Ernst Keller and Josef Müller-Brockmann

This week I want to take a step back to the roots of Swiss Style. I will talk about two artists that helped pave the way for the International Typographic style. Ernst Keller is believed to be the grandfather of Swiss style and his contributions helped to shape the style into what it is today. He believed that “the solution to the design problem should emerge from its content”. The style is composed of simple shapes, vibrant colors, and meaningful imagery. Additionally, sans serif typeface became a fundamental design element, photography was often present more than illustrations, and mathematical grids were fundamental in graphic design projects.

The second artist I will be discussing Josef Müller-Brockmann, a student of Kellers. By 1957 the student became the teacher as he replaced Ernst Keller as professor of graphic design at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich. Müller-Brockmann instilled many of the teachings of Keller into his own work and helped to build upon the style in many ways. Over the next few days, I will discuss select works by both artists and explain how each piece fits into the overall meaning of the Swiss movement.