I get most of my ideas while I am sleeping or dreaming. No joke.

  Please give us a brief bio of yourself.

I’ll make it short: 38 years of age and still like a child! :)

  What do you do for inspiration?

I get most of my ideas while I am sleeping or dreaming. No joke. And sometimes I watch little things from nature which inspire me.

  What do you regard as being your biggest achievement?

To get each job done in time (mostly).

  What software couldn't you live without?

MM Flash of course.

  What projects do you have in the pipeline?

Too many.

  Who do you rate as being the top 3 design companies?

I don't know... there are so many outreaching designers all over the world.

  What effect on traffic do your new designs have?

About 8 gigabyte a day (db v.5).

  Who is your target audience?

I think there is no special target audience.

  What area of web design lacks the most?

I hate these peeving ‘pop-up’ transparent flashing advertisings.

  What did your very first site look like? Is it still online?

It was a mixture of 3D graphics and java and, no, I lost the source files during a hard disk swap.

  Have you written any books, if not do you plan to?

No. I don't think so, because I am not a good teacher. But maybe – who knows... :)

  What was the toughest thing you ever did with Flash? How long did you spend on it? Is it still online?

mmm - good question. derBauer v.5 is definitely a milestone for me. And also www.btraxx.de one of the first international Shop-Systems in MM Flash. At the moment I am working to combine some new techniques like 720p HD Resolution and 5.1 Surround Audio which will be the main components on derBauer v.6. A preview (Opener) could be seen here: (www.db-revolution.de).

  Do you think Flash is here to stay?

Of course. I think MM Flash will be the major tool for (web) designers in the next years. There might be others to come but for today it is definitely the status quo.

  What are your views on design/graphic school. Do you think someone can get into the field without educational experience in a school environment?

I think creativity can't be learned or taught. You must have this important thing called a "passion for something". And, yes of course you must have the knowledge in how to turn your ideas into digital reality.

  When your company was just getting started, what did you find was most effective for getting new clients?

Be different - that was the key for me.

  How have you learned so many Flash/design skills and techniques and can you offer any advice for newbies?

Mainly I learned by myself - Trial 'n' Error. But in the end it depends on the person themselves. I do this since I got my first Sinclair ZX 81 a long long time ago…

  What is the most expensive thing you've bought in the last week?

Some of the hottest plugins from SpeedSix (thank you Steve for best support:)

  What type of overcoat do you wear when Flashing, basically are you a labels man?

hehe - while I am working I wear mostly comfortable clothes. Of course I like fashion wear.

  Any parting shots or pearls of wisdom?

I describe it in German: "Viele Köche verdereben den Brei"! (I think my best friend Norman knows how to proceed :)

  It's been a privilege, Marcus, thanks very much.

You're welcome - it was a pleasure for me Rob.