Labs

Members of the Department of Design have access to many labs for research and creative experiments.  Students, lecturers, specialists and practitioners also use these rooms for research. You can conduct your own research and commissioned research under real and experimental conditions.

Colourlight Center

The Zurich Colourlight Center (FLZ) develops and carries out research projects, provides services, plans and hosts events and exhibitions and attends international conferences on colour and light with a particular focus on the interaction between coloured surfaces, room and light. The FLZ is also the advice/contact point for teaching projects, further education events and workshops in the field of colour and light.

Gamelab

Experiments in innovative game design are conducted in the GameLab. In the GameLab, the Game Design subject area conducts research in Serious and Applied Games, Artgames, Game Interfaces and Game Mechanics. The aim of the lab is to enable students and staff to experiment with games and a wide range of technologies, and to develop new paths for new games. The GameLab has the latest video game systems, contemporary literature and materials on building game controllers. The GameLabs is led by René Bauer and Beat Suter.

Physical Computing Lab

The Physical Computing Lab is the research lab for the Specialization in Interaction Design at ZHdK. It is a place where teaching, research, technology and knowledge takes place and is shared. The Physical Computing Lab provides expertise and a place to conduct experimental and interdisciplinary work with electronics. As well as providing laboratory spaces, we also offer an introduction to electronics and support for students and research projects.

Industrial Design Lab

The Industrial Design Lab (ID-Lab) conducts practical research into the trends and possibilities in the area of digital production. The knowledge gained in this way is passed on in tuition modules, workshops and lectures, and is also published online. A third industrial revolution is now underway (characterized by concepts such as Mass Customization, On-demand Production and the Sharing Economy), accompanied by a faster pace of activity at every level of the economy. This is creating the need for designers who can quickly pick up new technologies and processes, and learn to apply their new knowledge flexibly. Part of the Industrial Design Lab’s task is to enable the provision of training for this new type of designer. The ID-Lab is closely integrated with the curriculum of the Bachelor of Arts specialization in Industrial Design, but is also used by other specializations. There are also partnerships in place with companies and universities in Switzerland and abroad.

Teaching workshops

ZHdK has various workshops for teaching where students can learn how to use different methods, materials and machines and they can also be used to apply design ideas. You can find tutorials, videos and pictures on the Workshop Blog. Anyone who is interested can attend a Z-Tech course after they graduate. The workshops can only be used during regular opening times (see on the right). A special permit is required for use outside these hours.

Interactive Experience Lab

The “interactive experience” centres around the design of content-rich experiences that people have when using technology. The main focus is interactions which involve the body in an integrated way. The evolution of new mobile technologies as well as virtual reality and augmented reality open up new ways to demonstrate paradigmatic alterations and values and allow us to delve into unimagined, personal and social worlds of experience. Putting these new technologies into effect will improve the quality and efficacy of human-machine interaction or communication between people.