"Five minutes with..." is a series of interviews with the freelancers and small studios driving Scotland's creative industries. The idea is simple: each week a different interviewee takes five minutes out to answer five questions and showcases five examples of their work.
This week, I'm talking to Daniel Freytag, Creative Director and founder of Edinburgh's Berg, an interdisciplinary creative studio working seamlessly across a wide range of media: corporate identity, digital design, motion graphics, editorial design, environmental design, publishing and public art.
For the past ten years, Daniel has been working as a designer and photographer in London, Sydney and New York. He and his wife, Lorna, returned to settle in the UK last June, with Lorna starting her children's portraits business and Daniel founding his studio. Though based in Edinburgh, they both work internationally.
What are you working on just now?
Setting up our online shop - Editions of 100.
What's the last thing you saw that you really dug and why?
The work of French artist/designer Emmanuel Palanco. I just love it. The juxtaposition of bold graphic shapes, pattern and colour have a quirky and eccentric personality. His website is down at the moment, but you can find a good body of his work on Graphic Exchange.
If you could save just one typeface from extinction, which one and why?
Gill Sans. It's timeless, yet it has a real sense of place. It's part of our subconscious. Think - 'Keep Calm & Carry On'.
Why start your own studio?
It was just a natural progression for me. There comes a time when you want to do it yourself.
What one thing should be done to improve Britain's creative industries?
No free pitching. Here's a crazy idea: why not agree to take 5% (or whatever %) off the total project budget; call it a pitch fee. Split it amongst the studios pitching. Then whomever wins does the work for 95% of the original budget, plus their pitch fee.
Bonus question: Who would win in a fight between Justin Bieber and a polar bear? (this might be a trick question)
The polar bear (hopefully!)
Find out more about Berg at bergstudio.co.uk or bergblog.co.uk.
