The earliest origins of graphic design lies within the arrival of the mechanical printing press in the 15th century. As moveable type was introduced - individual letters cast in metal - printed material did not only include volume, but predetermined ‘design’ could be made by arranging the letters in the printing grid. The grid remains an organising principle in both print and digital design.
Movable type blocks made out of metal
Grid it! Notebooks designed by Astrid Stavro
From moveable type comes typography which is the selection and layout of letters in a space, as well as typeface design. Both of them are important elements in graphic design. A major movement is the International Typographic Style, or Swiss Style, which was originated in Switzerland in the 1950s. Its clean, ‘objective’ aesthetic uses sans-serif and often ‘geometric’ type set on a grid and tends to favour photography over illustration.
This style is exemplified in a poster advertising a production of Giselle by the Municipal Theater in Basle, created by Swiss graphic designer Armin Hoffman in 1959.
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