Slow Culture, Sharp Design with Creative Director Laura Alston

In this first video recorded episode of the E36 Podcast (now available on YouTube), Ayofemi Kirby sits down with Caribbean-American creative director and multimedia artist Laura Alston—a longtime E36 collaborator whose work consistently lands with clarity, beauty, and cultural precision.

Together, they explore what it means to practice slow culture in a world obsessed with speed, sameness, and the algorithm. Laura shares her journey from Ivy League art programs—where graphic design was dismissed as “not real art”—to building a career defined by accessibility, cultural nuance, and design systems that help small teams move like full-scale studios.

They discuss:

• The shift from elitist art spaces to design that’s clear, inclusive, and meant for real people
• How lived experience, community, and cultural nuance shape powerful visual language
• AI as a creative collaborator—not a threat—when used with intention and originality
• Why templates and design systems are a form of empowerment, not a shortcut
• The future of thoughtful design in a noisy, overproduced digital world

If you’re a cultural organization, community-centered brand, or designer of color trying to build work with purpose—not just aesthetics—this episode offers real tools, real insight, and real affirmation.

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