Public Mechanics

Public Mechanics is a design studio led by Bruce Willen, focusing on experiential projects for public and cultural spaces. We collaborate with civic, arts, and design innovators to make memorable places and tell essential stories. Our practice includes public art, placemaking, typography consultation, creative strategy, and branding for communities and cultural institutions. With each project, we take a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach that aims to deepen engagement with the places and people around us. We cultivate moments of serendipity, play, and discovery, to unearth lost histories and begin new stories. Founder Bruce Willen has over 20 years of experience leading high-profile design projects that have shaped the visual language of Baltimore, the sustainable building industry, and beyond. Prior to starting Public Mechanics, he co-founded and led the acclaimed design agency Post Typography. His designs and illustrations have appeared on multiple covers of Time Magazine, The New York Times, and ESPN, among others. His work has received numerous fancy-pants design awards and has been published in dozens of design periodicals and books from Phaidon, Taschen, and Rizzoli.