Introducing: berzerkdesign

Berzerkdesign is a design company based in Saarland, Germany that has created many popular racing designs in the past years. Among his clients are Black Falcon, Manthey, Phoenix Racing, EKS and many more – particularly in the German and Asian markets. We managed to have a chat about his work, his way of thinking and his absolute dream project.

How many people are behind berzerkdesign and what services do you provide?

I founded berzerkdesign in 2010. Within 12 months, the hobby of building skins for rFactor and GTR2 became a real profession. I used to be one of the first to present my simracing skins with renderings instead of ingame screenshots. With some luck, resulting contacts and hard work I got my first jobs. My client base grew by word-of-mouth advertising and of course some acquisition. That's how my pastime became a full-time job supported by multiple freelancers if necessary.

Our main sphere of activity is of course creating designs for race cars. Apart from that we offer services for 3d modeling, visualization and animation in motorsports and the vehicle sector, classic print products, websites and social media.

Can you say what clients you work for and what projects you're most proud of?

My three main cornerstones at the 24 hours and VLN races on the Nürburgring are Phoenix Racing, Black Falcon and Manthey. New international clients are Strakka Racing, Target Competition – who will be entering the Supertrofeo this year – and reigning GT4 European champions Ekris Motorsport.
The biggest growth was in the Asian market, though. With Phoenix Racing Asia, Absolute Racing and AAO Motorsport I work for the three biggest Asian teams (competing in Blancpain GT Asia, Asian Le Mans Series, Audi R8 LMS Cup, etc.).
Apart from that, there are some activities in the Nascar Euro Whelen with PK Carsport and the entries of Marklund Motorsport in the European Rallycross Championship and EKS in the World Rallycross Championship.
Of course, I'm proud of all my projects because I pour all my heart and soul into them.

What would you say is the hardest part about design?

The feedback loops when applying multiple big sponsors on the car. Combining the different corporate identities is often not so easy.

Do you have a routine when designing something?

My routine is to look at the balance of the necessary logos. That's how I place them on the car and then build the design around them. Visibility of sponsors is mostly more important than the design.
If a team doesn't prioritize recognition value, I often try a completely fresh approach. Also, there are designs that get evolved carefully to not break the reference to the team. The best examples are the Phoenix' Scherer Audi R8, the orange color of the Audi R8 by Mücke Motorsport or the 'Grello' of Manthey.
Of course, I also keep an eye on the competition, particularly regarding plagiarism or stolen ideas. I always try to make the design as clear as possible. It's always good to orient yourself towards icons of the past like the Gulf or Martini liveries.

Talking about iconic designs: what do you think makes a good livery?

A good livery has to be distinct. The car needs to have a clear appearance from a far distance. It best shows in the colors of the main sponsor. Logos need space and good contrast to be readable. Sometimes though, the sponsor prefers a spectacular design over identifiable logos, like in the Aape designs for Phoenix Asia.

What is a dream project of yours that you'd love to do?

Having designed an overall Le Mans winner.

Thanks a lot for the interview! Check out more of berzerkdesign's work on facebook, Twitter and Instagram.