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 2-year post-graduate 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 Werner moved to New Zealand where he worked for the N.Z. Government Printer/Publisher.

He 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 icono-graphy and the RISD alumni association award for Art of Education.