Elegance, functionality and attention to detail: these are the distinguishing features that make Made in Italy design a worldwide excellence. A definition to which two iconic writing products, created by Design Group Italia for the Fila company in 1975 and 1977 respectively, do not escape: Tratto Pen e Tratto Clip. Two design objects that caught the attention of the jury of the prestigious Compasso d’Oro award in 1979.
The two pens revolutionised the way Italians write, earning a place of honour in the history of design. Today, Tratto Pen and Tratto Clip are on display, in their original versions, in the halls of the ADI Museum in Milanas tangible evidence of the influence they had on the panorama of Italian design activity.
The innovative design of the Tratto Pen and Tratto Clip
“A rich stroke. A smooth stroke. Tratto – the most up-to-date solution to writing problems. It is not a fountain pen. Tratto writes elegantly but does not stain. It is not a fibre. Tratto is pliable but does not deform. It is not a biro. Tratto starts up immediately and writes better. Tratto is an Italian product.”
With these words the advertising copy presented the new Fila brand pens to the market, whose characteristics were well defined: no more smudges, jams and stains, but clean lines and an impeccable graphic sign. Just like the functions they promised to carry out, Tratto‘s design, clean and elegant, was immediately recognisable. So celebrated that it was cited in Phaidon Design Classics, a three-volume publishing series that lists the 999 most iconic objects of the 19th century (more precisely, from 1880 to 2006, the year of publication).
Simple and functional, Tratto Pens are not felt-tip pens, but rigid tip pens that constantly dispense ink. A true novelty for the time, which Alberto Candela, now honorary president of Fila, worked on for Design Group Italia. For his design, Candela made use of a patent unused and discovered in Japan, thanks to which he was able to overcome the biros mechanism.
An elegant and minimal sign
The new functionality was complemented by an elegant, minimalist shape that expressed timeless sophistication, and a slim, slender body designed to fit comfortably in the hand. All this was accompanied by iconic lettering and eye-catching colours (today, the colour range has been enriched with numerous shades).
Their shape and function have made Tratto pens extremely popular with users worldwide: it is said that four million were sold in the first four days on the market alone!
The Compasso d’Oro award
In 1979, the Tratto Pen and Tratto Clip received the Compasso d’Oro award, the highest recognition in the design world. Born in 1954 from an idea by Gio Ponti, the prize is awarded every two years and is assigned by an international jury that identifies the most deserving projects according to scientific and cultural criteria. The award confirmed the excellence of Tratto pen design and highlighted their significant impact in the design industry.
The presence at the ADI Museum in Milan
Today, Tratto Pen and Tratto Clip are part of the permanent collection at the ADI Museum in Milan, one of the most prestigious museums in the field of industrial design. The museum displays a wide range of iconic objects that tell the story of our design, of which the Tratto pens are a tangible testimony.
Presented with design studies and commercial slogans of the period, they can be admired in detail. In addition, Tratto pens are shown to visitors as part of an exhibition highlighting the evolution of design over the decades, and the cultural and historical influence in the design of products for everyday use and beyond.
Fiammetta Cantini
@Stiledesign. Reproduction reserved
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