Laura Jane Boast is the founder and creative director of CONSCIOUS MADE, Manchester.

A print and packaging specialist known for her distinctively precise yet playful use of colour, material, and finish techniques, Laura trained in graphics and communication design and worked at BWA Design in Wales, where she won the Best of Welsh Design award at the Cardiff Design Festival for the National Trust Hoe Fen Wildlife Area installation, before establishing CONSCIOUS MADE in 2014.

Her clients and collaborators include Mondi, Fedrigoni, Jukebox Print, Foilco, Material Source, GF Smith, and Dreyer Kliche. She has been featured in numerous industry publications, including Creative Review, Graphische Revue, Computer Arts, Design Week, Elle Decor, and People of Print. She is also the creator of Design Giving, an independent magazine; The Paper Lab, a library of over 300 sustainable papers; and Typeset A Mindset, a series of creative personal and professional development workshops.

Laura’s work has been exhibited at Fedrigoni 365 Calendar, London; Artcrank, NYC; Secret 7”, London; Mate Act Now, online; and Design Manchester. She has delivered talks and workshops for Top Drawer’s PaperFEST; D&AD; Northern Design Festival; Birmingham Design Festival; BLOCK, in collaboration with GF Smith and Foilco; and a webinar series for Mondi’s Pergraphica. She also created the online course Sustainable Stationery Design for Print for Domestika.

Laura’s material-led process begins with tactile elements. By exploring distinct design layers - papers, foils and Pantone colour swatches, die cut formats and embossing finishes - she makes conscious, precise choices that, unlike in a screen-first approach, are not only functional and purposeful, but also sensorially rich, emotionally resonant, and aligned with wellbeing and sustainability values.

A material-first practice is a more intentional, care-full way of designing, where each decision is felt, not just seen: layering textures, rethinking formats, curating colour palettes, and designing print that invites interaction, both via devices for opening and revealing, and through shifts in light and movement. Guided by curiosity, play and a love of experimentation, Laura finds energy in discovery and the space between the new and unfamiliar. Led by a willingness to explore, it’s a process that brings together the emotional, the technical, and the unexpected.

Laura helps brands make intentional, sustainable choices that come to life across every touchpoint, from digital interactions to tactile expressions. Blending future-thinking design with wellbeing and ecological responsibility, she creates experiences that spark curiosity, invite interaction, and minimise impact.

With a strength in translating brand values into physical form through the purposeful use of colour, material, and fi nish (CMF), Laura brings a deep understanding of brand strategy, cultural insight, and sensory storytelling to every project and uses print innovation to elevate communication and build lasting brand connections.

Through CONSCIOUS MADE, Laura brings clarity, depth, and care to each brief, transforming print into a powerful expression of purpose. For her, “conscious” means both awareness and intention: a deep understanding of how design impacts people and the planet emotionally, sensorially, psychologically, physically, and environmentally, combined with a commitment to thoughtful, values-driven decisions. From material specifications to messaging, every design choice is made with meaning and designed to serve, sell, and show up in the world with purpose.