Nose Design Experience

What Nose Design Experience does

Nose Design Experience (legal entity: Nose AG) is an independent Swiss design agency founded in 1991 in Zürich by Christian Harbeke, Ruedi August Müller, and Ruedi Alexander Müller. The firm operates across five core service disciplines: Transportation Design (trains, trams, locomotives, and rail vehicles), Product Design (industrial and consumer products, laboratory equipment, bicycles), Interaction Design (mobile applications and digital interfaces), Spatial Design (exhibitions, wayfinding, modular stands), and Branding (corporate identity, logo systems, visual identity). Its work spans vehicle exteriors and interiors, livery design, brand systems, and digital products, supported by prototyping via physical mockups and virtual reality for immersive testing.

The agency's business model is project-based B2B professional services, delivered through direct enterprise engagement with sales-led GTM. Pricing is quote-driven and not publicly disclosed. Nose serves a concentrated mix of European railway operators (Stadler Rail as anchor client since 2006; SBB, Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB, Nederlandse Spoorwegen, BLS, RhB, MGB, Renfe Cercanías), airlines (Swiss International Airlines, Edelweiss Air), consumer brands (Mammut, BMC, k kiosk), industrial manufacturers (Büchi Labortechnik, EROWA), and automotive (Mercedes-Benz, General Motors). A small core team of approximately 20 specialists is supplemented by a trusted network of external collaborators. The firm is founder-owned, privately held, has no external institutional investment, and operates from a single headquarters at Hardturmstrasse 171, Zürich.

Name

Nose Design Experience

Legal name

Nose AG

Website

https://nose.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nose Design Experience is a Zürich-based, founder-owned Swiss design agency founded in 1991, specializing in transportation design (trains, trams, locomotives), product design, branding, and interaction design for European railway operators, airlines, and industrial clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial and Transportation Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL), Wayfinding, Signage & Environmental Graphic Design (BPAHAKAN)

Keywords

• Transportation design
• Industrial design
• Corporate branding
• Interaction design
• Spatial design

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Design Consulting Services: Project-based professional services revenue from design consulting engagements. Works directly with clients on transportation design, product design, interaction design, spatial design, and branding projects. Revenue generated through design fees for conceptualization, development, and implementation support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nose Design Experience is a Swiss design agency delivering professional design services across five disciplines: Transportation Design (trains, trams, locomotives, vehicle exteriors and interiors, livery), Product Design (industrial and consumer products, laboratory equipment, bicycle components), Interaction Design (mobile apps, web interfaces, interactive experiences), Spatial Design (exhibitions, trade fair systems, wayfinding), and Branding (corporate identity, logos, brand strategy). Engagements are project-based and span conceptualization, development, and production implementation support for enterprise clients in rail, aviation, automotive, telecom, financial services, and consumer/industrial sectors.

Product overview

Nose Design Experience is a Swiss design agency offering five core service disciplines: Transportation Design (trains, trams, vehicles), Product Design (industrial/consumer products), Interaction Design (digital products/interfaces), Spatial Design (exhibitions/spaces), and Branding (corporate identity). The company works across transportation, healthcare, finance, retail, and industrial sectors, serving clients including Stadler Rail, SBB, Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB, Mammut, Swiss Airlines, and PostFinance. Projects span from train exteriors/interiors to mobile apps, from brand identities to exhibition systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transportation Design Design of trains, trams, locomotives, and rail vehicles including exterior styling, interior concepts, and livery design. Projects include high-speed trains (SBB Giruno), commuter trains (FLIRT platforms), trams (Stadler TINA platform), double-decker trains (ÖBB KISS), and specialized vehicles for European operators.
• Product Design Industrial design services for consumer products, laboratory equipment, bike components, and mechanical systems. Projects include laboratory equipment for Büchi, bicycle components for BMC and DT Swiss, the Studer Vista digital mixing console, and solar folding roof systems.
• Interaction Design Digital product design including mobile applications, web interfaces, and interactive experiences. Projects include PostFinance mobile banking app, Sennheiser app ecosystem for the LSP 500 Pro, the Cotton USA Mill Performance Index web application, and clinic digital referral solutions.
• Spatial Design Exhibition design, trade fair booth systems, and spatial brand environments. Projects include modular exhibition stand systems for Expotechnik, multimedia exhibitions for Zurich Insurance, the world's largest LED display and Academy renovation for Deutsche Telekom, and wayfinding systems for Mercedes-Benz dealerships.
• Branding Corporate identity development, brand strategy, logo design, and brand implementation across touchpoints. Projects include the Mammut outdoor brand, Swiss International Airlines, k kiosk (Valora), MGB staff uniforms, Musikdorf Ernen festival identity, and General Motors multi-brand dealer signage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Giruno train design achieved Design Leadership Prize in Swiss Design Prize 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stadler RailcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Long-standing strategic partnership since 2006 when Nose was selected for Rhaetian Railway Allegra train project. Nose has developed exterior and interior design for numerous Stadler vehicles including FLIRT variants, Giruno, Capricorn, Orion, KISS, TINA tram platform, and EURODUAL locomotive. Collaborative development process with Stadler engineering teams across multiple facilities including Valencia, Prague, and Switzerland.
• ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNose developed the overall design concept for ÖBB KISS double-decker trains during the tender phase, with continued involvement in interior design implementation including children's compartments and working spaces. Partnership for trains operating on Vienna-Salzburg route at 200 km/h.
• Nederlandse SpoorwegencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partnership for 36 FLIRT trains for Dutch regional commuter transport. Nose translated NS's bold design directive into contemporary, economically viable vehicle design with distinctive Dutch look & feel. Fleet scheduled to enter service 2030.
• Deutsche BahncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNose serves as lead agency for Deutsche Bahn long-distance transport, defining travel experience for next generation ICE fleet. Collaborative development with various DB departments and development teams emphasizing sustainability, longevity, and comfort at 300 km/h.
• ExpotechnikminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partnership since 1992 for modular exhibition stand construction systems. Collaboration evolved into continuous 20+ year partnership producing innovative building systems known for flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability.
• Büchi LabortechnikcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner25-year productive partnership beginning in 1993 with comprehensive branding project after company restructuring. Nose has designed all laboratory equipment since then, creating sustainable product design language continuously developed to accommodate new technologies including digital user interfaces.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Global design and innovation firm with established transportation, product, and digital practices. Larger incumbent competing for design strategy and product/transportation engagements at enterprise clients across industries.
• Designworks (BMW Group): BMW-owned design studio with global mobility, product, and brand design practice serving automotive, aviation, rail, and consumer industries. Larger incumbent with broader portfolio and integrated client access; competes for premium transportation design briefs.
• frog (Capgemini Invent): Global design and engineering firm (part of Capgemini Invent) with strong industrial design and transportation credentials. Larger incumbent serving enterprise clients across product, mobility, and digital design.
• Italdesign: Italian design and engineering house (part of Volkswagen Group) with deep transportation and product design heritage. Larger incumbent operating in vehicle, mobility, and product design with an integrated engineering capability that Nose lacks.

Emerging players

• Map Project Office: London-based design studio working in product, transportation, and brand design with a focus on premium consumer and mobility clients. Comparable in scale and multi-disciplinary approach, with shared exposure to European and international mobility brands.
• WILDDESIGN: German industrial and product design firm serving European industrial, mobility, and consumer clients. Comparable as a mid-sized, multi-disciplinary German-language design house with overlapping industrial and transportation design capabilities.

Direct peers

• KISKA: Austrian design consultancy with strong transportation (motorcycle/automotive) and product design credentials for OEMs like KTM. Comparable as a mid-sized, multi-disciplinary European design firm serving industrial clients on platform programs.
• Teague: US-based design consultancy with one of the world's largest dedicated transportation design practices serving rail, aviation, and automotive OEMs. Comparable in working with major OEMs/operators on platform-level vehicle and interior design engagements.
• PriestmanGoode: London-based design studio specializing in transportation design (rail, aviation, urban mobility) and product/brand design. Closest direct peer to Nose in the European rail design market, with comparable multi-disciplinary practice and focus on operator-level fleet programs.
• Tangerine (Accenture Song): UK-headquartered transportation design consultancy now part of Accenture Song, with deep rail, aviation, and automotive interior design credentials. Direct competitor for European train manufacturer and operator design programs at platform level.

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nosedesign
• Facebookfacebook.com/nosedesignexperience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nose-ag
• Instagraminstagram.com/nose_design_experience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nose Design Experience