I’m a graphic designer, working between Freiburg im Breisgau and Zurich on books, digital matters and visual identities for clients from academia, culture and publishing. Since 2017, I collaborate, research and workshop with Loraine Olalia, Nadine Wüthrich, the folks at intercomverlag and several developers (1, 2, 3, 4) on tools and formats for publishing academic research in hybrid form and as open access (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Furthermore I am interested in design research in practiced and academic form. Then especially about editorial practices in the context of ethnographic representation, for mediating ethnographic perspectives and for establishing reflexivity about the mediums’ means of production. These interest informed my MA-thesis “Palms on Balconies: A visual study of contemporary houses from Romania built for representation”. A publication is in the works.

Feel free to contact me for enquiries, collaborations or written contributions.

Glotterpfad 6, D-79194 Freiburg im Breisgau
Gertrudstrasse 4, CH-8003 Zurich

Practice
Jan 2019 – July 2020 ⚪ Project member at Institut für Designforschung ZHdK, “cache: an explorative study on Open Access as a socio-technical system”, Zurich, CH
July – Dec 2018 ⚪ Scientific assistant at Institut für Designforschung ZHdK, “Editorial Design für neue Formen von Wissen in der ethnografischen Forschung”, Zurich, CH
2010 – 2021 ⚪ Employed, freelanced, art directed, interned at Source Associates AG, Raffinerie AG, L’OFFICIEL Schweiz/Suisse, Bureau Mirko Borsche

Education
2018 – 2020 ⚪ PhD-studies at Collegium Helveticum, Epistemologies of aesthetic practices” and University of Zurich, Kulturanalysen, Zurich, CH – unfortunately cancelled due to a lack of project funding
2017 – 2018 ⚪ MA in Visual Communication, ZHdK, Zurich, CH
2012 – 2013 ⚪ Erasmus exchange, ECAL, Lausanne, CH
2009 – 2013 ⚪ BA in Visual Communication, HfG Pforzheim, GER

Workshops & Talks
2022, 2023 ⚪ “Means for Hybrid Publishing” at CAS Editorial Expanded, Input with Nadine Wüthrich, ZHdK Departement Design, Zurich, CH
2021 ⚪ “How can hybrid design create new approaches for publishing academic research?“, 5-day workshop with Loraine Olalia and Nadine Wüthrich, ZHdK Departement Design, Zurich, CH
2021 ⚪ “Zeigen – artikulieren – bezeugen. Erkenntnismodi in Kunst, Wissenschaft und Design”, panel with Johannes Bennke and Bruno Heller. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ästhetik: Ästhetik und Erkenntnis, ZHdK, Zurich, CH

Nominations and Awards
2023 ⚪ Most Beautiful Swiss Books 2022, with Nadine Wüthrich for gta edition / intercom Mono
2019 ⚪ Finalist for the Josef Müller-Brockmann Advancement Award for Young Designers
2019 ⚪ Stiftung Buchkunst, Förderpreis für junge Buchgestaltung 2018, Shortlisted for “Palms on Balconies”
2018 ⚪ Project funding for “Palms on Balconies” through the ZHdK-AVINA Student Project Fund of AVINA Foundation Switzerland

Written contributions
2020 ⚪ “Design research as an gesture for showing”, contribution for “Not at your service – Design Manifestos”, Hansuli Matter and Björn Franke, Department ZHdK, Birkhäuser Verlag
2019 ⚪ “Foreign agency as facilitator of status in post-revolutionary Romania”, contribution with Gabriel Amza for Migrant Journal No. 6

Exhibition contributions
2020 ⚪ Literaturhaus Stuttgart, “Homing” with “Palms on Balconies”, Stuttgart, GER
2019 ⚪ House of Arts Timișoara, “Homing” with “Palms on Balconies”, Timișoara, RO
2014 ⚪ 26th Intl. Biennial of Graphic Design, “Student works”, Brno, CZ

Coding by Jens Buss ⚪ 2024