Biography
Franz Werner was born in Basel, Switzerland. In 1972 he
received his Swiss Federal Diploma in Typography. From 1978 to 1979 he studied
under Wolfgang Weingart for his degree as “Typografischer Gestalter” followed
by a two-year postgraduate program in graphic design under professor Armin
Hofmann at the School of Design, Basel. Werner worked for Birkhäuser AG, Basel
and for Schwabe & Co., Basel (former employer of distinguished designer Jan
Tschichold). In 1975 he moved to New Zealand where he worked for the N.Z.
Government Printer/Publisher.
Werner started teaching at RISD in 1981 with a focus on typography and
photography while maintaining a freelance practice in design, with such clients
as International Paper, Intel and Brown University. Werner has lectured and
taught at the Osaka University of the Arts; Sozosha College of Design;
University of Canterbury, New Zealand; University of Art and Design
Basel/Switzerland, Fraunhofer Institute, University of Darmstadt, Germany. He
is the recipient of the PDN/Nikon award, the Faculty Development Grant for
research in iconography and the RISD alumni association award for Art of
Education.
Courses
- GRAPH-3220
FORM & COMMUNICATION
- GRAPH-3260
MUSIC VIDEO
- GRAPH-3175
TYPE & IMAGE IN MOTION
- GRAPH-3215
TYPOGRAPHY II
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