Trends & Identity, ZHdK

What Trends & Identity, ZHdK does

Trends & Identity is an academic department within ZHdK (Zürcher Hochschule der Künste), the public university of arts in Zurich, Switzerland. Founded in 2003 as 'Style & Design' at the former Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Zürich and renamed Trends & Identity in 2018, the department offers a three-year Bachelor program, a consecutive Master program, and a Health Design Minor, all delivered from ZHdK's Toni-Areal campus. Its core technology is a design-research methodology combining ethnographic and cultural-science methods, speculative design, trend scanning, visual ethnography, oral history, and co-design processes to investigate trends, identities, and future scenarios — with formalised research Schwerpunkte in Care Futures and Modetheorie und -geschichte. External visibility is built through high-profile collaborations (Hermès window display, Jelmoli, Ravensburger, HEAD Genève, Kinderhospiz Flamingo, Autonomía), SNF- and foundation-funded research projects (Sterbesettings, Abschiedssphären, Remote Connections, Materialised Foresight), publications via Scheidegger & Spiess and the &zine platform, and design awards including the Design Preis Schweiz 2023.

The department operates as a non-commercial academic unit; revenue is not publicly disclosed and is derived from institutional public funding, SNF/foundation grants, and tuition under the standard ZHdK fee structure. Its go-to-market is the ZHdK admissions process supplemented by open days, Instagram/Facebook, newsletter, symposia, and earned media from diploma exhibitions and faculty projects. A commercial spin-off, 'finally.', was established by faculty lead Bitten Stetter to translate Care Futures research into market-ready palliative and end-of-life care products, supported by Migros-Pionierfonds, AgeStiftung, and Pro Helvetia. The customer base spans three segments: prospective design students (primary), the academic research community, and external project partners across luxury, retail, healthcare, gaming, and NGO sectors.

Name

Trends & Identity, ZHdK

Legal name

Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK)

Website

https://trendsandidentity.zhdk.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Education

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Industrial Design Services (541420), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM), Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

Keywords

• Design education
• Trend research
• Fashion studies
• Design research
• Futures studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Trends & Identity is an academic department at ZHdK (Zürcher Hochschule der Künste) offering Bachelor and Master degree programs in design with a focus on trends, identities, and societal change. The curriculum combines conceptual and craft knowledge with critical perspectives on fashion, lifestyle, material culture, and identity. The department also conducts funded research (e.g., Care Futures, Fashion Theory and History), supervises PhD projects, and operates a spin-off design label called "finally." producing care products for end-of-life contexts.

Product overview

Trends & Identity at ZHdK is an academic department offering Bachelor and Master programs in design with focus on trends, identities, and societal change. The portfolio includes: the Bachelor and Master Trends & Identity programs providing comprehensive design education; the Health Design Minor examining health megatrends; the Care Futures and Fashion Theory & History research foci conducting academic research; and the spin-off label 'finally.' creating care products for end-of-life. Supporting offerings include the '&zine' publication, conference series, and PhD projects such as Remote Connections, Abschiedssphären, and Materialised Foresight investigating topics from digital dying to speculative design for ageing futures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trends & Identity Bachelor Program A three-year Bachelor program combining broad design competencies with deep understanding of trends and identities, supplemented by design theory and history. Students develop independent aesthetic handwriting and stance by initiating, conceptualizing, and independently implementing design projects. For prospective design students seeking generalist design education.
• Trends & Identity Master Program A Master program examining forward-looking transformation processes and current identities to shape futures with visionary design projects. Combines research-related and design methods, transforming current knowledge into future design. For graduates and design practitioners seeking advanced research-oriented design education.
• Health Design Minor A minor program focusing on the health megatrend, examining the contemporary health society from various design perspectives including Mental Health, Self Care, Healing Architecture, Longevity, and Femtec. For ZHdK students seeking cross-disciplinary specialization.
• Care Futures Research Focus Academic research focus examining health and care styles, individual and collective identities related to health, and topics such as loneliness, Selfcare, Spiritual Care, and Ageing in Spaces with their material and aesthetic manifestations. For academic collaborators, research institutions, and funding partners.
• Modetheorie und -geschichte (Fashion Theory and History) Research Focus Academic research focus examining fashion history as design history, with clothing as material culture. Investigates relationships with body, technologies, aesthetics, materials, and media representation. For academic collaborators and research networks.
• finally. (Care Products Label) A spin-off design label creating products for fragile times and final life phases, including nursing aids and accompanying products that combine aesthetics and functionality. For end-of-life patients, palliative care, and families. Developed from palliative care research.
• &zine Publication An online publication by Trends & Identity offering insights into the department's work, research findings, and design perspectives. For students, alumni, researchers, and the broader design community.
• Sterbesettings Research Project An interdisciplinary SNF-funded research project on dying settings, a cooperation between Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) and ZHdK, examining how dying can be designed. For academic community, palliative care practitioners, and policy stakeholders.
• Remote Connections PhD Project PhD research project exploring how digital technologies serve as resources for communication, expression, and interaction for persons at the end of life. For academic community and palliative care stakeholders.
• Abschiedssphären PhD Project PhD research project (2022-2026) on designing atmospheres of farewell, examining the interplay of space and dead body in mortuary settings using methods from cultural studies and design research. For academic community, mortuary and care practitioners.
• Materialised Foresight PhD Project PhD research project (2024-ongoing) exploring speculative design prototypes as catalysts for perceptual and cognitive reframing in executive decision-making regarding ageing societies. For academic community and futures research stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bitten Stetter won the Design Preis Schweiz 2023 in the category Inclusive Design for the finally. label; David Jäggi's Vermicelleria was also nominated in Food Design.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• swissfuture – Magazin für ZukünfteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaster students in the Trend Reporting module collaborated with swissfuture magazine under the direction of Judith Mair. Students produced articles on psychedelic substances in the wellness economy for the magazine, exploring new narratives and consumption aesthetics in collaboration with editor-in-chief Larissa Holaschke.
• Maison ShiftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the HANDS ON project — a participatory workshop format for teenagers aged 12–16 that combines craft self-efficacy with consumption reflection. Co-developed by Henriette-Friederike Herm of Trends & Identity and Corinna Mattner of Maison Shift.
• ZHAW NachhaltigkeitspsychologiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch cooperation within the HANDS ON project 'Von der Behauptung zur Evidenz' to systematically evaluate whether craft-based self-efficacy drives value change in teenagers.
• Dossier Nachhaltigkeit ZHdKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding and institutional support for the HANDS ON project as part of the ZHdK sustainability dossier's research activities.
• Innovation Booster Future Urban SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding body supporting the HANDS ON project, which is part of the Future Urban Society Innovation Booster's ongoing initiatives.
• Autonomía (Reinigungskooperative)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with one of Switzerland's first cleaning cooperatives for the BA diploma project 'Estamos aquí.' The campaign is based on individual experiences, biographies, and desires of cleaning workers, aiming to increase visibility and social appreciation of the cleaning industry.
• ZHdK Alumni NetworkminorOthersAbsolvent:innen (alumni) of all 20 graduating classes are invited back for events such as the 'Und dann…?' career panel and the 20-year anniversary celebration at Cabaret Voltaire.
• Copenhagen Cooking Festival / Zürich meets CopenhagenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerZHdK participated as 'Friendship City of the Year' partner in the Copenhagen Cooking 2023 festival, with Trends & Identity alumni and current students presenting design-research projects on food at the cross-cultural event organized by the City of Zurich and Canton of Zurich.
• Stiftung Kinderhospiz Schweiz / Kinderhospiz FlamingocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary project developing the visual identity for the newly built Kinderhospiz Flamingo, including graphic animal illustrations, website redesign, print products, social media concept, and wayfinding signage.
• queerAltern VereinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-creative collaboration with queer seniors from the queerAltern association for the BA project 'Designing Queer Ageing,' developing design solutions for intersectional discrimination in aging.
• RavensburgerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtra-curricular module resulting in 'Puzzlebilities' concepts developed by BA and MA students under the direction of Bitten Stetter and Alex Viert, presented at Ravensburger's headquarters in Germany.
• Bundesasylzentrum Zürich (BAZ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreating Neighbourhood project initiated by Barbara Liebster, fostering transcultural exchange between ZHdK and the federal asylum center through participatory design workshops and a mural project.
• Universidad Católica, Santiago de ChileminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrancis Müller, Trends & Identity lecturer, taught at the chair 'diseño para futuros posibles' (Design for Possible Futures) during his research semester 2024, working on publications in design, objects, and sociology.
• Institut für Designforschung (IDE) ZHdKcoreOthersTrends & Identity research is affiliated with ZHdK's Institute for Design Research (IDE), which coordinates all design department research projects and connects researchers with external partners.
• netzwerk mode textil / Netzwerk Designgeschichte / Swiss Textile CollectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFashion theory research group is part of international networks including netzwerk mode textil, Netzwerk Designgeschichte, and Swiss Textile Collection.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Central Saint Martins (University of the Arts London): Globally recognized London design and fashion school with strong identity, fashion, and critical design offerings. Direct peer in trend and identity-led design education, alumni outcomes, and industry partnerships.
• Domus Academy: Milan-based postgraduate design school with fashion, product, and trend-related programs. Comparable in industry-linked projects with luxury and lifestyle brands, similar to Trends & Identity's Hermès and Jelmoli collaborations.
• Design Academy Eindhoven: Dutch design school internationally known for critical, speculative, and socially engaged design. Especially close peer given Trends & Identity's speculative design, futures, and More-than-Human research directions.
• Sandberg Instituut Amsterdam: Amsterdam-based postgraduate design institute within the Gerrit Rietveld Academie with a strong reputation in critical and experimental design. Direct peer in speculative and research-driven design pedagogy.
• Parsons School of Design (The New School): New York-based design school with fashion, product, and strategic design programs. Comparable as a research-active design school combining trend research, identity work, and industry-linked projects across fashion and lifestyle.
• Royal College of Art: London-based postgraduate university specializing in art and design. Comparable in research-led design education, futures and critical design practice, and international applicant base targeting design-research-oriented programs.
• ECAL (École cantonale d'art de Lausanne): Leading Swiss design and contemporary art school with strong product, graphic, and media design programs. Direct competitor for Swiss design students and faculty talent, and a peer in design research output at international level.
• Folkwang University of the Arts: German university of the arts with strong design and product design programs. Comparable as a German-speaking design education peer with research output and industry-facing project work.
• Aalto University – School of Arts, Design and Architecture: Finnish university merging art, design, and architecture research and education. Direct peer for research-led design, futures-oriented inquiry, and interdisciplinary practice that parallels Trends & Identity's scope.
• HEAD – Genève (Haute école d'art et de design): Swiss sister institution offering applied design and visual arts programs. Trends & Identity has an active research collaboration with HEAD on the 18-month Jeansdinge project, demonstrating direct overlap in design research practice and shared Swiss higher-education context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/trendsandidentityzhdk
• Instagraminstagram.com/trendsandidentity_zhdk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trends-identity-zhdk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Trends & Identity, ZHdK