Lauren Bacon, partner
Her philosophy that “if it doesn’t work, it isn’t beautiful” is
played out in the many stunning and intuitive designs she
has produced throughout her career. Lauren’s design work can be seen
on the web sites of international whole foods giant Yves Veggie Cuisine;
Canada’s most respected policy
research organization, the Canadian Centre
for Policy Alternatives;
and Canada’s
first nationwide social enterprise resource and online marketplace, Enterprising Non-Profits.
Motivated by a passion for learning, a love of good content, and a vision for a World Wide Web that provides access to information for all, Lauren brings a great deal of enthusiasm and energy to her work. One of her favourite things about her job is that her clients teach her new things every day — from what “forage” means to farmers, to how (and how much) oil companies are gouging their customers.
Lauren’s professional interests include web standards, accessibility, typography, and usability. She finds an uncanny beauty in clean, elegant code, and revels in designing good-looking, easy-to-use web sites. Her background as a project manager brings a collaborative and practical sensibility to her approach; she believes that good design takes its cue from the content and its intended audience, and that design can benefit from a good, healthy dose of thoughtful criticism.
Lauren’s first website was for a feisty, grassroots women’s centre in Prince George, BC — which she developed while attending the University of Northern British Columbia — and her second was for a quirky local bookstore. In many ways, these two early forays into web design were indicators of what was to come, as she refined her skills for showcasing original content and building online communities.
Her lifelong passion for the arts led her to complete a Bachelor of Music in classical voice at the University of British Columbia, and to her involvement as a founding member of vocal chamber ensemble musica intima. Lauren continues to participate in the local arts community by volunteering her time, and her marketing and business expertise, with several local arts organizations.
Lauren is an Aries with Virgo rising, which means she’s a little rambunctious, somewhat impatient, and yet a stickler for details and accountability. In her spare time, she fuels her creativity by reading everything she can get her hands on (she was one of those kids who would read the cereal box every morning at breakfast), singing, going to galleries, cooking, and hanging out with her two year-old godson, Amiel.
Lauren is the co-author (with her business partner Emira) of a blog on women and business at laurenandemira.com. They have also published a book, The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business, that guides women through each stage of creating a successful small business doing what they love.