Can materials tell a story?

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For designers and specifiers, the materials we choose are more than just functional, they carry hashtag#emotional and hashtag#cultural significance. Materials shape perception, evoke powerful narratives, and resonate with an audience on a deeper level.

Whether it’s a paper made from hashtag#recycled hashtag#denim, or plastics repurposed into striking hashtag#surfaces, materials hold the power to shape perception and tell a story of hashtag#innovation and hashtag#responsibility.

My work ensures that story is visually and structurally clear, making sustainability feel deeply personal and connected. Here are projects where I specified and designed with materials to add deeper meaning to design:

1️⃣ Welcome Pack 🟨
Transforming organic grape and leather residue waste into high-quality paper, proving that sustainability and luxury can coexist. (Image 1 + 2)
Client: Material Source → Specifying: FENNER PAPER COMPANY LIMITED → Printing: WithPrint

2️⃣ Exhibition Boards & Digital Report 🟢
Harnessing natural pigments to replace synthetic inks, adding a deeper layer of environmental consciousness. (Image 3 - 5)
Client: Colour of Saying → Specifying: Katz wood-pulp board → Printing: WithPrint

3️⃣ Swatch Book 💠
Giving discarded denim a second life as premium paper, embedding the fabric’s history into every page. (Image 6 + 7)
Client: Fedrigoni Special Papers → Specifying: Futura paper

4️⃣ Display Panels & Material Labels 💜
→ Showcasing recycled materials in a way that redefines desirability and rethinks plastic waste.(Image 8 + 9)
Client: (Packaging Industry) → Specifying: Smile Plastics and GF Smith Neenah Fine Paper & Packaging Environment Paper → Printing: WithPrint

5️⃣ Workshop Tool 💚
→ Experimenting with paper made from recycled coffee cups and creative print techniques to merge sustainability with high-end finishes. (Image 10 + 11)
Client: GF Smith + Foilco → Specifying: GF Smith Extract paper and Foilco House Orange foil → Printing: WithPrint

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№ 1 / 8 – This post is part of an 8-part series on how hashtag#sustainability and hashtag#desirability can exist in the same material.

Are you a material manufacturer looking to visually communicate your material story? I’d love to chat - send me an email 📧 laura@consciousmade.co.uk

hashtag#sustainable hashtag#materials hashtag#cmf hashtag#biomaterials
hashtag#Consciousmade hashtag#Designstudio hashtag#Creativestudio hashtag#Freelancedesigner hashtag#Manchester hashtag#Graphicdesign hashtag#Printdesign hashtag#Designforprint hashtag#Printing hashtag#hotfoilstamping hashtag#diecut hashtag#storytelling hashtag#cmf hashtag#materials hashtag#paper hashtag#gfsmith hashtag#foilco