People Planet Profit

Ollie Cunningham • 19th Mar 2025

Graphic designer Ollie Cunningham shares his thoughts on how becoming a B Corp agency was a defining moment in his career.

Passion vs Purpose

As a graphic designer I’ve always had mixed feelings about what I do. On the one hand I love designing; I love the craft; I love presenting my work; I love the impact design can have and the difference it can make. On the other hand, I sometimes question the greater purpose of my work: is what I am doing, how I am growing and evolving a company, actually a good thing, or not.

20 years in the making

As a student in 2003 I wrote my dissertation on ‘The Concept of Sustainable Graphic Design’. My final project was entitled ‘Consumer Culture’. I was heavily influenced by the ‘First Things First Manifesto’ penned by the late Ken Garland amongst others, which set out to focus design efforts on tasks that promoted the betterment of society. Notice a bit of a theme?

In reality it is impossible to work purely with clients or projects that align with our own code of ethics – none will, or not perfectly at least. So where does that leave the morally motivated designer?

Certification

On 14th October 2024, Lane became a certified B Corp company. I started the project over three years ago when I was tasked to look at how we approached sustainability. It became clear that there was an appetite to do more, and very quickly this evolved into pursuing B Corp Certification.

Being a B Corp organisation is about using our business as a force for good. Its about a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit.  Its about making a positive impact on society and the environment. Although its taken us three years to get here, it is very much the start of our journey as a more ethical business, not the end.

For me, becoming a B Corp is a big moment. A moment that has been in the making for 23 years. A moment that has reaffirmed the values that I have held since my time as a student. A moment that has given new purpose to my work and the company I work for.

But being B Corp is more than just a moment; more than just a badge. It’s a commitment to using  your craft for something bigger than profit. If you’re a designer, creative, or business owner wondering how to make your work count for more, now is the time. Reflect on your purpose, and start making that difference. The journey isn’t easy, but it’s one that can redefine your work, your business, and your legacy.

Building a business for good

Our certification was a huge team effort so I’d like to thank the people that helped make it happen, our co founders Ali Findlay and Barry Fearn, MD Chris Bruce, Ian Duncan, Stacey Wright, Natalie Henderson and Blake Robinson and all of the Laners that were involved in various parts of the project.

If any of my words have inspired you, start by taking a look at the B Corp Impact Assessment tool. It’s a free tool that measures your company’s practices and outputs across five categories: governance, workers, community, the environment, and customers.

And if you’d like to chat about how you can make your company a force for good, then get in touch, I’d love to hear from you but for now I’ll leave you with a quote from someone who summarises our current situation better than I can.

“Its not about saving the planet. Its about saving ourselves.”

Sir David Attenborough.