Michael Mason launches CADRAN as a “communication arts studio” — The Brand Identity – Home of the Greatest in Graphic & Brand Design

Michael Mason has launched CADRAN, a branding and communication arts studio combining strategy and craft on the belief that “everything communicates something”. He decided to set up the London-based studio after years working with agencies including Pentagram, Mother and ManvsMachine, and a recent tenure as Creative Director at Bold Scandinavia. The studio’s name comes from the French word for a dial, watch-face, or control knob – a nod to precision, system-first solutions and technology as a tool. In this conversation, we talk about why now felt like the right time to build something new, why there is no one right way to make creative work, and why a stable, sustainable business is the goal.

TBI Hi Michael! Congrats on the launch of CADRAN. How’s it been so far?

MM Thank you! Yeah, it’s been great, thanks. It’s been a busy start, but busy is good. :)

Big changes often make way for big opportunities of redefinition.

TBI Why did now feel like the right time to start your own studio?

MM So much has been changing in the industry over recent years – business, technology, ways of working – that now feels like a better time than any to build something entirely new, from the ground up. Big changes often make way for big opportunities of redefinition, and I’d like to meet that moment. Both on a personal level and an industry level.

This next chapter, for me, feels very much like taking one step back to take two steps forward. So that I can really interrogate – and have a proper crack at building – what a modern design practice could look like.

TBI What was the hardest part of leaving Bold Scandinavia after more than three years?

MM Honestly, I’ll miss the team more than anything. Anyone who’s ever worked with Bold knows it’s a particularly special place from a cultural POV. They’re a kind and ambitious bunch, but also lean much more Scandinavian in terms of cultural values – horizontal leadership, transparency, individual accountability, etc. – which are all things that I value a lot personally.

I grew a lot there, especially in terms of leadership skills – and am looking forward to taking a lot of those learnings with me in this next chapter.

TBI What did you take from your time at companies like Pentagram, Mother and ManvsMachine?

MM I mean – so many things. Haha.

I’m so grateful for how lucky I’ve been in my career, honestly. Having been able to work alongside so many incredible people, studios, and brands over the years has – and will continue to – shape how I go about my practice today.

Ultimately though, perhaps one big takeaway to touch on is that there’s no ‘one right way’ of going about anything of creative value. In some ways, a lot of these studios and agencies can read as similar – but in more ways than one, they’re very different. What’s interesting in one room can read as boring in another. At the end of the day, what we’re working with is culture and communication – and what does and doesn’t resonate is always contextual. What’s important, I believe, is taking what’s relevant from these experiences over time to shape your own perspective and practice. There are a lot of different ways to chase great work, and ultimately I think that diversity of thought is one of our biggest strengths as an industry.

There’s no ‘one right way’ of going about anything of creative value.

TBI Why call CADRAN a communication arts studio rather than a traditional branding agency?

MM So, I felt like ‘design agency’ can mean pretty much anything nowadays – and that the term ‘branding agency’ also reads as a bit overly specific. I wanted to position CADRAN as a communication arts studio as, to me, that’s what this profession really comes down to.

I always like to say that everything communicates something. A feeling. A message. A cultural cue. What we specialise in as designers and communication specialists is knowing how to leverage craft and visual design to help brands visually articulate who they are – or what they have to put out into the world – in a way that’s authentic to them. Part of that’s strategic, and part of that’s craft — hence, ‘communication arts’.

TBI How did you land on the name CADRAN?

MM ‘Cadran’ is the French word for a dial, watch-face, or control knob. It’s the interface with which we calibrate a system, by hand, to a precise register. It speaks to craft, system-first solutions, and technology with human agency.

I’m also from Montréal – so, a French word also felt like an easy & authentic way for me to differentiate within London’s design scene.

TBI How did you approach designing CADRAN’s own identity?

MM Like a lot of creative agencies, I wanted to establish something that’s pared-back enough to not clash with the work itself – but characterful enough to be able to lean into a distinct voice wherever relevant.

The identity consists of a very pragmatic core toolkit, leveraging Gill Sans as the primary brand font. It’s timeless, pragmatic enough to function as a workhorse, and has a bit of a classic flair without being overly expressive. In Europe, it reads as a bit British; in North America, it reads as a bit European. It feels classic, structured, and architectural. This allows for the work itself to always lead across our communications – and/or be much more bespoke when it comes to momentary brand expressions, like our recent brand collaboration with stone-carver & lettering artist Tom Perkins.

TBI How are you approaching the team – solo, with freelancers or are you hiring?

MM For now it’s just me and a tightly knit roster of freelancers I know and trust. As CADRAN is still in its early days, I haven’t hired anyone full-time just yet – but I’ll be working towards building a small team in the near-term.

I just want to create good – hopefully great – work, sustainably.

TBI How does your commitment to craft change the way you run a project?

MM At the end of the day, I just want to create good – hopefully great – work, sustainably. So, having ‘a commitment to craft’ means that the studio should be structured in service of that.

For our clients, that means that we care deeply about the quality of the work we do, and hold a high standard for the projects that we ship. For CADRAN, it’s a lens to guide decision-making as the business evolves. This commitment should inform not only the work we do – but the projects we take on, how we scope them, and what we invest in as a business.

TBI What changes about the work when you fit into a client’s existing process rather than leading the project?

MM Honestly, I think that it’s easy for studios to fall into the trap of being so precious about your own process that it risks shutting doors to potential good collaborations altogether. Which, in my view, is counter-productive – as the process is only there in the first place to make for a streamlined collaboration.

So, in broad strokes, CADRAN is set up to work in two ways.

CADRAN as a Guide.

For clients newer to commissioning design, or who’d simply rather someone else drive, we lead: bringing the structure and process to carry the work from first conversation through to launch day.

CADRAN as a Partner.

For in-house teams with their own established ways of working, we can slot in as more of a teammate. Whether that’s taking on a specific project, being a sparring partner, or adding extra creative firepower during a particularly busy period.

At the end of the day, we’re all just here to create great work. And as a small studio, I think it’s important to be humble about how we can best add value in service of creating that.

TBI What do you want CADRAN to have achieved in its first year?

MM Honestly, the ultimate goal for me is pretty simple: A sustainable practice, making rewarding work, with good people. I’ve never really had a proper go at building a creative business from the ground-up before, so if I can get a few steps closer to shaping a stable, dependable business – while putting out a few projects that I’m genuinely excited about – then I’m golden.