From Branding to Digital Mastery: Silviu’s Journey Through Berghs’ Art Direction & Digital Design Course

Hi SILVIU! who are you and what do you do? 

Hello there. (Quoting Obi-Wan Kenobi is always serious business.) I’m an art director and branding specialist with two decades of experience shaping ideas into visual narratives that work. I help brands find their identity and ensure they stay consistent over time. 

You recently took "Art Direction & Digital Design". What made you choose this course? 

After years in the field, I wanted to sharpen my digital instincts and step outside my comfort zone. Berghs felt like the right playground—serious yet imaginative, rooted in practice but always looking forward. A big plus was that it’s a Swedish school, and I’ve always admired the visual clarity and thoughtfulness of Nordic design culture.

What did you take away from the course?

A fresh perspective on the creative process in a digital-first world. The course reminded me that good art direction isn’t about decoration—it’s about decisions. Not necessarily bold ones, but daring ones. Intriguing, to say the least.

What was it like having LINNEA GIDELÖF as your instructor?

Some people are truly meant to be teachers, and Linnea Gidlöf is one of them. Part mentor, part co-worker, she didn’t just teach—she challenged and guided. Like all smart creative minds do.

What did you find the most fun or valuable during the course? 

That productive kind of tension when different creative minds from different cultures collide. It pushed me to rethink old habits and appreciate new perspectives on the same problem.

Have you been able to apply what you learned? 

Not right away. You have to understand that Eastern advertising culture is different from Western culture—things evolved differently here. But it was tremendously helpful. From structuring better pitches to experimenting with motion and UX thinking, it helped me update my creative toolbox and toss out a few rusty tools.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

There’s no such thing. Not for a day, a week, or even a season. One day I’m deep in design thinking, the next I’m art directing a campaign or helping a startup communicate visually. Coffee is the only constant. 🙂

What’s the best part of your job?

The “Aha” moment—when an idea makes sense visually, emotionally, and strategically from the very first iteration, and all you do afterwards is fine-tune it. It’s magic. Controlled magic, but still magic.

And the challenges?

Balancing creative ambition with business realities—and deadlines. It’s like trying to squeeze more value into a visual while a stopwatch is ticking.

Where do you find inspiration?

In making things with my hands, like scale modelling—sci-fi spaceships, to be precise. But also in cinema, brutalist architecture, Eastern European melancholy, and sometimes, in Swedish and Japanese minimalism.

Do you have a career tip you’d like to share?

Curiosity is your biggest asset. Stay useful, and you won’t feel the pressure of aging. And don’t mistake style or trends for substance—or the other way around. Be cautious with nostalgia; if you’re not careful, it can age you before your time. Taste and visual culture, on the other hand, evolve.

What would you say to someone considering taking this course?

Do it. Not just to learn, but to reconnect and remember why you started this whole creative journey in the first place. At least, that’s what this course did for me. And I’d do it again in the blink of an eye.