ESAA La Martinière Diderot

What ESAA La Martinière Diderot does

ESAA La Martinière Diderot is a French public higher education institution headquartered in Lyon (18 place Gabriel Rambaud, 69001), operating under the supervision of the French Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Higher Education. Its flagship offering is the DSAA Design program (Diplôme Supérieur d'Arts Appliqués), a two-year graduate-level curriculum equivalent to a Master's degree, organized around four specializations: Graphisme, médias, médiations (Graphic Design); Espace, usages, territoires (Space Design); Produit, usages, services (Product Design); and Textile, territoires, mutations (Textile & Fashion). The institution serves Bac+2/+3 graduates seeking advanced design education and professional qualification, with a documented portfolio of more than 150 diploma projects completed between 2016 and 2025. Students complete work on real client briefs sourced from an extensive enterprise and institutional partner network that includes Adidas, Somfy, Wedze, Laroq, Tatamiz, Trafik, Tra-C Industrie, Métropole de Lyon, Archives du Rize, and TNP, alongside interdisciplinary collaborations with French grandes écoles (ENSAM, ENSCI Les Ateliers, CESI, INSA, ITECH) and universities (Université Jean Monnet, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, ENS de Lyon, Université Lyon 2).

The pedagogical toolkit integrates digital and immersive technologies including VR/AR for archival exploration, computer-vision-driven interactive educational platforms, design fiction methodologies, and game-based learning modules delivered in cooperation with the Fablabs de Lyon network. Diploma projects such as En coulisses! (VR archive exploration), Démo géo (gesture/breath detection for geosciences education), Les Contes Mathématiques (illustrated educational content), and Plus Belle l'AI (a 12-episode AI-produced TV-reality series) demonstrate applied experimentation with immersive and AI-assisted content generation.

The business model is a public-sector, tuition-regulated revenue stream complemented by enterprise partnership contributions. Specific tuition levels are set by the French Ministry of Higher Education, and partnered enterprises may be asked to contribute financially to mobilize school resources (spaces, personnel, equipment, materials) with amounts scoped to project duration, deliverables, and resource intensity. Recruitment is event-driven: open house events (Open Windows), an online application phase, and content/visual marketing through the institutional website (dsaadesign-lyon.fr), Instagram (@dsaad_lm.d), and LinkedIn. No publicly traded instruments, no venture or private equity backing, and no M&A activity exist; the entity is a state-funded educational institution.

Name

ESAA La Martinière Diderot

Legal name

École Supérieure d'Arts Appliqués La Martinière Diderot

Website

https://dsaadesign-lyon.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ESAA La Martinière Diderot is a French public higher education institution in Lyon operating the DSAA Design Master program across four specializations (Graphic, Space, Product, Textile/Fashion Design), serving Bac+2/+3 graduates with project-based learning through enterprise and institutional partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Design Education

NAICS

Industrial Design Services (541420), Industrial Design Services (54142), Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions) (EDAHAJAG), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM), Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Design education
• Higher education
• Applied arts
• Graphic design
• Product design

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Registration Fees: Public higher education institution operating under French government funding. Partnership collaborations may involve financial contributions from enterprises for specific project resources including spaces, personnel, equipment and materials.
2. Partnership Contributions: Enterprises may be asked to contribute financially to help mobilize school resources - spaces, resources, personnel, equipment, and materials. Amounts are defined based on project scope, resources needed, duration, and nature of deliverables.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ESAA La Martinière Diderot offers a two-year graduate-level DSAA (Diplôme Supérieur d'Arts Appliqués) Design Master program in Lyon with four specializations: Graphic Design (Graphisme, médias, médiations), Space Design (Espace, usages, territoires), Product Design (Produit, usages, services), and Textile & Fashion (Textile, territoires, mutations). Students complete diploma projects in partnership with enterprises and cultural institutions, applying design methodologies to real-world challenges using digital tools including VR/AR, 3D modeling, and digital fabrication.

Product overview

ESAA La Martinière Diderot offers a DSAA (Diplôme Supérieur d'Arts Appliqués) Master program in Design, equivalent to a Master's degree. The institution provides four design specializations: Graphisme, médias, médiations (Graphic Design); Espace, usages, territoires (Space Design); Produit, usages, services (Product Design); and Textile, territoires, mutations (Textile & Fashion). Students complete diploma projects in partnership with enterprises and institutions, applying design methodologies to real-world challenges. The school maintains international partnerships through Erasmus and bilateral agreements with design schools and universities worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DSAA Design: Diplôme Supérieur d'Arts Appliqués - Master level design program with specializations in Graphisme (Graphic design), Espace (Space design), Produit (Product design), and Textile (Textile and fashion)

Products and services

• DSAA Design - Graphisme, médias, médiations (Graphic Design specialization) Two-year Master-level design program in graphic design, media, and mediation for graduate students. Students develop projects exploring digital illumination, typography, scientific mediation, and cultural representation through design.
• DSAA Design - Espace, usages, territoires (Space Design specialization) Two-year Master-level design program in space design, uses, and territories for graduate students. Students work on urban design, immersive experiences, environmental design, and social design projects.
• DSAA Design - Produit, usages, services (Product Design specialization) Two-year Master-level design program in product design, uses, and services for graduate students. Students develop tangible products, service systems, and interactive tools addressing social, healthcare, and educational needs.
• DSAA Design - Textile, territoires, mutations (Textile & Fashion specialization) Two-year Master-level design program in textile, territories, and mutations for graduate students. Students explore fashion design, textile innovation, and material transformations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students work on real client projects with 5-7 week turnaround times
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• INSA FEE (Filière Étudiant Entreprendre)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Pedagogical engineering partnership for design thinking workshops with engineering students at ESAA La Martinière Diderot.
• TrafikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative agency Trafik provides workshops and professional supervision for student design projects, including the workshop for new Adidas shoe range launch.
• AdidascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational sports brand partnering for design workshops, providing real-world context for student projects focused on new product development.
• SomfycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmart home technology company for UX design projects involving smartphone applications for home automation and window treatment control.
• Tra-C IndustrieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetalworking company providing access to cutting-edge technology including laser cutting, robotics, bending, welding, finishing, and sheet metal work for design prototyping.
• Métropole de LyoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government partner for urban design projects including coworking event scenography and community space design initiatives.
• Archives du Rize à VilleurbannecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural archive institution partnering for immersive digital design projects using digitized archives from TNP (Théâtre National Populaire).
• Purple EffectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation working on prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, partnering for toolkit design in festive environments.
• LaroqminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports equipment manufacturer for design fiction projects imagining future fitness practices, including symbiosis concept for gym equipment.
• Fablabs de LyoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of digital fabrication laboratories for educational modules on numerical fabrication technologies, including training and competency assessment.
• TatamizminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany for game-design and puzzle creation projects in educational VR environments, including game play scenario design.
• WedzeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinter sports equipment brand for design projects on invisible protection solutions for gliding sports.
• CCO (Centre de Culture Oxygène)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural center for transition furniture design project accompanying relocation to L'Autre Soie location.
• Les SubsistancesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural venue for summer festival scenography design projects.
• Médieval Archaeologist PartnerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for VR immersion projects exploring medieval Islamic domestic life at Albalat, Spain.
• IntermèdeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManager of Ateliers Briand in Saint-Priest (former automotive parts industrial site) for collaborative design projects exploring industrial heritage.
• Université Jean Monnet (UJM) Saint-ÉtiennecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership enabling access to Master 2 'Design, Métiers d'Art et Industrie' program, with ESAA teachers providing courses at the university.
• Université Paris 1 Panthéon-SorbonnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership providing access to Master 2 'Design, Arts, Médias' program for student continuation of studies.
• ENSAM (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering school partnership enabling collaborative projects between designers and engineers, with semester projects and diploma collaborations since 2008.
• ENSCI Les AtelierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign school partnership allowing DSAA students to attend a semester at ENSCI/Alps Design Lab residence or participate in week-long workshops.
• ITECHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPedagogical partnership with Master's program 'Manager de projet d'Innovation' for designer-engineer collaborations and textile innovation challenges.
• CESI École d'IngénieursminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering school collaboration on projects, workshops, and HTML training using PROSIT methodology with design and engineering students.
• ENS de LyonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between ENS Master's in Information Architecture students and ESAA design students on interface design projects.
• Université Lyon 2 (UMR 5189 HiSoMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with History and Sources of Ancient Worlds laboratory for scientific mediation design projects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LISAA School of Design: Paris-based French design school (private) with multiple Master-level specializations including graphic, space, product, and textile/fashion design. Highly comparable to ESAA in specialization mix and Master-level offerings.
• École Boulle: Paris-based French public applied arts and design school at the BTS/DSAA level, also under the French Ministry of Education. Highly comparable to ESAA as a peer French public institution teaching applied arts and design.
• ENSCI Les Ateliers: Paris-based prestigious French design school offering Master-level design education. Already a core strategic partner of ESAA La Martinière Diderot (student exchanges and joint workshops), making it the most directly comparable peer in program level and design specializations.
• HEAD – Genève (Haute école d'art et de design): Geneva-based public design school offering Master-level programs in graphic design, space design, and product design. Highly comparable to ESAA in specialization breadth, public-institution status, and cross-disciplinary orientation.
• ECAL (École cantonale d'art de Lausanne): Renowned Swiss design and art school offering Bachelor/Master programs in graphic, product, and media design. Comparable to ESAA at the Master level and represents the upper bound of brand visibility in the European design education market.
• Camondo (École Camondo): Paris-based design school offering Master-level programs in interior design and product design. Comparable to ESAA's Espace (Space Design) and Produit (Product Design) tracks and in industry-integrated pedagogy.
• Strate School of Design: French (Paris-based) private design school with Master-level programs in product, transport, and interaction design. Comparable to ESAA's Product Design track and its industry-partnered pedagogy model.
• École de Design Nantes Atlantique: Major French design school (private) offering Master-level programs across product, graphic, space, and interaction design. Comparable to ESAA in program structure, specialization breadth, and target student profile, though with stronger industrial partner network.

Broad incumbents

• Design Academy Eindhoven: Leading European design school (Bachelor/Master) widely regarded as a global benchmark for design education. Comparable to ESAA at the Master level; broader in scope and significantly more internationally recognized.
• Royal College of Art: London-based postgraduate design school offering Master-level programs across design disciplines. Comparable to ESAA at the Master level, with broader program scope and significantly larger international standing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/esaalamartini%C3%A8rediderot
• Instagraminstagram.com/dsaad_lm.d

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 ESAA La Martinière Diderot