remembering franco clivio (1942–2026)

an appreciation of an exceptional designer, with personal memories from fritz frenkler. photo: © melanie hofmann / aut. architektur und tirol, no name design and manifolds exhibition press archive.

on 27 september 2026, swiss industrial designer franco clivio passed away at the age of 84. with him, the design world has lost an extraordinary observer of everyday life, a designer whose work was guided by curiosity, precision and a profound understanding of how things function.

fritz frenkler remembers first encountering franco clivio during his student years. clivio, himself a graduate of the legendary ulm school of design, maintained a studio in ulm. their paths would cross again over the following decades, including through their involvement in international design juries.

what fritz remembers is a distinctive personality, someone who was unmistakably present, yet personally reserved. a designer whose work spoke through intelligence and precision rather than unnecessary gestures.

clivio’s contribution to industrial design was remarkable. he developed the original gardena hose connection system, an ingenious solution that became an everyday standard. his work for erco and lamy, including the iconic lamy pico ballpoint pen, demonstrated the same fascination with mechanical intelligence and the relationship between form and function.

yet perhaps his most personal contribution to design culture was his extraordinary collection of anonymous everyday objects.

over several decades, clivio collected around 1,000 objects whose inventors were often unknown. small tools, mechanical constructions, connectors and ordinary utensils became evidence of the ingenuity hidden in everyday life.

the collection was documented in the publication verborgene gestaltung / hidden forms, created with photographer hans hansen and graphic designer pierre mendell. it subsequently became the subject of exhibitions under the title no name design.

fritz particularly remembers this collection and the fascination with apparently insignificant objects. in clivio’s hands, the ordinary became a source of discovery. he demonstrated that good design does not always require a famous name or a spectacular appearance. sometimes the most remarkable solutions are those we barely notice.

even in his later work, including the delicate, transformable metal constructions known as manifolds, clivio continued to explore movement, structure and the possibilities of simple materials.

his legacy is not only found in the products he created, many of which have become design classics. it is also found in the particular attention he brought to the world around him.

franco clivio reminds us that design begins with observation, curiosity and the willingness to recognize intelligence in the simplest things.

we remember him with deep respect and gratitude.

fritz frenkler and the team at f/p design