Ste Murray

Ste Murray is an architectural and performance photographer based in Dublin. As a graduate of Architecture at UCD, he aims to bring an eye for detail and a project-based approach to his work. Working primarily with architects and theatre companies, he focuses on the process while finding creative solutions.

Ste is also fascinated by the process of collecting, documenting and archiving. He sees his photography as an extension of this—capturing a moment in time and recording it. Ste has a very simple and pragmatic way of cataloguing his work—giving each photograph a unique number that always follows the same sequence: his initials_number of shoot_number of shot, e.g. SM_1045_0012.

The identity is an ode to Ste’s archiving system and built around the simple idea of separating his first name and surname with an underscore. Single-line, stacked, and multi-stacked versions of the logotype were created in black and white. Further experimentation with alignment and space, particularly on the multi-stacked version, generated many more variations. Several were used as overlays on Ste’s photographs to create posters and promotional graphics. The abstract shapes created by bleeding the letters off the page edge have an almost architectural quality that complements the photography.

The application of the underscore is extended across the identity and used as a graphical device and point of emphasis. The result is a playful and flexible identity system that reflects Ste's range of work and ever-expanding practice.