Steve Lay

Steve Lay

Steve is a multidisciplinary designer and art director with a passion for thoughtful, crafted design. He has worked across a wide range of sectors and clients, creating standout campaigns and brand experiences for names such as Triumph, Mappin & Webb, Harley-Davidson, Cadbury, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Mitchells & Butlers, and Greene King. His approach combines strategic thinking with a deep love for typography and visual storytelling. Steve’s work balances concept and craft, whether he’s building a brand identity, shaping a campaign, or experimenting with the combination of analogue and digital techniques.

In recent years, Steve has split his focus between modern digital and traditional letterpress techniques—co-founding a Midlands-based letterpress studio with his partner, Amy. Together, they produce bespoke typographic and illustrative pieces using vintage type and presses, combined with modern digital equipment, bringing a tangible, handmade quality to modern brand work whilst pushing the boundaries of the capabilities of vintage equipment and practices.

Steve’s creative thinking and attention to detail have been recognised with awards from D&AD, Creative Circle, and other leading industry bodies. He continues to work with brands that value originality, craft, and strong visual ideas.

Steve is a multidisciplinary designer and art director with a passion for thoughtful, crafted design. He has worked across a wide range of sectors and clients, creating standout campaigns and brand experiences for names such as Triumph, Mappin & Webb, Harley-Davidson, Cadbury, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Mitchells & Butlers, and Greene King. His approach combines strategic thinking with a deep love for typography and visual storytelling. Steve’s work balances concept and craft, whether he’s building a brand identity, shaping a campaign, or experimenting with the combination of analogue and digital techniques.

In recent years, Steve has split his focus between modern digital and traditional letterpress techniques—co-founding a Midlands-based letterpress studio with his partner, Amy. Together, they produce bespoke typographic and illustrative pieces using vintage type and presses, combined with modern digital equipment, bringing a tangible, handmade quality to modern brand work whilst pushing the boundaries of the capabilities of vintage equipment and practices.

Steve’s creative thinking and attention to detail have been recognised with awards from D&AD, Creative Circle, and other leading industry bodies. He continues to work with brands that value originality, craft, and strong visual ideas.

Awarded

D & Ad

Creative Circle

Roses

Cream

Brand Experience

Triumph Motorcycles – Ford – Jaguar Land Rover – Bentley – Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles – VWFS – Harley Davison – Mier – Ember Inns – Berghaus – TRW – King’s College London – Cadbury – and more!

Stephen is a rare breed of designers. As well as making everything he touches look effortlessly beautiful, he brings an intelligence to his work that is hard to come by. On top of that he's also a bloody good bloke.

Dylan Bogg

CCO at Mission

Steve’s a craftsman of the highest order, absolutely top of his game and an inspiration to those around him. He’s a lovely bloke too, which makes him all the rarer.

James Cross

CCO & Founder at Meanwhile

Steve really is a rarity when it comes to skill set and mindset. His typography is second to none - and I mean that quite literally, as I have never, ever met a designer, creative or Art Director that can create, adapt and apply typography in the way he does.

Shaun Loynds

Artist, Creative Director