Have you ever wondered what the people behind Paperblanks get up to every day? Did you ever look at a Paperblanks design and wonder, “Hmm, how would this look on my desk?” Well, in this new exclusive blog series, we are diving headfirst into uncovering what our staff have on their desks.
This week, we’re heading over to the Ecommerce department, where we spoke to the lovely Maren, our Ecommerce Manager here at Paperblanks. Maren’s journey with Paperblanks began in 2020 in the Operations department. Since then, she’s worked her way up, joining the Ecommerce team in 2023, where she’s been ever since.
When asked what her day-to-day looks like, Maren explained that it varies depending on the season. Her main responsibility is to ensure our web shop (or “website,” as most people would call it!) runs as smoothly as possible. This includes creating new pages for special releases and preparing each new season’s collection to be uploaded online and on time.
Naturally, our web shop connects with nearly every department, which means Maren collaborates across the board. From working with Operations to ensuring orders are processed and shipped on time, to Customer Service to support our shoppers, to Sales for online promotions, and to Digital Advertising and Marketing to ensure the website reflects our brand and delivers the best possible shopping experience possible, it’s truly a team effort and Maren is the one steering the ship. She also oversees other aspects of Ecommerce, including our other marketplaces like Amazon, bringing our products in front of as many customers as possible all over the world!
Although Maren works in the digital space, she still relies on her Paperblanks products to get through the day. When asked about her must-haves, she listed a few favourites! First is her Rubedo 12-month ultra planner with daily interior, which she uses to write down meeting notes, ideas, and daily tasks. She also keeps her Kara-Ori pencil on hand to jot down her new ideas. Then there’s a very special item on her desk: her Song of the Sea bookmark. “It’s just the cutest design,” she, revealing that it’s signed by Tomm Moore, the film’s director. A team member gifted it to her following a Cartoon Saloon event in Dublin that Maren couldn’t attend, which makes it even more meaningful.
Maren’s workspace is full of personality and charm. Her desk essentials include her headphones (perfect for tuning out office chatter), her beloved Lord of the Rings mug (coffee is a must, and the trilogy is an all-time favourite), and an Avatar: The Last Airbender mousepad, a stress ball, plus a scattering of stickers and postcards.
Desks are often a reflection of who we are, and Maren’s desk captures her spirit beautifully. While it may seem cluttered at first glance, every item holds a story. Maren explains that many are mementos from her travels: “There’s a beautiful wooden postcard I got in Japan, and a pen holder with a colourful fleur-de-lis design from a small paper shop in Florence (which I now use as a desk bin),” she said. There’s also a spectacle cloth from Copenhagen, and postcards from Canada and Hawaii.
From Lord of the Rings mugs to sentimental Song of the Sea bookmarks, we thank Maren for giving us a peek into her Daily Desk essentials. Next week, we’ll head over to the Operations department, where Hannah shares the products she can’t live without.
