5 minutes with the young designers from Typo

We just love the humour Typo brings into our lives - and can see why the brand has become a popular choice with its quirky designs at affordable prices. We meet the creative young minds behind the inspiration

LAURA FRANCIS

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Laura's first artistic rebellion was defacing her parents' beautiful table - little did they know she was kick-starting her dream career as a designer. Her parents took the hint and enrolled her in art classes at a young age, giving her the chance to explore all types of mediums and materials.

Laura's design style has an edge to it - something that makes it a little left- field. It's not unusual to walk past her desk and see her sketching a zombie with one eye or a taco having a chat with a corn chip. It's all in a day's work.

Besides the remnants of her daily peanut butter toast, you'll find some pretty interesting items on Laura's desk. A design book here, a print-out there, textile offcuts, a pot of glitter, a plant in a cage and a couple of chocolate wrappers are the usual suspects.

The theme of Laura's book is, of course, zombies. She's found inspiration in many different places. "A few binge marathons of the 'Walking Dead' definitely helped, TV shows, daydreaming in the car and funny situations I've been in, perhaps not involving actual zombies though."

CLARE STOFFELS

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Like most kids, Clare started drawing at a young age. But unlike many of her classmates, she kept at it and now gets to design and illustrate all day.

Clare reveals that her "normal" day involves drawing cats, photo-shopping unicorns, creating pretty patterns and coming up with hilarious jokes for cards and magnets.

Her favourite thing about working with Typo (besides photo-shopping unicorns) is her fun and enthusiastic team. A steady supply of coffee and a set of headphones help her get into the zone. The A3 'Hell Yeah' colouring book that she designed is packed full of quotes dripping in attitude - it seems Clare channels the sassiest of sass queens, Beyoncé, for inspiration. "The rest is up to you!"

"Everyone has a creative side but some aren't sure how to express it. Colouring is an easy way to find the creativity we all have inside."

JEN PARLE GRAPHIC

DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATOR

As a child Jen had an insatiable urge to draw on everything. There was never enough blank paper (or walls, for that matter) to quench her need to illustrate.

When illustrating, Jen's studio is her happy place. But when it comes to designing, Typo is where it's at and it's rare to see her without a coffee in one hand and stylus in the other.

"No two days or products are ever the same. One day I could be designing a pineapple print for a shower speaker and the next I'm putting cat bums on coasters!"

And if cat bums aren't enough to get Jen inspired, she'll look to vintage typography and signwriting to spark fresh ideas. For this project she looked to festivals, fashion photography and retro diners for inspiration. She describes her colouring book as "girly-themed with summer vibes and lots of activities to stimulate creativity and encourage procrastination".

SCOTT LEONARD

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Scott has a love and enthusiasm for both illustration and street art, and is often heard saying it's the only time drawing on walls is acceptable. Seeking out inspiration from anything and everything, his tools of choice are pen and paper. His line drawings highlight the simple composition of an object, leaving the colour to bring them to life.

There is always a mountain of books on Scott's desk, and among them a healthy number of snippets and off-cuts for inspiration. He is inspired by artists from all around the world, and is excited to see how people take on and colour in his A3 colouring book 'The Urban Canvas'.

Scott believes the popularity of colouring books is because "anyone can do it. It's an easy way to zone out and relax without having to think too hard. And there is no right or wrong answer when colouring."

When suffering from "artist's block" or feeling uninspired, he recommends stepping away from whatever you are doing, grabbing a coffee and getting some fresh air. "When you come back, you're likely to be re-inspired."

LAINE FRASER

GRAPHIC DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATOR

Laine has been putting pen to paper since she was a kid, however, she's always considered herself a graphic designer first and an illustrator second.

Laine's signature style combines illustrative pieces with hand-crafted elements, all of which are usually accompanied with a pop of colour. She believes colour plays an integral role in completing a design and loves to use different palettes to inject a sense of vibrancy and fun into her work.

Her desk is full of colourful knick-knacks and beautiful imagery that get her creative juices flowing. Neon pens and coloured sticky tape are her favourite stationery items, among a load of other "random things from the stationery cupboard". Who can blame her when the Typo stationery cupboard is like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory but for stationery addicts.

Laine finds inspiration in all forms and respects anyone making, creating, designing and generally "just doin' their thang". She also likes travelling to Bali every year, which usually "spurs on masses of creative inspiration".