Nose Design Experience
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
Nose Design Experience firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Nose Design Experience industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Nose Design Experience is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nose Design Experience business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- 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
Nose Design Experience product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Nose Design Experience
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Nose Design Experience technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Nose Design Experience partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Stadler RailcoreLong-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)coreNose 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 SpoorwegencoreDesign 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 BahncoreNose 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.
- ExpotechnikminorDevelopment 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 Labortechnikcore25-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
Nose Design Experience competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
Nose Design Experience social profiles
Digital presenceNose Design Experience financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nose Design Experience leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Nose Design Experience funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nose Design Experience M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nose Design Experience
What does Nose Design Experience do?
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.
Is Nose Design Experience a public or private company?
Nose Design Experience is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Nose Design Experience founded?
Nose Design Experience was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nose Design Experience based?
Nose Design Experience is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Nose Design Experience make money?
One revenue line is on record: design Consulting Services.
Who are Nose Design Experience's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are IDEO, Designworks (BMW Group), frog (Capgemini Invent) and Italdesign. Emerging players are Map Project Office and WILDDESIGN. Direct peers are KISKA, Teague, PriestmanGoode and Tangerine (Accenture Song).
Does Nose Design Experience have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nose Design Experience.
What industry is Nose Design Experience in?
Nose Design Experience's product category is Industrial and Transportation Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAL, Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design. Its NAICS code is 541410 and its SIC code is 8711.