Stylogeny combining American Mid-Century Modernism × International Typographic Style

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Style combination · Pairs well

American Mid-Century Modernism × International Typographic Style

Loosen a Swiss grid with Rand-style cut-paper shapes and a visual pun for modernism with a sense of humour.

From the research on American Mid-Century Modernism

Mix them and make something American Mid-Century Modernism International Typographic Style

OrderAmerican Mid-Century × International Typographic
A sample layout drawn from the recipe: shapes from American Mid-Century Modernism, their arrangement from International Typographic Style, the finish from American Mid-Century Modernism. Not a real work, and not an image of either style.

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What each style brings

Each part of the design comes from the style with the stronger say in it, and each style gives at least two.

American Mid-Century Modernism International Typographic Style

Type from International Typographic Style
Colour from American Mid-Century Modernism
Form from American Mid-Century Modernism
Composition from International Typographic Style
Surface from American Mid-Century Modernism

02

The type

Open fonts standing in for each style’s own type, which is often hand-drawn or commercial.

Display · International Typographic Style

Order

Inter Tight, standing in for Akzidenz-Grotesk

Text · American Mid-Century Modernism

The American synthesis of European avant-garde form with wit, pragmatism and commercial clients, led by Paul Rand, Alvin Lustig, Lester Beall, Bradbury Thompson and Saul Bass. Asymmetric layouts, cut-paper and collaged shapes, photomontage, playful hand-drawn marks and a few bright flat colours turned book jackets, magazines, advertising, film titles and corporate work into idea-driven visual puns.

Jost; American Mid-Century Modernism used Futura and Bodoni

03

The colours

The ground and leading colours come from American Mid-Century Modernism, with a counter-accent from International Typographic Style. The ink reads on the ground at 4.5:1 or more.

American Mid-Century Modernism International Typographic Style

  • #f2ede1 ground · 36%
  • #1a1a1a ink · 14%
  • #e2a83a accent · 18%
  • #e1251b accent · 14%
  • #1f4e9c accent · 10%
  • #5c7a3e accent · 8%

As CSS

:root {
  --ground: #f2ede1;
  --ink: #1a1a1a;
  --accent-1: #e2a83a;
  --accent-2: #e1251b;
  --accent-3: #1f4e9c;
  --accent-4: #5c7a3e;
  --font-display: "Inter Tight", sans-serif;
  --font-text: "Jost", sans-serif;
}

04

The two styles

A backpacked hiker stands on a steep, black-and-cream rocky summit against a large golden sun, with blue mountain ranges, forests and pale waterways below. Large condensed lettering at the upper left reads “HIGHER GROUND” in black and red. 1940–1970 · North America American Mid-Century Modernism The American synthesis of European avant-garde form with wit, pragmatism and commercial clients, led by Paul Rand, Alvin Lustig, Lester Beall, Bradbury Thompson and Saul Bass. Asymmetric layouts, cut-paper and collaged shapes, photomontage, playful hand-drawn marks and a few bright flat colours turned book jackets, magazines, advertising, film titles and corporate work into idea-driven visual puns. The words “Urban Systems” appear in large black and red lettering at the upper left of an off-white cover. Tall blue, black and grey rectangular blocks rise from the bottom, with fine vertical dividing lines and a red circle at the upper right. 1950–1975 · Central Europe International Typographic Style A post-war refinement of the New Typography in which the mathematical grid, objective photography and neo-grotesque sans-serifs were used to communicate with clarity and neutrality. Taught at the Basel and Zurich schools, it became the default language of international corporate and institutional communication.

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