294 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
294 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: swiss-design
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description: Web and App implementation guide for Swiss Design (International Typographic Style). Trigger when user wants strict grid systems, strong typography, and clean, asymmetrical alignment.
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date_added: "2026-06-17"
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risk: safe
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source: self
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source_type: self
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---
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# Swiss Design (International Typographic Style)
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> "Form follows function. The grid is absolute. Typography is the primary visual element."
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## When to Use
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Use this sub-style when the user's request matches the aesthetic described above. This is a child reference of the `design-it` skill and is not meant to be triggered directly.
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## Core Principles
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1. **Mathematical Grids**: Everything aligns to a strict underlying grid. Asymmetry is preferred over centered text.
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2. **Sans-Serif Typography**: Helvetica is the king, but any clean, neutral sans-serif works. Flush left, ragged right text alignment.
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3. **Objective Photography**: If images are used, they should be objective, documentary-style photos, not stylized illustrations.
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## Visual DNA
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- **Colors**: Very limited. Usually just black, white, and ONE highly saturated accent color (often primary red, blue, or yellow). The **Industrial Chic** palette works perfectly.
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- **Typography**: `Helvetica Neue`, `Inter`, or `Roboto`. Huge contrast in font sizes (e.g., massive 6rem headers paired with 1rem body text).
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- **Layout**: Do NOT center text. Ever.
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## Web Implementation
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- Use CSS Grid extensively. Let columns dictate the layout.
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- **CSS Example**:
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```css
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body {
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background-color: #f4f4f4;
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color: #111;
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font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
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line-height: 1.4;
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}
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.swiss-grid {
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display: grid;
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grid-template-columns: repeat(12, 1fr);
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gap: 20px;
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padding: 40px;
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}
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.swiss-header {
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grid-column: 1 / 11; /* spans across multiple columns, leaving right side empty */
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font-size: 6vw;
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font-weight: 700;
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text-transform: lowercase; /* Optional, but common in brutalist/swiss */
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margin-bottom: 2rem;
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line-height: 0.9;
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letter-spacing: -0.04em;
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}
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.swiss-content {
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grid-column: 4 / 9; /* Indented alignment */
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font-size: 1.25rem;
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text-align: left; /* Flush left, ragged right */
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}
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.swiss-accent {
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color: #E2001A; /* Classic Swiss Red */
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}
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```
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## App Implementation
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### SwiftUI
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```swift
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struct SwissDesignView: View {
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var body: some View {
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ScrollView {
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VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 0) {
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// Header Block
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VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 8) {
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Text("the grid")
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.font(.custom("Helvetica Neue", size: 60))
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.fontWeight(.heavy)
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.tracking(-2) // Tight letter spacing
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Text("is absolute.")
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.font(.custom("Helvetica Neue", size: 60))
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.fontWeight(.heavy)
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.tracking(-2)
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.foregroundColor(Color(hex: "E2001A")) // Swiss Red
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}
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.padding(.horizontal, 24)
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.padding(.top, 60)
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.padding(.bottom, 40)
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Divider().background(Color.black)
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// Asymmetrical Content Block
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HStack(alignment: .top, spacing: 20) {
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// Empty left column (negative space is structural)
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Spacer().frame(width: 40)
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VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 16) {
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Text("Form follows function.")
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.font(.custom("Helvetica Neue", size: 24))
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.fontWeight(.bold)
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Text("Typography is the primary visual element. Everything aligns to a strict underlying grid. Asymmetry is preferred over centered text.")
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.font(.custom("Helvetica Neue", size: 16))
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.lineSpacing(6)
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}
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.padding(.vertical, 40)
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.padding(.trailing, 24)
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}
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Divider().background(Color.black)
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}
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.frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading)
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}
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.background(Color(white: 0.96))
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.foregroundColor(.black)
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}
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}
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```
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- Strict `alignment: .leading` everywhere. Never use `.center`.
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- Use `Spacer().frame(width: X)` in `HStack`s to intentionally push content off the left margin, creating the classic Swiss indented asymmetrical grid.
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### Flutter
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```dart
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class SwissDesignScreen extends StatelessWidget {
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@override
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Widget build(BuildContext context) {
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return Scaffold(
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backgroundColor: const Color(0xFFF4F4F4),
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body: SingleChildScrollView(
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child: Column(
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crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.start,
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children: [
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const SizedBox(height: 80),
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// Header
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Padding(
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padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 24.0),
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child: Column(
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crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.start,
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children: const [
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Text('the grid', style: TextStyle(fontFamily: 'Helvetica', fontSize: 60, fontWeight: FontWeight.w900, height: 0.9, letterSpacing: -2)),
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Text('is absolute.', style: TextStyle(fontFamily: 'Helvetica', fontSize: 60, fontWeight: FontWeight.w900, height: 0.9, letterSpacing: -2, color: Color(0xFFE2001A))),
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],
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),
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),
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const SizedBox(height: 40),
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const Divider(color: Colors.black, thickness: 1, height: 1),
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// Asymmetrical Content
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Row(
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crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.start,
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children: [
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// Structural empty column
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const SizedBox(width: 64),
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// Content column
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Expanded(
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child: Padding(
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padding: const EdgeInsets.only(top: 40.0, bottom: 40.0, right: 24.0),
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child: Column(
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crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.start,
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children: const [
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Text('Form follows function.', style: TextStyle(fontFamily: 'Helvetica', fontSize: 24, fontWeight: FontWeight.bold)),
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SizedBox(height: 16),
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Text('Typography is the primary visual element. Everything aligns to a strict underlying grid.', style: TextStyle(fontFamily: 'Helvetica', fontSize: 16, height: 1.4)),
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],
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),
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),
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),
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],
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),
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const Divider(color: Colors.black, thickness: 1, height: 1),
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],
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),
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),
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);
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}
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}
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```
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- `CrossAxisAlignment.start` is mandatory on all Columns.
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- Use a `Row` with a fixed `SizedBox` width on the left and an `Expanded` widget on the right to enforce the asymmetrical grid column.
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### React Native
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```jsx
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const SwissDesignScreen = () => {
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return (
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<ScrollView style={{ flex: 1, backgroundColor: '#F4F4F4' }}>
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{/* Header */}
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<View style={{ paddingHorizontal: 24, paddingTop: 80, paddingBottom: 40 }}>
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<Text style={{ fontFamily: 'HelveticaNeue-CondensedBlack', fontSize: 60, lineHeight: 60, letterSpacing: -2, color: '#111' }}>
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the grid
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</Text>
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<Text style={{ fontFamily: 'HelveticaNeue-CondensedBlack', fontSize: 60, lineHeight: 60, letterSpacing: -2, color: '#E2001A' }}>
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is absolute.
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</Text>
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</View>
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<View style={{ height: 1, backgroundColor: '#111' }} />
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{/* Asymmetrical Layout */}
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<View style={{ flexDirection: 'row', paddingVertical: 40 }}>
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{/* Empty left column */}
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<View style={{ width: 64 }} />
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{/* Content */}
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<View style={{ flex: 1, paddingRight: 24 }}>
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<Text style={{ fontFamily: 'HelveticaNeue-Bold', fontSize: 24, color: '#111', marginBottom: 16 }}>
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Form follows function.
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</Text>
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<Text style={{ fontFamily: 'HelveticaNeue-Regular', fontSize: 16, lineHeight: 24, color: '#111' }}>
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Typography is the primary visual element. Everything aligns to a strict underlying grid.
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</Text>
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</View>
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</View>
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<View style={{ height: 1, backgroundColor: '#111' }} />
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</ScrollView>
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);
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};
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```
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- Link the Helvetica Neue font family. The contrast between `HelveticaNeue-CondensedBlack` for headers and `HelveticaNeue-Regular` for body copy defines this style.
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- Use `flexDirection: 'row'` to build the strict column structure.
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### Jetpack Compose
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```kotlin
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@Composable
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fun SwissDesignScreen() {
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Column(
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modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize().background(Color(0xFFF4F4F4)).verticalScroll(rememberScrollState())
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) {
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Spacer(Modifier.height(80.dp))
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// Header
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Column(modifier = Modifier.padding(horizontal = 24.dp, vertical = 40.dp)) {
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Text(
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text = "the grid",
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fontFamily = FontFamily.SansSerif, // Replace with Helvetica
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fontSize = 60.sp,
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fontWeight = FontWeight.Black,
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letterSpacing = (-2).sp,
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lineHeight = 60.sp,
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color = Color.Black
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)
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Text(
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text = "is absolute.",
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fontFamily = FontFamily.SansSerif,
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fontSize = 60.sp,
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fontWeight = FontWeight.Black,
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letterSpacing = (-2).sp,
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lineHeight = 60.sp,
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color = Color(0xFFE2001A)
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)
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}
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Divider(color = Color.Black, thickness = 1.dp)
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// Asymmetrical Grid Row
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Row(modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth().padding(vertical = 40.dp)) {
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// Empty grid column
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Spacer(modifier = Modifier.width(64.dp))
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// Content
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Column(modifier = Modifier.weight(1f).padding(right = 24.dp)) {
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Text(
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text = "Form follows function.",
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fontSize = 24.sp,
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fontWeight = FontWeight.Bold,
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color = Color.Black
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)
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Spacer(Modifier.height(16.dp))
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Text(
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text = "Typography is the primary visual element. Everything aligns to a strict underlying grid.",
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fontSize = 16.sp,
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color = Color.Black
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)
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}
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}
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Divider(color = Color.Black, thickness = 1.dp)
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}
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}
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```
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- Use `Divider(color = Color.Black, thickness = 1.dp)` to create the harsh horizontal structural rules.
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- Combine `Row`, a fixed `Spacer` width, and a `Column` with `Modifier.weight(1f)` to enforce the asymmetrical design.
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## Do's and Don'ts
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- **DO**: Use negative space as a structural element. Empty columns are just as important as filled ones.
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- **DON'T**: Center align text. Do not use serif fonts. Do not use drop shadows.
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## Limitations
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- This is a styling reference and does not replace environment-specific validation, accessibility testing, or expert review.
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- Ensure appropriate contrast ratios and responsive behaviors are verified separately.
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