Michael Freimuth, co-founder and executive creative director of the award-winning Brooklyn design studio Franklyn, is launching a new creative venture called Rudy after winding down his successful 15-year-old agency. The new studio represents what Freimuth describes as a lighter, weirder, and more intentionally focused approach to the intersection of cultural and commercial design work.
Franklyn, which built an impressive client roster including WeWork, Sotheby's, and numerous emerging startups, is closing its doors after nearly a decade and a half of operation. Freimuth, who was interviewed on the Creative Boom Podcast in 2021 where he emphasized collaboration and play as core values, is now applying those principles to his new venture. "It's a big, weird world out there, and the new studio, Rudy, will let me do what I love: hands-on, experimental, collaborative design for brands doing work that matters," Freimuth explains.
The decision to close Franklyn might seem counterintuitive in the current economic climate, but Freimuth says the timing felt right precisely because the studio had been so meaningful to him. "First and foremost, I should say, one of the most rewarding experiences of my life was building my previous studio, Franklyn," he reflects. "It's winding down after nearly 15 years, which is still kind of surreal to say. It was a really special chapter, we built something from nothing, worked with incredible people, and made a lot of work I'm still proud of."
The closure was a mutual decision made with his business partner, who is also starting his own studio, reflecting their shared understanding that it was time to explore new creative directions. "You don't build something that long without it leaving a mark on you," Michael says. "I'll always be proud of what we made together and of the people who helped shape it along the way."
Rudy represents a complete rethinking of how Freimuth wants to approach creative work. The new studio is designed around a philosophy that prioritizes sustainability, experimentation, and meaningful relationships over pure efficiency. "I want Rudy to feel lighter in energy, in process, in how we show up," he says. "The studio's intentionally small and hands-on. We want the work to be rewarding, not just beautifully designed."
The client roster for Rudy already reflects this cultural-commercial hybrid approach, spanning galleries, footwear brands, fintech companies, breweries, consumer packaged goods companies, arts organizations, media outlets, and hospitality clients. "One is a Fortune 50 company and the next is a two-person furniture business based in the Hudson Valley," Freimuth notes. "It's a great mix of cultural and commercial clients, truly."
What unites these diverse clients, according to Freimuth, is their shared appreciation for both the creative process and the work itself. "If there's a throughline, it's that they all appreciate the work and process; and we have real shared purpose," he responds. "We couldn't ask for better partners as we get this thing going."
Reflecting on his 15 years of running Franklyn, Freimuth's insights focus on the human element of design work. "Design is really about people," he says. "You can talk about process, taste, craft—and that matters—but the best work always comes from the relationships you build." This realization, while perhaps obvious to others, took time for Freimuth to fully appreciate. "Maybe that's obvious to everyone else, and I'm just catching up, but it's true. Looking back, the 'best' projects weren't just about the outcome, but about the people we worked with—the trust, the collaboration, the occasional shared insanity of trying to make something new."
This people-first philosophy extends beyond client relationships to the studio culture itself. Rudy has been established with reduced working hours, generous time off, and dedicated space for experimentation. "I've done the 80-hour weeks in my career, and no one needs that," Freimuth says. "We've set up Rudy with reduced hours, plenty of time off, and the space to make a mess, play, and hopefully still end up proud of what we make."
The studio name itself reflects Freimuth's more integrated approach to work and life. Rudy was his grandfather's name and is now also his youngest son's name. "I kept coming back to it because it just felt right and I didn't have to overthink it—which, for me, is rare," he explains. The choice was deliberate: "I didn't want another 'design company' name that sounded overly polished or self-serious. I wanted something that felt personal, a nice regular reminder that this next chapter is about doing work that is important to me, my life, and the people surrounding it."
The naming decision has created some family dynamics, with Freimuth's older son David now wanting something named after him. This has led Freimuth to joke about "launching a toy company exclusively focused on dinosaurs and the color purple—his two favorite things. Open to investors, by the way."
Fatherhood has fundamentally shifted Freimuth's perspective on work and life balance. "Having two small kids now, I'm just in a different place," he says. "My life feels both fuller and more ridiculous. I still catch myself mid-moment thinking how lucky I am to have this balance—even if I'm usually covered in hard-to-identify food items and purple Play-Doh."
Professionally, this life change has translated to different priorities. "I just care more about depth now," Freimuth explains. "When I first started, it was all about proving myself, chasing the next thing. I loved that energy, but now I'm more interested in doing fewer things really well, with people I really enjoy."
During his tenure at Franklyn, the studio produced notable work for major clients including Away luggage, Brooklyn Brewery, Hart, The Public, Marz Brewing, Fall of Freedom political rallying events, and Lost Title, among others. This diverse portfolio demonstrates the range and quality of work that established Franklyn's reputation in the design industry.
While it's still early days for Rudy, Freimuth acknowledges the uncertainty ahead but remains optimistic about the timing for launching something new. "Branding and design are obviously changing, I think we all see it," says Freimuth. "From where I've been sitting, the brands and organizations that'll be most successful will have a strong creative belief system and a real comfort with experimentation. We've always been good at that part, and we tend to have fun doing it—even when it's messy."
For a designer who has always valued play and collaboration throughout his career, building something new might just be the most honest expression of those core values yet. As Freimuth embarks on this next chapter with Rudy, he's betting that the design industry is ready for studios that prioritize meaningful relationships, sustainable practices, and experimental approaches over traditional metrics of success.
