The design of composite laminates requires consideration of part strength and manufacturability, both of which are controlled by ply angle and stacking sequence. This paper studies the open-hole compression strength and forming compatibility of laminates designed with standard angle (SA) and non-standard ply angle (NSA) layups using four different stacking sequence patterns. When increasing interply ply angle differences to provide greater interply lock-up, experimental test results show that dispersed stacking sequences improve failure strength of NSA laminates by up to 36%. Dispersed stacking patterns allow NSA laminates to consistently outperform reference SA laminates with increased failure strengths of up to 17%, indicating that this alternative design may produce stronger structural components. Results for stacking sequences of NSA laminates also reflect an inverse relationship between failure strength and formability . This implies an underlying trade-off between structural strength and manufacturing compatibility, which is worth considering when designing laminates for complex geometries. • Dispersed layups improve open-hole compression strength of non-standard angle laminates by up to 36%. • Non-standard angle laminates with dispersed layups can outperform standard angle laminates on open-hole compression strength by up to 17%. • Results show a trade-off between structural strength and manufacturing compatibility controlled by stacking sequence.