THE MANY WAYS OF PAPER - A DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT: with Laura Elizabeth Patrick, United Kingdom
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hello, I’m Laura. I live and work in a little Scottish town not far from Glasgow and work with clients around the world creating beautiful, thoughtful paper goods and branding.
I studied Fashion Design and Business at University but admit whilst I loved many of the design aspects I found that I didn’t have a real passion to work in the industry. After working in various uncreative jobs I had a real calling to take up something artistic and started to teach myself calligraphy remembering how much I loved to write as a child. At the same time I took up some online courses in graphic design and photography and things started to fall into place.
Show us one of your favourite designs and tell us about how it came to be.
Oh this is tricky one as I struggle to pick a favourite. I think one of my favourite suites was for a wedding in Italy. The bride and groom were an utter joy to work with and really trusted my opinion. We used different shades of handmade paper and kept the design simple with a beautiful font and little accents of illustration and calligraphy. The Italian setting had us bring in little touches of olive leaves and vintage wine labels to the suite along with a little loose venue sketch.
The final suite was unfussy but interesting with some unusual type placement which made for a really considered final suite. We also brought in a little monogram ornate detail to the seal and to the on the day stationery which made it so personal to the couple.
I think this suite stands out for me because the design process was so natural and the couple so relaxed and trusting in my advice.
What are your favourite colours to work with right now? And why?
I often feel with stationery / design there’s a tendency to feel you need to keep your feed/ design consistent. For me being a good designer is working creatively and confidently with different color palettes and not being afraid to take some risks. I love working with neutrals but like bringing in little accents of colour. That being said I’m currently working with a rose pink and blue colour scheme which is looking lovely!
Your all time favorite colour in Hex and how would you describe it?
Oh I need to pass on this one. I can’t pick a favourite although I have a tendency to enjoy blues.
Which of all our colours of handmade paper do you like best if you had to chose one?
I’m a big fan of wheat!
Colour combination that will never go out of style? Colour combination that will make a comeback?
For weddings in particular I think blush / whites will always be popular.
What are design elements that you use consistently in your work?
I really like to mix things up in my designs but most involve playing with typography, negative space and calligraphy with a little illustration. I dabble with watercolour and painting and often like to print in a little colour to the liner or as an accent piece.
How do you see handmade paper? Is it a more modern or a more retro design element?
I think handmade paper is timeless, tactile but also tells a story. It’s been lovingly made and I love the craftsmanship behind it.
What inspires you?
I take inspiration from everything – art , poetry, nature, antiques and even Netflix :)
Your dream design project?
My dream design project would really be working with a client who trusted me to create. It can be tempting to ask designers to recreate other people’s work but I love it when clients aren’t afraid to take risks. I guess my ideal project would probably involve having a budget to allow me to use lots of different finishing methods – letterpress, foil etc and design all the little details of the day from the welcome baskets to the thank you gifts!
If you had to use only one font on handmade paper for the rest of your designer's life, which would it be?
Oh one font would get boring I think, but I do like Caslon.
Are you secretly a serif or sans serif person?
Serif all the way
Which three words best describe your style?
Artistic, thoughtful, poetic, nostalgic (I couldn’t pick three!)
Did you teach it yourself or did you go to school for design?
I have a first class degree in Fashion Business and Marketing which involved design but the graphic side of things I’m self-taught.
How did you learn calligraphy?
I taught myself calligraphy and started with Copperplate however felt most joy and confidence working with my own hand organically.
Your guilty pleasure in design?
Tumblr … pages and pages of brilliant inspiration!
Why do you like working with handmade paper?
The natural organic nature of it and the perfectly imperfect fluffy edges.
See more of her designs on Laura's website.
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