Both’s identity for Gale Street Studios captures the photography space’s practical reputation

Melbourne-based design practice Both have stayed local in their identity for Gale Street Studios, a photography space in Melbourne's inner-city suburb of Brunswick East. With an approachable, practical and friendly reputation within their local creative circle, Both sought to capture and outwardly express this character through GSS’ identity, printed matter and signage.

As a result, GSS’ visual identity is a comprehensive exhibition of candour; capturing ease, friendliness and intelligence through a dynamic use of colour, sharp and tactile execution of print and Displaay’s charming sans-serif Greed. “We spent a considerable amount of time looking for the ‘right’ typeface for this project,” Both tell us, knowing the significance it would carry across the project due to its role as the solitary typeface. 

Finally opting for Greed, Both explain that they “decided it was the best fit for the project as the narrow proportions were ideal for such a long business name.” Still unreleased at the time of project development, Both recall “we knew it had the legibility, affability and timelessness we had been looking for,” successfully reaching out to the Displaay team who kindly licensed it prior to its official release. 

Bouncing off Greed’s welcoming tone is the elementary, yet equally inviting, colour palette, determined in response to the studio’s predominantly bright white interior, in a successful effort to contrast. “We decided on that particular shade of green as we felt it was energetic and also works well alongside almost any other colour,” Both remark, something that was significant to the studio due to the routinely multi-colour sets, backdrops and landscapes that fill the photographic spaces. 

Translating this to printed matter, G.F. Smith Colorplan Lockwood Green was chosen to physically emulate the brand colour, and is subsequently printed with white to make it more legible and exciting. “The studio spaces are cavernous white-on-white areas,” Both explains, “so printing the photographs in white ink on the green stock meant we were able to incorporate the green colour palette,” concluding, “and keep things a bit less literal.”

Both

Gale Street Studios