LSquared Designs

Meet Laura

b. 1986, HK.

 
llothrop.jpg
 
 
 

HI THERE.

I'm Laura, a freelance senior designer living in Boise, Idaho. I design for a variety of mediums; from precious print and packaging to responsive web design and apps. At the root of it all, I love to work with talented teams for inspiring brands.

Along with visual design and art direction, I co-founded The Roving Dears, a fly fishing initiative focusing on storytelling and environmental stewardship. I act as the brand director, photographer, web 'developer' and designer. 

Before moving to Boise, I worked agency-side for nearly 6 years in Portland, collaborating with high profile brands on tight timelines. Prior to Portland, I freelanced throughout Idaho while working in fisheries for several years. Although design and fish may seem like a strange combination, my greatest inspiration comes from getting outside and feeding that wild side.

Happy Trails!

Send Me A Note

BRANDS I'VE WORKED WITH

Nike
Estée Lauder
Head
Converse
HP
ASUS
JELD-WEN
Wyeast Labs
Wax Tracks Productions
Little Ski Hill
+ then some
 
 

my most recent adventures

 
It’s been 4 months since ‘sciencing’ on the Grand Canyon and I’m yearning to go back. There are some things I just can’t seem to shake: the sun’s first touch on the canyon walls, the smell from your cot signaling the coffee’s on, floating down river and hearing endless stories shouted over the waning of the motor, those chapped smiles that beamed all day long (even when work hours equaled waking hours), pulling hoop nets stock-full of humpback chub and flannelmouths (yay for the native fish comeback!), the food (ohhhh the food...), watching the electroshocking lights dance beneath the stars along the canyon walls. Hell, I even miss doing the dishes... There are so many times a memory takes me back to that canyon where I can almost see it, smell it, taste it...the Grand’s got a hold on me.
Between road construction and a lightning-caused wildfire, we only spent a few hours exploring Kootenay NP. But because of those things, we also had this destination hike all to ourselves. Didn’t even need to bust out that bear spray (good thing too—‘cause we never ended up packing it in the first place)! I’ll mark it off as a success. A really super stunning success! 📷: @stevedecker20 #gorove #kootenaynationalpark #explorecanada
Wishing this lovely lady a wonderfully adventurous birthday! Thanks for always packing the pun-ches (I tried!), cheese and champagne. 💁‍♀️ Who knew a tipsy chat around a campfire would lead to a lifetime of friendship. I’m honored to have you as one of my dearest friends. Now let’s go fishing! @becdebois
You are a gem, in the truest form! Thanks for always teaching us to be kind and curious, leading by example. Hope this year is one big, wild adventure...happy birthday @lookoutrenee. Love you to the moon and beyond!
Between each ripple came a rise. It’s a damn good evening when the bluegill are biting!
Talk about a feisty lil slab-o-summer! #gorove #5050onthewater
We camped on the only island in the river, thinking we’d have the canyon walls to let us sleep deep for a few more hours than usual. Instead, we woke early dripping in sweat from our 4-season sleeping bags but the sun on our faces warmed the soul. It’s summer baby!
Happy hours don’t have to just be G+Ts and IPAs, although that’s a-ok with me. On this frisbee-worthy sandbar, we celebrated a birthday by raising a pineapple to the rim...umbrellas and all!
Net ‘em, identify ‘em, measure ‘em, tag ‘em, weigh ‘em, let ‘em go. Swim on lil Humpback Chubs, swim on! #coloradoriver #grandcanyon #fisheries #gorove #science
Before the crew would stir in camp, I’d stay in my too-warm-for-the-desert sleeping bag and watch as the swallows swooped and soared along the canyon walls. Those moments marked the only downtime on the trip, and that’s all I needed. #alsototallywaitingforsomeonetoputthecoffeeon • #gorove #grandcanyon #coloradoriver #swallows
Breakfast first and foremost. Then, with coffee in hand, hop in the sport boats and head up river to check the hoop nets you set the night before. Hang onto your hat and remind the boatman you’d like to stay dry when up-running the rapids (evil laugh from said boatman...he’ll pay for this later). It’s an Easter egg hunt to spot the flagging that marks our sites; the deep canyon walls shield the GPS from connecting to its data points...but then, woohoo! There’s a flag and the work day begins. Time to count and tag some fish! #science #gorove #coloradoriver #humpbackchub #grandcanyon
Summer wanderings with @robinlopezdesign. 🌻
“Watch out for buzz worms.” “What the hell is a buzz worm?!?!” “Ya know, danger noodles!” —excerpt from when I learned some very scientific terms for rattlesnakes. . Curled up below this ledge rests a Grand Canyon Pink Rattlesnake soaking up some sun, a safe distance from camp (can you spot it?!). There were footsteps in the sand leading up to it that stopped a foot away and (I assume quickly) backtracked. I wonder who got buzzed! . #gorove #science #grandcanyon #azgfd
Happy birthday to one incredibly special, spunky lady. This year is going to be one big adventure for you, and I’m so excited to see what you do next @brookedalgleish. Thank you for always sharing your laughter, wit, joy, style (see photo #2) and those hot travel tips. Cheers to you, pretty lady! 🍻👯‍♀️🎉
It’s taken me a little over a week to recover from such an adventure. It’s not just fatigue from the long hours (I’m talking 5am-2am) and constant sun exposure of a river trip... It’s also giving all your energy and focus to the wilderness and the unknown of what’s around the next bend. It’s the constant packing, unpacking, repacking, strapping, digging through dry bags and ammo cans to find where that koozie or chapstick ended up (you know the drill). It’s the built up excitement and constant awe-inspiring surroundings that keep you questioning why it’s taken you so long to get here. It’s not knowing a soul at the put in, and having the hard “see ya sometime” with life-long friends at the take out. And it’s that darned last bend of the river where the canyon beckons to you one last time, making you beg the question of when...when can I get back here. • There are few places I’ve fallen absolutely in love and at home with, and beneath the rim of the Grand Canyon is now one of them. This trip was a fish monitoring project that not only had me learning the ins and outs of that magnificent river, but also becoming a part of it. So many tales to tell, but here’s a shot from one of those late nights, where the crew illuminated the canyon walls and electrofished the reach above camp...all for the sake o’ science! #gorove #grandcanyon #coloradoriver #azgfd