New Wave
A postmodern graphic design movement breaking Swiss rules with playful experimentation, layered type, geometric shapes, and vibrant 1980s color palettes.
Live Demo
Interactive New Wave Demo
Origins & History
New Wave design emerged in the late 1970s as a postmodern reaction against Swiss Style's rigid rules. Wolfgang Weingart, April Greiman, and Dan Friedman pioneered this playful, experimental approach.
The movement embraced technology (early Macintosh computers, xerography), layered typography, geometric shapes, and bright colors. It questioned modernist principles while retaining respect for craft and structure.
New Wave's playful spirit and technological enthusiasm resonate with contemporary digital design. Its balance of structure and chaos, and willingness to experiment, remains influential in avant-garde design circles.
Key Characteristics
- Layered and overlapping typography
- Geometric shapes and patterns
- Bright, synthetic color palettes
- Intentional rule-breaking
- Technology-embracing experimentation
- Mix of order and chaos
Why This Demo Is Authentic
This implementation faithfully recreates the New Wave through careful attention to typography, grid systems, color usage, and compositional principles documented in the original movement. Every design decision is grounded in historical research.
Style Guide
Space Grotesk
Secondary: DM Sans
New Wave typography plays with scale, weight, and arrangement. Letters overlap, rotate slightly, and...
Broken grids with intentional rule-breaking