aesthetic portrait
photo portrait
Left to Right: Michael Freimuth, Aaron Pedersen, Elisa Maezono, Simone Noronha, Patrick Richardson Portrait by: Michael Gaughan

About

Studio Size

Small (1-5)

Year founded

2012

Borough

Brooklyn

Studio Bio/Philosophy

Franklyn is the small and clever creative studio you've been searching for all your life. We use our smarts, design chops, tech savvy and positive mental attitude to help others communicate more effectively.

The Team

Franklyn has 5 people. Of those, 2 are studio heads.

60% of studios are small-sized (1-5 people).

Gender Breakdown

60% male

40% female

Average age

26-30

Youngest: 25
Oldest: 33

Studio Disciplines

Breakdown of Work

65%

Interactive

Number of studio projects

26–50

Pro-bono projects

1–5

Strategy/Execution

35% Strategy

65% Execution

Primary Specialties

  • Art Direction (58)
  • Books (52)
  • Brand Strategy (42)
  • Branding & Identity (77)
  • Editorial/Publication Design (51)
  • Exhibition Design (33)
  • Illustration (45)
  • Interaction Design (36)
  • Mobile Design (30)
  • Packaging (45)
  • Print (75)
  • Typeface Design (25)
  • Web Design (59)
  • Web Development (25)

Clients’ Industries

  • Advertising (22)
  • Education (40)
  • Fashion (45)
  • Finance & Investment (26)
  • Local & community organizations (41)
  • Media & Publishing (58)
  • Music (28)
  • Products (32)
  • Restaurants & Food (29)
  • Retail (43)
  • Technology (37)
  • The Arts/Cultural Institutions (71)

Franklyn’s Clients

Michael Freimuth, Partner, Creative Director

Demographics

Age 33, Male, from Chicago, IL, United States, now lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. Formal education is undergraduate degree, primary design education is school (Rhode Island School of Design).

What’s been the biggest influence on your design career?

I've tried to limit myself here, so the four big ones are: 1) Rhode Island School of Design, which gave me a great circle of creative friends and plenty of typography, 2) a gentleman named Ed Marzsewski, who introduced me to the thriving underground Chicago art scene, 3) moving to New York after my time in Chicago, it (still) feels like there's no ceiling here, and 4) working at Sagmeister, which felt more like a graduate program than a job, where I was simply allowed to play.

Years in Design Industry

10 years

Average: 17 years

Teaching Design

  • School of Visual Arts — 1 years

Board Member on Professional Design Organizations

  • Art Director’s Club (ADC) Young Guns — 1 years

Time spent designing

30% actual

70% desired

Patrick Richardson, Partner

Demographics

Age 33, Male, from Chicago, IL, USA, now lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. Formal education is some college/university, primary design education is self-taught.

What’s been the biggest influence on your design career?

My partner Michael and I were both hired at a small studio a couple of weeks apart and working very closely together. In the first month I sized him up as a complete asshole and loathed working with him. During one particularly challenging situation I was seriously considering leaving the job because of it, but in the heat of it I asked him to take a walk with me. I was ready for a fight, but a really honest and healthy conversation followed and we became close friends shortly thereafter. We still have moments of conflict and tension, but that experience taught me not to judge people too quickly and that communication serves me much better than avoidance or passive aggression.

Years in Design Industry

10 years

Industry before design

Hotel management

Previous Design Employment

Time spent designing

20% actual

50% desired

Location

The Space

They share a space with 1 other company/individual.

Total people in space

10

Franklyn: 5, Other: 5

Working Days

Working week

The work week is 40-49 hours/week, core hours are 9:30-6:00, with the first in at 8:30am and the last out at 7:00pm.

50% of studios work 40-49 hours/week.
The average is 40-49 hours/week.

Favorite Typefaces:

Culture

Music

Plays music for 50% of the day at an average volume. Currently obsessed with Cocaine 80s, and most played over the last year is 'You Be Killin Em' by Fabolous.

Side Projects

Materiel Magazine

42% of studios have side projects.

Studio pets

1 dog

32% have pets at the studio

Working groups

Internal studio meetings

Once a week

Eat out for lunch?

A couple times/month

Favorite sit-down lunch: Parrish Hall

Critiquing Process

70%

On-screen reviews

Hashtag

  • #allgreeneverything