BD FAQ

Found some interesting questions and answers regarding the work of Buro Destruct on their website - 4 questions in particular really stood out for me, which I have pasted below. For the full set of Questions and Answers click here

Switzerland, is known for order and cleanness. Do these attributes also qualify your work?
Yes, we think so. But the description would not be complete by just using these words: We chose our name ’Büro Destruct’ to communicate a vision of tension between two poles. ’Büro’ stands for order and ’Destruct’ for breaking with conventions and aiming for new results. But in the end it mostly turns into order again – so yes: we are very Swiss;-)

How would you describe Swiss graphic design?
Swiss graphic designers take care of good forms, clear shapes, legible characters and order. These things are installed in the people of Switzerland. Mention Swiss graphic design, and the first names that come to mind for those raised on a diet of modernism are Max Bill, Josef Müller-Brockmann, Richard Paul Lohse and Armin Hofmann. These designers, whose work has come to epitomize an approach to graphic design adopted internationally, have also defined the way the rest of the world sees Swiss design – as economical, austere and formal.

Why do you think Swiss graphic design is so popular these days?
We’re truly seeing a revival of Swiss tradition all over the world nowadays. No other region has got such a high density of high-quality graphic designers like Switzerland. Even though Swiss Designers were always very well educated, the ’70s and the ’80s did not necessarily bring forth the greatest achievements. That changed in the beginning of the ’90s when the new technological developments were adopted by young and upcoming designers. Since then, they have been confronted and inspired by new cutting-edge design from the outside world. Now, Swiss design has the advantage of a typographic, font-related design, combined with pictography and the ’folklorist’ habit of reducing elements, breaking things down and making them simple – a strong proposition. Swiss graphic design has become a trademark again that is here to stay.

What do Swiss and Japanese graphic designers have in common?
Both tend to make it perfect: They are very disciplined, aim for a high quality standard and demonstrate a big love concerning details. Swiss graphics are still a bit more reduced and clean than Japanese ones. Contemporary Japanese graphic design is very similar to the minimalistic and formal Swiss design from the ’40s and ’50s: Designers are very much inspired by a lot of Swiss fonts from that time.