Public Address on the importance of collaboration and the challenges of running a small studio

Co-founded by Bruce Mau Design alumni Christa Muio and Chris Braden, Public Address is an independent creative studio that works with both start-ups and global names, from renowned winemaker Randall Grahm’s The Language of Yes to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Predominantly based in Toronto but with a team working worldwide, their work not only transcends time zones but also industries, rules and aesthetics. EM: Why did you two decide to start a studio together in 2018? CM: I had two goals in my twenties – one was to open a bar, and the other was to open a design studio, and the timing for each was based on finding the right partner. I spent my thirties running a hot dog dive bar while still working as an Account Director, and in 2016, I started working at Bruce Mau Design, where I met Chris. I knew within six weeks that I had found my partner (at least I had hoped), but it wasn’t until a year or so later that we discovered that we both wanted to start our own studio.