Smilla Diener
(as of: December 2025)
Education
2015–2018 Bilingual Matura (ger/eng) /
Gymnasium Lerbermatt, Köniz
2018–2019 Gestalterisches Propädeutikum /
Schule für Gestaltung B:B, Bern
2019–2023 BA Industrial Design /
Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Zürich
2021 Exchange Semester Design & Art /
Hongik University, Seoul
2023–2025 MA Cultural Publishing /
Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Zürich
Theses
BA Industrial Design “Waldo. Objekt für Verhandlung”, interactive installation and research to promote discourse in public spaces. Includes process documentation “Trojanische Pferde designen”, newspaper “Umsicht”, video “Das ist Waldo”.
MA Cultural Publishing “Big John. Dokufiction”, docu-fictional text on stone, tunnel boring, the Anthropocene, acceleration, presented as a publication in tabloid format.
Further training
2020–2021 Kurs “[...] Schreiben und Reden Advanced” with Christoph Merki / Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Zürich
2022 Basic course as a snowboard instructor / Jugend+Sport Schweiz, Mürren
2023 Workshop “Circular Home Furnishing Design Jam” / What Design Can Do, Zurich Knowledge Center for Sustainable Development, Zürich
Languages
German (CH): First language
English: C1-C2
French: B2
Finnish: A2
Work experience
2020 Internship and editorial work for news / Agentur Café Europe, Winterthur
2021–2022 Accompanying various camps and snow sports events as a J+S snowboard instructor / Zürich, Bern
2022 Snowboard instructor, full-day supervision of school class groups, all levels / Verein SnowDays Stadt Bern, Grindelwald
2022 Individual assignments at events and sales stands / Neumühle, Zürich
2022 Substitute English teacher for adults, individual English lessons in small groups /
@helen’s english courses, Belp
2022 Internship in product development; research, process simplification, deliveries, warehouse coordination / Vaarnii, Helsinki
2022-2025 Design thinking workshop facilitator, day events for apprentices / “Techpreneurs”, Ludensfaber, multiple locations
2022–2025 Sales assistant hardgoods, Focus on snow sports equipment, customer experience, merchandising, orders / Blue Tomato, Zürich
2023–2025 Information booth for diploma exhibitions, contact person for visitors / Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Zürich
2023–2024 Concept & production of alumnae video portraits, coordination, camera, sound, editing / Master Kulturpublizistik ZHdK, Zürich
2024–now Joint communications organiser; editorial planning, social media and website management, event documents / Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Zürich
2025–2026 Text work for social media for the Gewerbemuseum Winterthur / Brooke Jackson, Zürich
Commissions / events
2020 Article “Was es zu erhalten gilt” & “Soft Skills statt Werkstatt” in the section “Campus” / Magazin Hochparterre, Zürich
2022 Video work “Design der Dinge – 1 Wie entsteht Wert?”, dialogue format for design case studies / studio hotmess for Museum für Gestaltung Zürich
2023 Podium discussion “Generation Reparatur?” / Museum für Gestaltung, Zürich
2024 Essay “Die Zeit vergeht auch im Kühlschrank” / kulturpublizistik.ch, Kulturpublizistik ZHdK, Zürich
2024 Review “Ein Andenken entlang der Turmfassade” / Hochparterre, Zürich
2024 Portrait “Ein Tag im Leben einer Trampilotin: «Der Normalbetrieb mit vollen Trams war eine Art Schock»” / Das Magazin, Tagesanzeiger, Zürich
2024–2025 Concept, production of various “TONI TALKS” podcast episodes (“Zwischen heiklen Proben und Tor zur Aussenwelt: das Leben am ZHdK-Standort Gessnerallee” + “Museum für Gestaltung: Ausstellung: Lösungsansätze für die Wasserkrise” + “Über die Entstehung der Toni-Dachterrasse: Lukas Schweingruber, Landschaftsarchitekt” + “Performance-Kunst im öffentlichen Raum mit dem Festival «rrRrr»: Martina Morger, ZHdK-Alumna und Mitgründerin «Perrrformat»”) / Public relations department of ZHdK, Zürich
2024 Texts for new Website TanzAtelierZug / Gestaltung: Office Jasmin Widmer
2025 Reading from writing project “Die Lagune” / Urban Waters, Zürich
2025 12 Portraits of alumnae of the Master's programme in Transdisciplinarity for publication “ALUMN* PORTRAITS MTR #1” / Master Transdisciplinarity in the Arts, ZHdK, Zürich
2025 Article “Mach dich bereit: UEFA Women’s EURO 2025” / akutmag.ch, Zürich
2025 Essay “Die Nivea-Sonnencreme ist mein Weihrauch” / akut mag issue 1: SENSORIK, Zürich
2025 Concept & production of the podcast series “Diversity Spotlight” (“Diversity Spotlight: Sprache kann etwas Prozesshaftes sein | Bernadette Kolonko” + “Diversity Spotlight: Design for Protest and Resistance | Cherry-Ann Morgan”, 2 weitere) / Fachstelle Gleichstellung & Diversity ZHdK
2026 Text, process “OPEN STUDIO” / Dimitri de Perrot, Gessnerallee, Zürich
Projects (finished)
2020 Publication “Ich glaube ich bin nicht verliebt” (implementation including printing, binding and distribution) / Quarantäne Verlag, Zürich
2020–2024 Joint publication “Der Design Index” with Moritz Gysi; website, newsletter, live format (Concept, editing, publication, support for guest authors) / Zürich
2021 Co-edited anthology “Mehr als die Hälfte” (Open call organisation, concept development, editing, own texts) / collectif gamine, Zürich
2022–2024 Co-edition of annual magazine “INTRO” (Open call organisation, concept development, editing, online presence, own texts) as well as co-concept development and co-organisation of snow sports events “Super Friendly Playground” / super friendly society, Bern
Projects (ongoing)
2023-now Publications/interventions as “Rodeo Publishing” (earlier studio hotmess) with Géraldine Waespi / Zürich
2024-now Writing project “Pass-Reihe”, narrative stories from, on Swiss alpine passes / (unpublished)
2024-now Writing project “Millenium Baby (unfertig)”, experiments in autofiction / (unpublished)
2025-now Scenic writing project “Der Baumeister” / (unpublished)