Glossary
The words we use to tag every website on SITED, explained in one or two sentences, each with the sites that show it best.
A
Asymmetric
A layout that is balanced without being mirrored. Text and images sit off-centre, and the tension between empty and full areas creates the rhythm.
B
Barba.js
A small JavaScript library for smooth transitions between pages, so a site feels like one continuous space instead of separate pages that reload.
Bold
Loud on purpose: strong colours, heavy type, big contrasts. A site that wants to be remembered after one look.
Brutalist
Raw and direct, inspired by brutalist architecture. Default fonts, visible structure, hard edges and little polish. Often used by art spaces, festivals and studios.
C
Calm
Quiet sites with space to breathe: soft colours, slow or no motion, and a clear reading order.
Cinematic
Sites that feel like a film: full-screen images or video, a slow pace and a strong mood.
Cursor
The pointer becomes part of the design: it changes shape, shows a label, drags an image or reveals content as it moves.
Custom typeface
A typeface drawn for one brand or project, so no other site looks the same. Common in Switzerland, where many studios work with local type foundries.
E
Editorial
Typography borrowed from magazines and books: headlines, columns, captions and a clear hierarchy made for long reading.
Experimental
Layouts that break the usual patterns of the web: unusual navigation, overlapping elements, unexpected scrolling. Hard to describe, easy to recognise.
F
Full-bleed
Images or video that run edge to edge, with no margin. The content fills the whole screen.
G
Grotesk
A family of sans-serif typefaces with roots in the 19th century, like Helvetica and Akzidenz-Grotesk. The backbone of Swiss typography. See Swiss web design.
GSAP
The GreenSock Animation Platform, the most used JavaScript library for complex animations and scroll effects on the web.
K
Kinetic type
Typography that moves: letters that stretch, scroll, rotate or react to the user. The text itself becomes the animation.
L
Lenis
A small library for smooth scrolling. It makes the page glide instead of jumping, and is often paired with scroll animations.
M
Minimal
Only what is needed: few elements, a lot of white space, a limited palette. Every detail left has to earn its place.
Monospace
Typefaces where every letter takes the same width, like on a typewriter or in code. They give a technical, archival or raw feeling.
O
Oversized type
Headlines set so large that they fill the screen. The words become the main image of the page.
P
Page transition
An animation between one page and the next, instead of a hard reload. It keeps the flow and makes the site feel like an app.
Playful
Sites that invite you to try things: surprises, games, unexpected interactions and a sense of humour.
Precise
Exact and controlled: strict alignment, careful spacing, nothing left to chance. The most classic Swiss quality.
S
Scroll
Animations driven by scrolling: elements appear, move or change as you go down the page, so the story unfolds at your pace.
Serif
Typefaces with small strokes at the end of the letters. On the web they bring warmth, tradition or an editorial feel, often paired with a grotesk.
Slideshow
Images or projects that follow each other in a sequence, by click, swipe or timer.
Split screen
The screen divided into two halves, often with text on one side and images on the other, sometimes scrolling separately.
Static
No animation at all. The design relies on layout, type and images alone. Fast, calm and often the hardest to get right.
Strange
Sites that are hard to place: odd choices, unusual navigation, a little uncomfortable, and hard to forget.
Swiper
A JavaScript library for sliders and carousels that work with touch, mouse and keyboard.
Swiss grid
A strict column grid that every element aligns to, from the Swiss Style of the 1950s. Clear, ordered and still everywhere on the web.
T
Tactile
Sites you almost want to touch: textures, materials, close-up photography and interactions that feel physical.
V
Video
Moving footage as part of the design, from a background loop to a full-screen film on the homepage.
W
Warm
Friendly and human: soft colours, natural photography, handwritten or rounded details.
Webflow
A visual tool to design and publish websites without writing code by hand. Popular with design studios.