Paper Source Design Team
One of our largest design launches each year is our calendar and planner collection. August marks the first month in our Academic Planners and Calendars, so we thought this was the perfect time for you to meet the artists behind the designs: our fantastic and fun Paper Source Design team. Find out about how each team member spends their workday, hear about how they discover their inspiration, and catch some insights into their favorite PS collections and designs.
Don’t forget to check if they are Pro 'Cattitude' or Pro 'Good Boys' and if iPads make their list of 'what to bring on a deserted island' here.
Say Hello to the Team!
Erin is originally from South Carolina and is celebrating over 10 years with Paper Source.
Erin likes to start her day simply, with black tea.
What/who inspires you as a maker and designer?
So many things! Fashion, art museums, nature, people watching.
Which dated collection is your favorite?
The 2023 Collection, each year the dated collection gets better and better and I’m so excited for everyone to see what we’ve been working on.
If you were a planner, which planner would you be?
So hard to choose, but a favorite is the 2023 Sherbet Rainbow Weekly Planner. It’s modern, simplified, but certainly a statement.
What’s more important? The inside or the outside of your planner?
Both! But I certainly choose by the outside art.
What is your favorite type of media to create?
I’ve been a painter my whole life, so I still love to use traditional paints when I can, but using procreate on the iPad has certainly opened up a world of possibilities that can still have that hand-painted look.
If you were stranded on an island, what's the one creative item that you would NEED to bring along?
A great unlined notebook and some watercolor pencils or fun markers.
What does a typical day working at Paper Source look like for you?
Tea and catching up with emails
Checking in with team on our daily tasks
Sharing the status of in-progress items and gathering feedback
More emails
End of the day is usually more quiet so it is usually the best time to illustrate and really dive into a pattern or art file with some good music
Em is from Chicago and has been with Paper Source for 'a veeeeery long time'.
Em prefers to devour LOTS of coffee to maintain their day of creativity.
Which dated collection is your favorite?
My favorite calendar is probably Good Boys. I enjoy drawing those silly dogs and picking outfits for them so much.
If you were a planner, which planner would you be?
What’s more important? The inside or the outside of your planner?
Inside (but the outside isn’t unimportant).
What is your favorite type of media to create?
I like painting with acrylics a lot since they work great for blocks of color and linework.
If you were a PS design, which design would that be?
It's not in stores yet but another designer recently drew a possum in a trash can which I find very relatable.
If you were stranded on an island, what's the one creative item that you would NEED to bring along?
An iPad/Apple pencil and I suppose a solar-powered charger.
What does a typical day working at Paper Source look like for you?
We are always working on many different projects at the same time so it changes up a lot. Some days we focus more on concepts & making edits on works in process for meetings and group discussion, other days finalizing things & prepping to send and of course, brainstorming new ideas.
Grace is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and joined the Paper Source Design Team a little over one year ago.
Grace enjoys a mix of coffee and tea to caffeinate her day.
What/who inspires you as a maker and designer?
Anything and everything! From my environment to experiences, everything serves as an inspiration.
Which dated collection is your favorite?
Wall Art Calendar and Foil Blotter Calendar. I always like to have two calendars. The first is always the foil blotter calendar that sits on my desk so I can keep track of deadlines, meetings, and appointments. The second calendar I like to have always hangs on the wall and is art heavy, like the wall art calendar.
If you were a planner, which planner would you be?
Either the Peony Weekly Planner or Sherbet Rainbow Weekly Planner.
What’s more important? The inside or the outside of your planner?
Inside- I always look at the function of a planner first and then the cover.
If you were a PS design, which design would that be?
The Beagle from the 2023 Good Boys Calendar.
What does a typical day working at Paper Source look like for you?
Every day is a little different, but it always starts with a cup of tea and ends with coffee.
Kana has been with our design team for about 6 months but originally started her career at one of our store locations.
Kana was ‘born and raised in Tokyo, Japan’ and likes to start her day with a classic black coffee.
What/who inspires you as a maker and designer?
I feel like I’m surrounded with many forms of creativity living in Chicago. I'm constantly inspired by local artists, local shops, restaurants, markets and fashion.
Which dated collection is your favorite?
If you were a planner, which planner would you be?
What’s more important? The inside or the outside of your planner?
I think it’s equally important. The outside of the planner must be inviting, and the inside needs to have a clean and simple layout.
What is your favorite type of media to create?
Cardstock!
If you were stranded on an island, what's the one creative item that you would NEED to bring along?
Scissors.
What does a typical day working at Paper Source look like for you?
It really depends on the day, but it consists of:
-Meeting and discussing with the team about product development and updates on current projects for critique
-Communicating with vendors
-Sharing ideas and inspiration with the team
-Testing and creating kits.
Jenna has been a member of the team for over 4 years and traveled around to Austin, TX before returning home to Chicago.
An Iced Matcha Latte is Jenna's ideal caffeine to get the day going.
What/who inspires you as a maker and designer?
I like to find ideas wherever I go. I’m inspired by nature, film, architecture, travel, music, and my peers. There’s inspiration everywhere if you look for it!
Which dated collection is your favorite?
I love the most recent collection we released! So fresh and new, a mix of painterly and modern.
If you were a planner, which planner would you be?
The new Chicago Ave Black Floral Planner.
What’s more important? The inside or the outside of your planner?
The inside has to be well organized for me to stick to using it, but the cover is what initially catches my eye.
What is your favorite type of media to create?
Actually, music! I’ve been learning guitar the last few years and it’s such a relaxing and fun hobby.
If you were a PS design, which design would that be?
Adventure cat in the canyon from last year’s Cattitude calendar.
If you were stranded on an island, what's the one creative item that you would NEED to bring along?
I’m going to have to be practical and say the largest Corksicle canteen I can find. My creative energy would be spent engineering a shelter.
What does a typical day working at Paper Source look like for you?
The day always varies, but to sum it up, a mix of:
-Illustrating on the iPad
-Meetings about product development
-Pulling inspiration for future product
-Prepping files to be sent to vendors
Kendra is from the Midwest but her hometown is right outside of Cleveland, Ohio.
Kendra joined the Paper Source Design Team nearly 4 years ago and affirms that coffee is always the way to caffeinate their day.
What/who inspires you as a maker and designer?
As a visual person, I can find inspiration in so much around me. From TV shows, to walks in the neighborhood, shopping, travel, etc. I'm inspired by what I see and I'm always thinking of ways to bring that inspiration to life in a new way for Paper Source.
Which dated collection is your favorite?
Definitely the art-based wall calendars! Not only is it some of my favorite projects to work on all year, but also who doesn't love to see new original artwork at the start of each month?
If you were a planner, which planner would you be?
The Get Sh!t Done Weekly Planner, for sure.
What’s more important? The inside or the outside of your planner?
Functionality in a planner is the most important thing to me, but I will always find one that works for me AND has a cover design I love.
What is your favorite type of media to create?
Lately I've been enjoying working with oil paints.
If you were stranded on an island, what's the one creative item that you would NEED to bring along?
iPad and Apple pencil— It’s like having all of your creative tools in one place!
What does a typical day working at Paper Source look like for you?
Each day is a little different for us. It’s hard to be creative for the entirety of the 9-5 workday, so it’s a matter of finding ways to space out that creative energy throughout the week working around emails, meetings, reviewing collections, developing product, etc.
We hope that you enjoyed this exciting and intimate look into the lives and loves of our PS Design Team. Stay tuned for more Meet The Makers segments each month!