Disclosed is a method for manufacturing an electro-active polymer layer structure including an elastomer layer and at least one electrode layer that is arranged on a first surface of the dielectric elastomer layer, the method including: applying a layer of conductive material on the first surface of the elastomer layer. The layer of conductive material consists of agglomerated graphene based nanoplatelets, having a flattened shape between two main surfaces parallel to the graphene molecular lattice plane. The method further includes: obtaining a texture of the nanoplatelets in the applied layer by orienting the nanoplatelets on the first surface of the elastomer layer with the main surfaces of the nanoplatelets being parallel with the first surface of the elastomer layer, such that the graphene molecular lattice plane of the nanoplatelets is parallel to the first surface of the elastomer layer.