Laura Thake Graphic Design

• Laura Thake Graphic Design, sole proprietor, founded 2004.

• 30+ years of graphic design inspiration and experience

• Clean and uncluttered style.

• Proficiency in Adobe CreativeCloud, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator.

• Clients include: Windys’s Floats, Perio Protect, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, Saint Louis University, Trellis Marketing, Webster University, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, Aspen Spas, Mid-America CropLife Association, 2B Well Yoga & Integrative Health, World Pediatric Stroke Association, Christian Life Community, American Hospital Association, Northwestern University.

All visuals begin with an idea. A simple thought, born out of a conversation, or oftentimes, some other untraceable inspiration. When it comes to working with her clients, Laura is not lost on this tangible-intangible process. But this is the maze she deftly guides each client through, seeking details and scraps of information that will ultimately reveal to her what direction to take. Her years of diverse graphic design experience have fine-tuned this ability, helping her to see through the clutter and discover the essence of what is needed, but most importantly, what is not. 

What message is being conveyed? What response is the client seeking from their audience? What is the general purpose of the design?

The trick is marrying the ethereal with the practical. Building a concepton on top of a solid foundation of design protocols; the time-tested do’s and don’ts of graphic design. Laura uses all of these tools when working with clients to create book designs, brochures, websites, posters, pamphlets, and yes, even business cards. 

Brought up in the ranks of “traditional” design—all things not digital—Laura brings to each project a very rich foundation of academic training and hands-on execution. Before there was design software fairy dust, there was t-squares and drafting tables and the temerity to keep trying until you got it right. 

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“One of the things I like most about working with Laura is her approach, she truly listens and envisions what I’m trying to do,” one of her client’s noted. “She avoids creating something just for the sake of adding to her portfolio, which is a trap some designers fall into, but, instead, she designs for her clients. That’s what I need in a graphic designer.”  

Fonts, lines, shapes, balance, depth, color would jumble together or wander off the “page” if not corralled and massaged by an experienced designer. That’s her job. But in her eyes, it’s not a job at all, it’s fun, an enthusiasm she brings to each project, and it shows.​

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A St. Louis native and Webster University graduate, Laura has worked with many of the top design teams in the region, including Alex Paradowski, Gellman Graphic Design, and Kathleen Herring Design. Her years in the Webster University Communications Department gave her the opportunity to try her hand at many formats and work with a variety of internal and outside clients. Challenges needed to be met every day and not with an “everyday” solution.

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“She knows every aspect of her business, including getting to the finish line on time,” says another client. “Laura always goes the extra mile, even if it means driving to Topeka for a press check, having the patience to organize hundreds of photographs and documents, or finding exactly the right paper for a project.”

This tenacity and the desire to “do it right,” coupled with her natural design intuition, makes her a standout in the graphic design community and the go-to when a project needs that something extra.