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Susann Massute

Never mind the Grid, here’s der Freitag

part of a series on Punk

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What happens when editorial design goes punk? At der Freitag, intuition beats rules, collages get political, and deadlines fuel creativity. A behind-the-scenes ride through chaos, humor, and the art of rule-breaking.

Working at der Freitag, a small German weekly with a strong voice and a distinct visual identity, means doing editorial design in a space shaped by spontaneity, versatility and intuition. In this talk, I’ll share how I illustrate complex political themes, create distinctive collages, and approach visual storytelling with humor, curiosity—and a healthy dose of rule-breaking. It’s a bit like punk: DIY, rebellious, bold, and always hands-on. This won’t just be a greatest hits parade—expect behind-the-scenes insights, detours, dead ends, and the messy beauty of the creative process.

About the speaker

Susann Massute (*1989 in Brandenburg) is a freelance designer based in Berlin. Her interdisciplinary practice combines illustration, typography, photography, and writing, often blurring the lines between conceptual design and visual storytelling.

Since 2018, she has been creating the weekly cover designs for the German newspaper der Freitag, where her work translates complex political and cultural topics into bold, often collage-based visuals with a distinctive tone.

Her illustrated books include Das Kapital sind wir by Timo Daum (Edition Nautilus, 2017) and the recently published Conflict Culture Playbook by Hendric Mostert and Dana Hoffmann (Murrmann Verlag, 2024).

https://www.freitag.de

https://susannmassute.de

https://www.instagram.com/sue.maszu/

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