Herman Miller blog: Lifework » erin loechner

A Few Notes on Paper

Amy Feezor — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:00:06 +0000

When it comes to taking down notes throughout the work day, are you a single-notebook type, who prefers everything in one place? Are you a user of scrap-paper lists or post-it notes or reminders quickly inked on the back of your hand? Are you a doodler or a sketcher (for fun or for profit) — or have you eschewed paper completely and prefer to simply take it all down digitally? Tell us what works for you and why in the comments section below, then take note of what we found in a few of the offices we’ve featured here on Lifework.

Design for Mankind’s Erin Loechner keeps clean and contained spiral notebooks at the ready in her own home-office setup: a laptop, desk, and white Eames Aluminum Group Executive Chair combo.

It’s no surprise that notepads filling the desk of designer and illustrator Alexie Hiles contain the thinkings of an artistic mind.

Neat stacks of notebooks — including Field Notes, a Lifework favorite — await reminders and to-do lists from Rick VanderLeek, a Saugatuck, Michigan-based art director and graphic designer.

Loose-leaf paper notes and tracing paper play a part in typographer Nick Keppol’s Brooklyn home office — a must-see space which includes, among others, a black Embody chair at the desk and an Eames Wire Base Low Table supporting the printer.

Confirmed doodler: designer and illustrator Katie Kirk, author of the children’s book “Eli, No!,” brain power behind Eight Hour Day, and owner of a pair of Eames Molded Plastic Chairs.

A collection of colorful sketchpads and notes helps keep the workflow flowing for Erin Jang, an art director and graphic designer who runs The Indigo Bunting out of her studio in New York City.

Industrial designer Joey Roth, a Los Angeles resident who frequently works in his backyard, knows that a single notebook can help him streamline his time outside. “When I can, I leave my laptop inside and take only a pen, notebook, and cup of tea or coffee with me,” he says. “The less I take, the more I tend to accomplish.”

Photos: Linked to their sources. Top photo: Carrie Strine and Tim Lahan

Tour: Design for Mankind’s Erin Loechner

Cerentha Harris — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:58:36 +0000

The Time’s recently included Erin Loechner’s blog, Design for Mankind in its roundup of the top 50 design blogs in the world. A nice pat on the back for a woman who has been blogging hard about design and art since 2006. In her spare time Loechner also tracks the progress of her own home renovation on HGTV.com. Here we talked to her about her workspace.

How long have you worked from home? And where is home? I’ve worked from home for almost five years and have called home both Los Angeles and, now, the Midwest. I currently live in Fort Wayne, IN in a house I’m renovating with my husband.

When you set up your home office what did you have to keep in mind? Were there any particular obstacles to overcome? For my home office, I really just wanted a casual environment in which I was surrounded by things I love. One important part of our office is our bench seating for guests and/or our dogs. Our pups are a huge part of our lives and I love watching them nap throughout the day.

In terms of obstacles, I have dozens and dozens of paintings and mixed media pieces I love to display. Rather than create an expensive framed gallery wall, my husband and I crafted an art shelf to hold our favorite pieces. It’s a much more affordable solution and I love that the shelf means each piece can be displayed temporarily and switched out every few months.

Describe your style? How would you define your aesthetic? My style changes super often, but I’d say it’s currently best described as casual and eclectic with a fairly Swedish slant. I’m a huge fan of creating spaces that inspire, yet calm the mind.

How do you keep your work space organized? Hidden storage! I keep a giant credenza (pictured below) for mailing supplies, stationery and miscellaneous paperwork. For open storage, I like to keep wire baskets, ball jars and vintage bowls to hold magazines and miscellaneous office supplies.

Is there any piece of home office furniture you covet right now? I’ve been craving a Uten.silo (white!) for nearly a year now. Organized chaos is my favorite form of storage. I’m also on the hunt for a tall industrial storage cart to display my collection of design books. Right now they’re gathering dust in our credenza!

What desk accessory can’t you do without? My desktop calendar! I use Google Calendar most of the time, but I like having a desktop calendar for travel arrangements. I have eight speaking engagements in the next five weeks, so it’s important I stay on top of my dates both in print and online.

What would you change about your work space? Nothing at all; it’s completely perfect for me. I’ve even installed a paper towel holder underneath my desktop for frequent desktop lunch spills!

What inspires you? Art, weather, wise women, history and success stories. Coffee’s pretty high up there, as well.

Inspiration: Design Milk’s Busy Editor

Cerentha Harris — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:13:05 +0000

Jaime Derringer is the editor of Design Milk, an online magazine devoted to modern design. But that is just one of her many hats. She also edits Art Milk, collaborates with Erin Loechner on Bakery (they ‘bake’ businesses) and contributes to AOL’s blogs on home and design. I checked in with this busy woman and found out it takes a good dose of organization to get all that work done – and a lot of energy.

How long have you worked from home…and where is ‘home’? I have been working from home since July 2009. It is like a dream come true and I wake up every day thankful that my boss is so nice. Actually, I’m lying – she’s kind of hard on me. I’ve never worked harder in my life than I have now that I quit my day job but I couldn’t be happier. I live in Southern NJ right outside of Philadelphia, PA with my husband Jordan and my two dogs, Beans and Lulu. We spent a few years in San Diego, CA but moved back about a year ago. We’re trying to figure out how to live in both places at once.

What does an average work day involve? I usually get up and get going immediately. I can’t just lay around. I need to be moving because as soon as I wake up my mind just starts to go. I spend the first part of my day reading and answering emails, reading my RSS feeds, checking on my blogs, looking at stats, and checking Facebook and Twitter. Much of the rest of the day is spent writing and editing posts for Design Milk, Art Milk, BAKERY and also my AOL blogs, ShelterPop and DIY Life. It depends on the day which blogs I focus on. I do work in the office, rather than on the couch because it helps me work harder and helps separate my living space from my work space. But I won’t lie — I do have a Macbook and spend a lot of time on the couch after regular work hours, but often I’m also watching TV or house-hunting rather than really working.

I just got the new Apple mouse and it’s amazing. It has definitely changed the way I work. Is there any form of technology that really inspires you? All Apple products inspire me, from their design to their functionality. I own just about the whole catalogue. I’m really into the idea of community, in other words, manufacturers who create devices that can be added on to by just about anyone. For example, the iPhone and other phones’ applications and Facebook’s platform, where users can create what they want and need. I love the idea of technology being a foundation or vehicle for further advancement.

How do you organize your space? I’m thinking here of your physical space but also your virtual space. Any particular software that helps keep things under control? I can get messy when I’m engrossed in projects or super busy, but I am one of those people who washes the dishes while the dinner party is still underway. I like to keep things clean and put all my toys away when I’m finished playing with them. Basically, I like a clean, simple desktop. [The IKEA drawer unit above nestles next to Jaime's desk and acts as excellent storage].

On my computer, I also apply the same logic – file it away when you’re done. My current favorite virtual programs are Google docs and iCal. I can’t function during the day without iCal. The Stendig calendar [on the wall above her desk] I get every year from Unica Home. I use it every day despite my obsession with iCal. My chair is the Cobi from Smart Furniture (Smartfurniture.com). When I finally find that perfect house and it’s time for an office upgrade, I’ve got the Aeron and Eames Aluminum on my short list. (The Philadelphia poster is from Ork Posters.)

What item from your desktop can you not do without? Besides my computer? Probably my printed blogging schedule. I’m old school so I like to print it out each week and check off the posts as I schedule them. My current favorite accessory is my WTF snowglobe that my mom got me for Christmas after I posted about it on my blog. It just makes me laugh and keeps me from taking anything too seriously.

What inspires you? I recently attended a blogger conference called Altitude Design Summit and I have to say nothing inspires me more than my peers. More inspiration comes from blogs, other motivated and determined people, mountains, Apple products, and my brother who is legally blind but just got a master’s degree in interactive entertainment (gaming).