision in the execution and a certain desire for clarity which has probably resulted from Switzerland’s graphic design heritage.”

At On, where innovation is key, this ethos rings true. Pushing the envelope when designing sportswear necessitates a strong foundational understanding of the tools that can make these visionary designs possible, and calls to mind the old adage “you have to learn the rules before you can break them.” In fact, Lucy Delacherois Day, On’s global senior director of product for its Performance All-Day category, believes this attitude has been integral to On’s success in recent years. “We were born as a running brand in the Swiss mountains and this is an important red thread through all the products we create,” she says. “Craft is a cornerstone of our brand, and Swiss craftsmanship and engineering is second to none. The importance that is placed on this is felt throughout the company – we are building a brand to last.”

Colour is key

While many conflate the precision and clarity of Swiss design with a pared-back and clinical approach to aesthetics, the principles championed by Swiss Style during its conception place a large emphasis on colour and contrast within design. Both Müller-Brockmann and Hofmann are known for their restrained yet bold use of colour in their graphic design work, juxtaposing elements within their compositions for maximum effect. Indeed, Swiss Style teaches that colour is not something to be shied away from, but rather given careful consideration. Hofmann is quoted as saying: “For us, colour is not an embellishment. It is a crucial element in the design process, providing emphasis or clarity as needed.”

Julie is similarly aware of the preconceptions around Swiss design and its supposed lack of vibrancy, but she too agrees that colour is an important aspect of its legacy. “We might have an image of Swiss design being serious or dry, but I totally disagree with that,” she says. “Just look at the Swiss passport – it’s strongly secured using the latest technologies, but it’s also very colourful and richly adorned with illustrations.” Interestingly, Switzerland’s current passport serves as a particularly symbolic manifestation of Swiss design, with craftsmanship, functionality and colour harmony all present and well-balanced within the latest version, which was designed by Geneva-based creative agency RETINAA.

As you would imagine, this aspect of the Swiss approach is just as important to the team at On, who understand the need for thoughtful applications of colour when it comes to designing the latest garments and footwear. Tim even goes so far as to say that colour is integral to On’s identity, and serves as a north star for the team during the creative process. “Colour is a very important part of how we define ourselves as a global brand,” he says. “Creating a seasonal brand expression through our distinct colour palette is something that I personally also look at through a Swiss design lens. The choice of colour is as important as the choice of materials and design lines, and ultimately defines a brand as much as the product itself.”

From archive to innovation

The origins of Swiss design as we know it today may lie some 70 years in the past, but the endurance of its legacy is undeniable. From posters to watches and furniture to clothing, Switzerland has long been a leader in innovation. Those familiar with Swiss products know that they can be trusted to be thoughtfully designed, well-made and able to stand the test of time – both physically and conceptually – and it’s these values that drive many of the country’s most successful designers and brands.

On is no exception. The history of Swiss Style serves as a constant reference point throughout the process. Much like how Swiss design schools insist on truly mastering the basics of one’s craft before beginning to create, On’s designers constantly lean on their foundations when experimenting and innovating – the building blocks of which are the very principles that kickstarted the golden age of Swiss design in the 1950s.

Tim Coppens argues that this considered approach to design is baked into the On ethos, revealing that the team are constantly working several years in advance to ensure that they can “have the right conversations about pushing our aesthetic and developing materials and production methods that help us achieve our sustainability goals”. He continues: “We evolve in places where we know consistency is important and we push a little more where we instinctively feel we are putting something out there that could be truly unique and create change.”