Michael Murphy.
Creative Director / Author / Exhibitor / Artist
Michael Murphy is a Los Angeles–based Creative Director, author, and exhibitor whose work explores the relationship between storytelling, design, culture, and human experience.
Over the course of his career, he has led campaigns, productions, and brand experiences for organizations including AT&T, Discover, DirecTV, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Yokohama Tire, Mattel, T-Mobile, Verisign, Kroger, Hilton, Habitat for Humanity, and Mercury Insurance. His work spans integrated advertising, experiential design, environmental graphics, publishing, exhibition design, motion, and digital platforms—always with an emphasis on creating meaningful connections between people and ideas.
Growing up in Los Angeles exposed Murphy to an extraordinary mix of neighborhoods, cultures, art, music, sports, entertainment, and history. Moving between those worlds—and the people within them—sparked a lifelong curiosity about identity, community, and the stories that shape how we see ourselves and one another. That perspective continues to influence his approach to branding, storytelling, design, and audience engagement.
That same curiosity has led Murphy beyond traditional agency work. He is the author of Googie Modern: Architectural Drawings of Armet Davis Newlove (Angel City Press), has designed and curated exhibitions, helped launch two museum locations as Creative Director and Board Member of the Venice Heritage Museum, and curated three annual film festivals celebrating Venice's creative identity and cultural history. Across each project, the medium has changed, but the goal has remained the same: creating experiences that connect people to ideas, places, and one another.
Murphy also led the nationally traveling exhibition VEDEM UNDERGROUND, cited by the Smithsonian, and continues to develop long-form storytelling projects exploring the relationship between design, narrative, place, and cultural memory.
He studied fine art and figurative sculpture under Paul Buckner at the University of Oregon before transferring to the University of Southern California, where he studied under Ken Price, John Mason, and Robbie Conal.
Whether leading a campaign, designing an exhibition, writing a book, or beginning something entirely new, Murphy is driven by curiosity and the belief that the best creative work creates lasting human connection.
310.678.3056 | [email protected]
SKILLS/TOOLS
Omni-Level, hands-on creative • Project management • Experiential design • Branding & identity design • Advertising, (print, digital & social media) campaigns • CRM, DM & email marketing • OOH, environmental & trade shows • Product launches Packaging & print collateral • Photoshoot management • Dynamic pitch presentations • Point-of-Purchase design & in-store design • Infographics • B2B communications • Motion graphics • Storyboard creation
InDesign, After Effects, Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, Express, XD, Audition, PowerPoint, Keynote, WordPress, CSS, Square Space, various AI tools.
Ink stamps on handmade paper