Surfers are constantly thinking about catching their next wave. A secret spot is when they find an awesome break that is hidden from the world….. where they can float amongst the waves, relax, be inspired, and get away from the hustle and bustle of the better known beaches. Just as surfers are looking for that wave, I am always looking for that typographic groove… that spot where all the elements come together in harmony to give a design that little extra something.

People look for inspiration all over the place; there are countless web galleries, flickr sets, lists, and design magazines, but when I really just want to get away from it all and find something different I turn to the surf community. Already known as a place for great design and fantastic photography, there is some really interesting typography being used. Here are some of my favorite spots…

I am a big fan of Jeff Canham’s retro style. His t-shirts, fabric prints, logos, and signage throw me back to another time… a time that I am too young to have actually ever experienced…perhaps that is why it is such a warm and fancifulness feeling that I get inside.

Thomas Campbell is about to release his 3rd surf movie (The Present) in a series of films that take a unique approach to documenting surfing as a lifestyle. When watching Sprout its hard to not notice the carefully crafted handwriting all throughout the film. Check out the lettering in the trailer for a taste of what the movie is like.

With bookshelves full of surf magazines (Courtesy of Jim), its hard to ignore the fantastic type throughout every issue. While I love the clean classic layout of The Surfers Journal, Surfing Magazine has a wide range of really creative typography. Check out this flickr set I put together.

Recently at Viget Labs, we had a Flash Mob where members of the design team spent 4 hours making desktop wallpapers to give away on the blog. This gave me the idea to design a few Bad Ass Wallpapers for this blog. It was a lot of fun, enjoy!

Below I cropped each one in just a bit, be sure to download the size you need to see the full view.

• 1920×1200
• 1680×1050
• 1600×1024
• 1440×900
• 1280×1024
• 1280×800
• 1024×768
• iphone

• 1920×1200
• 1680×1050
• 1600×1024
• 1440×900
• 1280×1024
• 1280×800
• 1024×768
• iphone

• 1920×1200
• 1680×1050
• 1600×1024
• 1440×900
• 1280×1024
• 1280×800
• 1024×768
• iphone

The popularity of generated content and social media is transforming the web. No longer does a site need a flashy intro or exciting graphics to entice a user to dig deeper, search engines and smart architecture bring the user right to what they are seeking, and when they find that… they want to appreciate it for what it is. Usability, readability and find-ability are in style, while hefty load times, blinking graphics, and cluttered pages are out. The best example is the decline of users flocking to MySpace, seeking structure, order and clarity they are now looking to make less visually complex social media hubs their home.

This focus on content is similar to the shift in design that happened after World War II known as the International Typographic Style (or Swiss Style) Movement. The Swiss movement grew out of the Bauhaus and New Typography Movements, which were grounded in functional typography, clear communication, and geometric designs. The Chief characteristics of the international typographic style are designs that include minimal graphics and a focus on typography, sans-serif Typefaces, black and white photography, and grid based layouts. Pioneers of the Swiss style were Max Huber, Emil Ruder, Josef Müller-Brockman, and Armin Hofman. What really helped facilitate the success of this movement was the Swiss governments support of it, adopting it as the look and feel for Switzerland.

Over time the Swiss Style has been used in publications, on posters, and in signage, but I have noticed it is beginning to evolve and become popular online. This evolution has been happening for some time now in the design community but is quickly being spread to social media sites, and the Online News Industry. What has spawned this Swiss revival? I am sure there are lots of factors, but I personally think it may be in part to the renewed interest in typography that has happened since the release of the film Helvetica by Gary Hustwit. Helvetica was one of the premiere typefaces created during the Swiss movement (along with Akzidenz-Grotesk); it’s name is derived from Confoederatio Helvetica the latin name for Switzerland. The film traces the history of the typeface and interviews famous designers who all can relate to Helvetica. It helps to trace the origins of todays design back to the International Typographic Style, and makes typography cool.

While very few sites stay strict to all of the defining qualities of The international typographic style, many are heavily influenced by the overall look, and stay true to many of the features. I put together some comparisons and examples and were amazed by the similarities.

Minimal Graphics and Focus on Typography

Neue Grafik Magazine published 1958-1965

IA Japan is a “Strategic Design Agency” based in Japan.

---

Sans-serif Typefaces

One in a series of posters Josef Müller-Brockman designed for the Zurich Opera House. He was interested in the patterns in typography mimicking the rhythm in music.
5ThirtyOne is a blog by Derek Punsalan is a Designer in Seattle.

---

Black and White Photography
Publication from the Hochschule für Gestaltung Ulm
Design by Anthony Froshaug
(photo courtesy of Mason Wells)
Jon Tan is a Designer in Bristol, UK

---

Grid Layout

Knoll Poster by Muller-Brockman
Evening Tweed is a graphic Design Collective in the UK

There are 3 specific types of sites that are leading the charge in the resurgence of the Swiss style online, however I am going to save that for another post. A topic I am totally fascinated with, I can assure you there is more to come!

Special thanks to Mason Wells and his fantastic Flickr stream.