Laura Jane Boast
Published 30th November 2021
Laura Jane Boast, photography by Simon Bray
INTRODUCTION
Laura is the founder of Conscious Made, a Manchester-based design studio. Specialising in brand strategy, identity design and print, with a focus on enriching wellbeing and sustainability.
Working with clients in health and wellness, arts and culture, travel and tourism sectors, Laura is also the founder of Design Giving magazine, supporting independent designers and makers who create well-crafted products that are kinder to people and the planet.
© Laura Jane Boast - PaperLab, photography by Simon Bray
What’s your favourite paper stock from your beautifully organised Paper Lab? (we’ll accept top three as this may be a tough question…)
Absolutely!
A tricky question because when I discover a new paper I can easily get over excited and enthusiastic about printing on something new. But latest papers aside, a lot of my choices are driven by how sustainable they are. Not only the environmental certifications but also the recyclability and where the material has come from.
After recently watching quite a few Ocean related documentaries on Netflix I am super conscious about the problems faced with water pollution in our oceans today, especially the effects of coral bleaching, acidification and plastic waste. With that in mind, my current three favourite papers are:
Paper Lab specimen No.405 – Winter and Company, Toile Ocean Ceil, 180gsm. A woven fabric book cloth made using 55% Ocean recycled PET and 45% PCW rPET yarn. Sealed with a water based reach compliant acrylic coating, it is vegan and qualifies for the Winter WRUP-Cycling logo. 1 square meter of Toile Ocean contains approximately 5.2 PET half litre bottles from the ocean, actively removing ocean plastic waste.
Paper Lab specimen No.429 – Notpla, Seaweed paper, 350gsm. Made using 20% seaweed residues from industrial processing. Seaweed grows up to 1 meter per day, doesn’t need fertiliser and actively contributes to de-acidifying our oceans.
Paper Lab specimen No.422 – PaperBack, Cairn Board Cinnamon, 1000mic. Made from 100% recycled fibre, made up of 80% shoebox manufacturing residues from industrial processing and 20% PCW. Certified Acid Free, Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) and Blue Angel environmental label (which means it’s free of hazardous substances). What’s more, recycled paper production uses fewer chemical processes, all contributing to lowering water pollution.
As someone who’s very fond of community and a sense of place, how did you find moving away from home after graduating to the very rural town of Hay-On-Wye in Wales?
Growing up and studying in a big city like Manchester was really inspiring, there were always lots going on and plenty of art venues to visit. During my Masters degree, a junior graphic design position came up at BWA Design in Wales, which at the time was one of England’s only specialist design companies working with non-for-profit environmental organisations, such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Save the Children. As my university work had such a strong ethical and environmental approach, it seemed like the perfect fit and this ultimately resulted in me getting the job.
At the time, moving away from the city to the countryside felt exciting. I love being out in nature. It was something completely different and I felt ready for something new, seeing new places, and meeting new people. My younger self had no fear, I was just following my dream to be a graphic designer looking to make a difference in the world.
“My younger self had no fear, I was just following my dream to be a graphic designer looking to make a difference in the world.”
There was around 7 of us working at BWA and it felt like family. It was a home away from home. We all socialised together. You soon got to know the locals and everyone made me feel very welcome. Hay-on-Wye, if you’ve ever been is very rural. Beautiful, quiet but very rural, lol. The best time of year to visit, as it is a charming place, is in May, when they host the Hay Festival, the town comes alive with people and the atmosphere is incredible. That is when you do really feel a sense of place.
Throughout my time in Hay, I did travel quite a bit to Manchester, London, Bristol or Cardiff for different design events and festivals. That was the main thing I missed from living in a big city, and which is probably why when I did eventually come back to Manchester, I went to every and all events I could : ) But I’m so glad I did, because that’s where I met some of the loveliest designers and if it wasn’t for those friends, the Manchester community wouldn’t be as special as it is today.
Five years after working as a designer at BWA Design, you chose to start your own creative business. Going back to those early days, what top three words of wisdom would you tell your younger self?
The main thing I struggled with in the early days of setting up my studio was self-confidence. Not really pushing myself out of my comfort zone, being too safe and not experimenting enough. Not recognising my own worth, feeling too shy and thinking I had to be everything to everybody. And especially in the early days, being too much of a perfectionist and the fear of imperfection stopping me from creating/sharing.
These are still things I’m working on today to some degree, but when I need a confidence boost these three statements I continually call upon:
More play, less playing it safe
“Stick to who you are and build on it" (Ian Sanders)
Have the courage to be imperfect, out loud
© Laura Jane Boast - Design Giving (shot by Laura Hutchinson)
What impact have self-initiated projects, ‘Design Giving’ in particular, had on your creative career so far?
I’ve always been a big advocate for self-initiated projects. They not only have the ability to show your personality and passions, but they can help you gain client work doing more of the stuff you love.
Design Giving started life as a passion project and with the help from a Kickstarter campaign I was able to turn that dream into a reality. It took my career in arenas I didn’t think were possible. Within 7 months of launching, I had sold Design Giving magazine in 15 countries. It was stocked in bookshops worldwide including Do You Read Me?!. From the proceeds, I raised money for my partner mental health charity, Manchester Mind. I self-curated an exhibition. Featured on the first-ever Arrest All Mimics Podcast video. Got invited to take part in many talks. Further gaining press coverage worldwide without sending out a single press release. It’s crazy to believe how much was achieved in such a short space of time. And to say it exceeded my expectation was an understatement.
“I do believe by showing your personality and what you’re really passionate about, helps to attract the same kind of work.”
I do believe by showing your personality and what you’re really passionate about, helps to attract the same kind of work. It definitely opened doors to new client work, working with more sustainable-led brands. And the relationships I built around Design Giving felt very special, because it was something close to my heart, and with people sharing the same values.
Over the last couple of years, whilst rethinking my studio brand, self-initiated projects have taken a back seat, but very happy to say I’m working on quite a few new projects and excited to share more soon.
© Laura Jane Boast - WithPrint (shot by Laura Hutchinson)
We share a love for the book ‘Daring Greatly’ by Brené Brown. Could you tell us about a time in your life where you had the courage to be vulnerable, and how it has affected you since?
Vulnerability is something that I have only deliberately confronted since January 2019 after watching Brené Browns ‘The Power of Vulnerability’ TED Talk, quickly followed by her ‘Daring Greatly’ book. It truly inspired me to have more courage, to show up, to believe in myself and to seek individuality. Share stories of struggle and strength. All of which I was knew I needed to personally work on.
A conversation with a close friend one evening, led me to face up to one of my biggest fears, which was travelling abroad. I hadn’t flown in 15 years, mainly due to uncertain food intolerances and food phobias but at this point, I had rebuilt my relationship with food and fortunately I now only have a lactose intolerance. The timing of recent events and the reading of Brené’s book just seemed like perfect timing to make a change. So by the end of the night I had a flight booked to Lisbon, for eight days in September (which was plenty of time to mentally prepare myself, I thought).
Even just having the booking felt exciting. But knowing I was actually going to face my fear and be able to demonstrate courage felt incredible. And what’s more, I decided to fly solo. To be completely frank, 8 days away on my own in a country I had never been before, flying solo, not knowing what the do at an airport and where to go when I get there… I had many unknowns! So to calm some nerves I decided to book my first solo flight a little sooner, somewhere closer to home and for only three days away.
“I could physically feel the meaning of vulnerability and I didn’t want to let go. I soon realised that it wasn’t about what you were trying to overcome, but more about how it makes you feel.”
In April 2019 I took my first solo flight to Amsterdam. I can still picture the flight now, 7am, looking around and being the only person wide awake, nervously excited, watching everything that was going on, outside and inside the plane. And from the moment the plane took off, I didn’t want to come back down. I could physically feel the meaning of vulnerability and I didn’t want to let go. I soon realised that it wasn’t about what you were trying to overcome, but more about how it makes you feel. I felt brave and fearless. Like I could take on the world. I was confronting something that I had feared for, for so long, without really knowing what I was afraid of. The sense of relief was incredible, and I knew this was not going to be the last. Just wow! An experience I will never forget. Amsterdam was incredible too, but that’s another story for another day ; )
Back home, I felt determined to face every fear I had. The experience taught me to not fear the things you still think you’re afraid of. To challenge myself more often. I learnt that daring greatly and being vulnerable ignites courage, and coming from a place of courageousness, brings greater ability to unlock your true identity and gain greater control – something that I instil into my design and personal life today.
“Back home, I felt determined to face every fear I had. The experience taught me to not fear the things you still think you’re afraid of. To challenge myself more often.”
Later that year I was lucky enough to visit Lisbon, shortly followed by Copenhagen. But then the COVID pandemic hit, which put a pause on my new found passion for travelling, but I think it will only make me appreciate the experience even more when I get to fly again!
Where is next on the list of travel destinations?
Good question! I would love to go back to Amsterdam one day, as it holds such a special place in my heart as being my first solo destination. But in terms of new places, I think my top three dream destinations would be Stockholm, Oslo and Helsinki – I think because I have a soft spot for Scandinavian design. Also Vienna and Reykjavik have recently been highly recommended and look like such beautiful places to explore!
© Laura Jane Boast - Conscious Made
Congrats on the new rebrand! How did you find going through this process over the last 12 months?
Thank you! The response and support from clients and the creative community has been incredible. I really appreciate all the kind words and messages I’ve had since I launched Conscious Made. And it has really opened up a lot of conversations around self-reflection and finding a sense of belonging, which I know a lot of other designers went through a very similar process during the COVID lockdown.
The last 12 months have certainly been an eye-opening experience. The whole process has been so much more than just a rebrand but a personal transformation too. It was a very solitary process, but one that I feel was needed to be, as I’m the only person that can really answer questions like – Where do I want to take my design practice in the next few years? What kind of work do I want to design? And who do I feel most passionate about working with? – So having the time to sit and reflect on my own was crucial (and a very rare opportunity).
To begin the rebranding process, I initially spent the first few months carrying out a brand audit. Evaluating everything from brand values, core services, vision, audience, brand voice, positioning and branding, as it stood as LJB Studio. I also drew up a timeline, picking out key milestones, highlighting both failures and successes, which proved to be a very helpful exercise. All of which enabled me to build a new brand strategy, recognising what was out of alignment and why I no longer felt a sense of connection, to then make better informed decisions around design, typography, colour, logo, illustration and photography – all of the fun stuff!
And despite all the late nights and painstaking long hours perfecting every detail to get the brand where it is today, I can honestly say every second and every challenge was worth it to be able to feel a sense of identity and connection with my brand again. No longer trying to fit into what’s expected, but belonging to what feels right.
© Laura Jane Boast - Conscious Made
What can we expect to see from you and Conscious Made in the coming months?
Well I’m really excited to share some recently completed client print projects, including a welcome pack for Manchester-based Material Source and some of my own new letterpress studio stationery. I’ve not produced any personal print work in the last two years, a lot to do with the brand not being in the right place, so expect lots more experimental design as I get carried away with new paper-y finds. I also have a few collaborations on at the moment including a sustainable packaging company No Issue which has been fun, so those will be coming out shortly.
But the big project that I am most excited about is the relaunch of Design Giving. When I first set up the magazine back in 2018, the amount of designers and makers I came across, creating some of the most innovative sustainable products were vast. Unfortunately the original set-up of the physical magazine was too limiting, plus the amount of resources I have in terms of best material manufacturers, independent shops, sustainable print and packaging suppliers are continually growing. Not to say I don’t have plans for print, but an online platform will help to solve a lot of these issues. So the new website, and this is the first official announcement, will be launched in Spring 2022. It will have a mix of interviews, directories, products, and lots of useful resources around environmentally friendly materials and production methods. I really want Design Giving to not only support independent designers and makers, but be a destination for inspiring more circular design.
So apart from that I feel like it’s gonna be a quiet few months ; )
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