The Aviatik (Berg) D.I was a single-seat biplane fighter aircraft. The pilot sat within a high-mounted central position, providing him with a high level of visibility both below and above the upper wing; to enable this seating position, the design featured an uncommonly high decking, which was faired to offer minimal resistance where possible. Much of the design was shaped by the industrial circumstances of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; due to a lack of skilled labour, much of the airframe was as simplified as possible in order to make the type easier to manufacture and capable of being produced in relatively small facilities.