Prof. Bitten Stetter successfully defends her doctoral dissertation
On September 18, 2026, Prof. Bitten Stetter defended her doctoral dissertation, “Conditions of Dying—An Encyclopedia,” at the University of Bern. The work was developed as part of the «Studies in the Arts» programme at the intersection of social anthropology and design.
For several years, Stetter has been researching dying using interventionist design methods and examining how social relationships, dependencies, and care are embodied in objects, materials, bodies, and atmospheres.
Structured as an encyclopedia, the dissertation deliberately transcends established academic forms of knowledge and representation: insight is not to be merely analyzed, but rather generated through design and the integration of ethnographic research, theory, intervention, and research through design.
About
Prof. Stetter is a trained fashion designer and has headed the Master’s degree programme Trends & Identity at ZHdK since 2008 and the corresponding research focus since 2014. Since 2015, her research practice has focused on the future of dying. Through her label finally., she develops innovative care services for the final phase of life.
