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

What do you listen to while you work? I work at all hours, so it’s more about the time of day that determines what I listen to. If I broke it out, I think it’s fair to say mornings are usually acoustic/folk. Afternoons I typically listen to more indie/rock. At night, I usually turn to more beat-driven/ambient/electronic music, and often jazz.

How do you listen? During the day, earbuds. Occasionally I’ll unplug and DJ in the creative department at the office. I love turning people on to new music. I listen through Seige Audio headphones while I work at home.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? If I’m listening to music online, it’s usually KCRW’s eclectic24. Lately I’ve been checking out Designers.MX. Such a good combination of music and design. I want to create a mix for them. I’m currently checking out Spotify.

Does music influence your work? Well, it must in some way or another. I listen to it all the time. It’s hard to pinpoint how a specific album or song would influence me through my design. However, I could design a poster in a shorter time listening to Animal Collective or Girl Talk than I would listening to an acoustic Neil Young album. An aspect of my job that I love is helping with the musical direction for a video or film Fairly Painless is working on. Whether it’s the pensive tone of The Album Leaf or an upbeat RJD2 jam, it’s a challenging task matching music with picture.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? I have a friend that owns a coffee shop and another friend who owns a record store—great resources. I also have a nightly routine of visiting a handful of music blogs such as I Guess I’m Floating, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Gorilla vs. Bear, and Aquarium Drunkard. Twitter can be a great resource, too.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? I’d be honored to say M. Ward or Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), but actually I have no clue!

RICK’S PLAYLIST

For Beginners, M. Ward

Far, Far Away, Wilco

Used to Be, Beach House

French Exit, The Antlers

Trigger Cut, Pavement

William, It Was Really Nothing, The Smiths

Savage Night at the Opera, Destroyer

Kicked It In The Sun, Built To Spill

Real Love, Delorean

Circling, Four Tet

The Wilhelm Scream, James Blake

The Falcon Will Fly Again, Brad Mehldau

Images courtesy Rick VanderLeek