The recognisable style of Scandinavian graphic design comes from the idea of ‘democratic design’, meaning that useful products should be available for the masses and not exclusive to the privileged. The minimalist functionality of the design allows for the artist to communicate with the audience while also being aesthetically pleasing. Scandinavian design has a clean and straightforward expression which creates a modern and fresh approach to commercialism.
Through a lack of materials and resources, Scandinavian designers were forced to take a more naturalistic approach, creating limited designs with high impact. They were heavily influenced by The Bauhaus movement, which were known for combining technology with traditional fine art. The creative element of the style was raised to a higher priority when the assets in the process were restricted.
The key elements that make up the Scandinavian style relate to Nordic culture. Relaxed, pastel colour palettes are easy on the eye and widely digestible, while higher contrasted and bolder colours allow for elements to stand out when points need to be made.
The most recognisable factor of the style is it typographic design, as it has its own typeface. Sweden Sans was produced to represent nation specific pieces, such as local business or street signs. The Swedish government selected it as on of the national fonts, as it represents the Swedish lifestyle, “a modern, but edgy typeface with some local tweaks”.
The designers also made use of the font Helvetia, which was developed by the Swiss designer, Max Miedinger in the late 50s. The streamlined and minimal format of the font brought a modern approach to the stale fonts that were being used in advertising at the time.
The main focus of the Scandinavian style was to present straight forward designs that allowed the audience to focus of the message that wasn’t overcrowded by distracting content or kitschy colour schemes and fonts. This allowed the style to continue to stay up to date and refreshing, constantly being updated by internet and social media culture.
Helvetica, Max Miedinger 1957
Norwegian Academy of Music Branding
New Scandinavian Graphic Design
