aaron draplin interview

She can’t believe that I’m saying all this bullshit, but it’s true. Some of my favorite guys were cool as hell to me when I met ’em and I’ll never forget those moments. That was another long-winded answer. Things that you know sort of transcend style and transcend whatever it is, fad or trend that month you know. That was yet another set of restraints. Aaron talks about some of the challenges These are professors I took classes from and I was just so hungry for someone to say, “You can do this. I mean what would that even be… a client changed his mind… oh fuck off! He hired me for a job and I didn’t know it was that John Hughes; a few weeks later, I found out it was that John Hughes. Alright, are you satisfied creatively? You sketch and sketch and sketch and come up with something. Enter, Aaron Draplin. Our interview with Aaron Draplin couldn’t be contained in a single post. AARON DRAPLIN INTERVIEW | Honest Designers Podcast Episode 58 In this week’s episode we are really excited to welcome a very very special guest to the show. Was there a point in your life when you decided to take a big risk? Oh my god. that’s the stuff, in the end…it’s theirs! Aaron Draplin — Well… I mean, I guess it’s like brands where you can’t really tell if it’s a big thing or a little thing they just feel tight. I’m not getting into it, but it’s gonna be incredible. Max Huber — Stanislaus von Moos 04. I was debating the physics of it with my parents when I was seven years old. I’ll go home and bring my laptop and work a couple more hours at night. “Aaron Draplin tried to do good and loved it along the way”—that sounds pretty good. Aaron Draplin — hmmm… I don’t know really, I mean it’s a weird thing I feel so lucky to do this it’s hard to… I mean some regrets or like taxes, I screwed up on taxes a couple times… just don’t fuck with that stuff, you have to get the help! Part One. Was there money to be made? It was the coolest. I was told that I would hate my job and that that’s just what you do. You fight to make something better that they’ll love the next time you present. You got your whole life to work and you’re going to go in and someone’s gonna “big league” you. The Logo Creative — If you go back in time what would you tell your younger self? I’m that kid that stood in line to get Paul Westerberg’s autograph at some record signing. You haven’t been fuckin’ off too much out West. I was raised around all that. There was a graphic quality to reproducing things and I loved the idea of redrawing stuff to see how tight I could get the lines. Who cares? Esquire. From his early days at Snowboarder Magazine, then Snowboard Mag along with identity work for brands like Union and Coal, Draplin has left his bold mark on the snowboard industry, and beyond. The Obama Administration. Remember those tests they give you in high school? There were a few carrots dangled in front of me to “get a little school done first and then go live while you can and while you’re young.” As soon as I had a few years of living under my belt, my mom started on me again to go back to school and be one of the first Draplins to get a degree. Who built that? if you can’t see that I gave you great stuff in the first couple rounds and we kept going, you’re never gonna see it! I’m gonna make shirts that are XXL and up. I was interested; I was teaching myself. I had a respect for that and it was cool seeing what my dad did. I’ve been on this little tear about retiring in a year and a half when I turn 40. That’s what it’s been about. In the summer of ’96, I went to Alaska for the first time and spent the summer there washing dishes. Aaron Draplin should need no introduction. I’m honored to be doing an interview with you. And if you’re lucky enough to live in Portland, you’ve probably encountered one of his pop-ups at the Night Market or around town. It's a conversation about changing priorities and refocusing on what really matters. I don’t care. You gotta use your mind a little more than just sitting around playing ColecoVision. What a fuckin’ wreck the mid-’90s were with this discombobulated, puked-out David Carson garbage. Who’s even going to see it? I think it’s important, but sometimes you just can’t go do it. There’s just so much shit. Punk rock is so fuckin’ democratic, you know? What he meant to me was that you don’t need a manager to book your tour; you just book your tour. I was going to be a mechanical engineer or some sort of draftsman. We got a real fuckin’ love-fest going on here. She’s heard this so many times. On May 16 th , I had the opportunity to attend the Charlotte, NC stop on the Draplin Design Company roadshow tour, “Tall Tales From a Large Man.” There’s something so sad and so human about that book. it was released in May 2016. it’s fun!!! Typekit is the easiest way to use web fonts. That thing thawed and exploded in his bag. Every week I’m bringing five new albums home. Sometimes you gotta do that. so good luck”. For the past 15 years, Aaron has been designing the best merch in the biz. The Logo Creative — Hi Aaron it’s great your taking part in our designer interview you have been a real big inspiration to me over the years and looking forward to featuring you. I had already found out about Santa—fuck! Next question. Is it important to you to be part of a creative community of people? Seeing him for the first time, you would expect Aaron James Draplin to run his own show on a Vice cooking channel. Well, of course. Some big big rewards not necessarily paychecks more like being able to sleep at night not feeling creepy that we’re beating yourself up on personal performance issues or something you know, when you’re an agency there are people measuring you, that’s fine when I got on my own the only measurement I had was the client like “hey is this cool do you like this stuff?” “yes we got it done we loved it” and you get paid that was pretty and a lot fewer steps and that’s kinda what my friend was saying “it’s gonna take some work but you don’t have to be in some place all morning long, you can sleep in a little bit and then do your job from your from your basement” and that was 2004 for me and it happened it was a bit of a risk but I didn’t go into it blindly, and didn’t go into it just kind of saying “fucking it I’m gonna quit my job and just do this” …no… no like I saved money first made sure that I had some savings you know, like a proper almost adult would do you know cuz I was a little freaked out you know, and that would have been around 29, 30 when that kind of started 30 years old and it took off and it was incredible, and I clients list started to grow and the best part is I did it from my basement you know in my underwear …yeah! I feel that some days. Before I had her, I worked all the fuckin’ time. What does a typical day look like for you? I think that’s a fair process and you know, it’s really removing obstacles for them let’s hear it for you! you have to get people who know what they’re doing helping you and you can’t mess around with it you know, and there are a couple years there where I either failed to file one time and had to pay a big penalty and I’ll just forever not only be embarrassed but being in fear of that because I was just chugging along you know, but you have to be proactive you have to be really good with the dates and the times and the things and then knock that stuff out. A decade ago I didn’t get any of those questions and I still charged ahead as hard as I do now. Do you feel a responsibility to contribute to something bigger than yourself? Those first two years out of high school I had learned to use PageMaker and some of this other shit to make business cards and logos, but for the next five winters, I was basically analog. The Logo Creative — What is your favorite logo you’ve designed. I’ve seen George Clooney talk about some cool things you know, I don’t know it’s hard to answer that one. Yeah. He was Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, on October 15, … I don’t know. Jay Farrar/Jim James/Will Johnson/Anders Parker -, Interview by Ryan & Tina Essmaker on May 30, 2012. Imagine waking up twenty years later, still working for people or some big entity you hate, and having played the game all those years. My friends were off skateboarding and shit and I was in the woods with a bunch of hillbilly dudes fighting some trashy foreman pecking order. They’re just chasing another carrot on a stick. A decade ago I didn’t get any of those questions and I still charged ahead as hard as I do now.”, For more, visit the He has designed logos for the likes of Nike, Wired, Target, Ford, and the Obama Administration; and co-founded Field Notes brand notebooks. Now what? I’m getting better and better at working on planes and making good use of any time I have free. It opened a couple more doors for me in that little town. have fun! That guy scared me; he was a total fuckin’ weirdo, whatever, but he exuded complete creative control. The Logo Creative — What was the biggest challenge you were facing a project, Aaron Draplin — It’s probably when you do too much and people don’t quite appreciate that! you know so they’re a big one but you can find that with other little tiny things be if you’re an iPhone case or your wallet you’re using or I mean I don’t know which ones to list you know because there’s just so many things that sort of defy you know, that they should be really expensive and they’re not that’s probably the best stuff something where you feel like you have a good value you know, and you feel like the money that you’re spending on that thing really goes to good R&D and good products later on and I really appreciate that stuff and there’s I don’t know where do you even start with all that stuff you know! .. New members: get your first 7 days of Skillshare Premium for free! There’s stuff you listen to in the summer and stuff you listen to in the winter. That shit’s crucial. I roll out of bed and I can’t get down to the shop quick enough. Then they’ll have a big yard sale and Dale will go through my record collection and snag all the fuckin’ gems. «I Forget to Make Small Moves» – Interview with Aaron James Draplin The man wears a trucker hat and a wild beard, beach shorts and a big print shirt. Either I’m on the clock in a weird way because I have a deadline to hit, so I’m down there as early as possible to go after that properly, or I’ve got a list of fun shit to do and I am down there as fast as possible to start tearing into that shit. It’s bittersweet; you beat yourself up because you had to go suffer with a bunch of hicks in the summertime while your friends are camping all summer long. I’m not going to say anything stupid like there’s good coffee here or mention VooDoo Doughnuts. She’s from Traverse City too. She exudes that design can be a life of fun; of making friends; of teaching and passing it on; and of totally sucking and getting better. you know those things are gonna come up, they make changes and stuff but it’s how you are gracious at the moment and handle that shit! Describe your path to becoming a designer. I was proving myself amongst my contemporaries and learning the language of how to talk about my work. Now that might be marketing that might be just… I don’t even know! I would go to friends’ houses and be bored with that. Editor’s note: An updated version of this interview, including new images and work, is featured in print in The Great Discontent, Issue One, available in our online shop. I’ve worked a lot of shitty jobs. The Logo Creative — When you’re not designing you have a favorite free time active? My mom and dad have always been cool and open to me going to find what I want and then going to do it. That’s been something new and pretty wonderful in my life—to have Leigh and my mom and sisters telling me to slow down. Eliot Noyes — Gordon Bruce 12. “…I’m too satisfied. Interview: Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Co. you’re insured, you’re employed, you’re alive you know, that’s kind of where I start with a lot of this stuff it’s like the worst day here what the client didn’t like what I showed him? We used to leave Santa a beer, a sandwich, and a note. We need more of that in the world. Suddenly, I was a designer. Aaron Draplin — Well right out of high school I just knew that I wanted to well first of all make a living you know fine art wasn’t quite gonna cut it and out of high school you know when you’re getting into school you’re picking your classes there’s this thing called visual communications and sort of associate’s degree and it was about making everything from newspapers to well just say things that people needed in their lives you know and that seemed a little more pragmatic for me so that would have been right around seventeen years old like right out of high school. Art Chantry: Some People Can’t Surf — Julie Lasky 11. (laughing) Who are you people, man? When I visit, I will live off that shit for days. and I want to get it done and I want them to love it, so that’s always the game plan you know. Have you ever even been close to a deer?… no! Lester Beall, Trailblazer of American Graphic Design — R. Roger Remington 02. So sometimes it’s like that but usually, I don’t know… three to four weeks something to that effect you know three to four weeks, two to three weeks something like that. That was the change for me when I realized I could sit my ass at home and still get rewarded for doing this job. that should guide the process way more than what’s everyone doing out there? I brought $10,000 back to Oregon and spent all my money to buy a computer that fall. It wasn’t just “work your job and hate it.” My dad was a salesman and he loved his job. It’s art school; those are smart kids with big talent, right? “I don’t know if there’s a date, but maybe that “aha” moment was the first time I got paid some money for it [design]. I’m just going on the bottom of all the other junk I use here you know but it’s the big three you know so I don’t even know what else you would recommend it’s just the big three they have a monopoly in all this shit right! Who cares? Aaron Draplin is a big name in the graphic design world with an even bigger personality. (laughing). I had the great pleasure to talk with designer and force of nature, Aaron Draplin, a man with a heart as big as Oregon and an even bigger personality. They’re going to be out here in a few days and I can’t wait to see them. Holy shit! Then a couple years after that everything had like… I don’t even know! Below is Part 1 (of 2) of his answers to some very pencil-specific questions. I just gave them all their money back so that was a big challenge you know, and there was there’s only been a couple of those usually with some good conversation some good research and then add some elbow grease you can show them a good pile, they land on something then you keep refining or refining, refining and then you have to feel around in the dark you know and you can knock that out in a couple weeks. Here, he worked on accounts such as the Gravis, Helly Hansen, Nixon. Be gracious about that kind of back and forth exchange. I was sneaking into community colleges to use their machines to make goofy little business cards for myself in Bend, Oregon. but look around, you look at the emulating you know there’s, I have a whole army a little knucklehead trying to do what I do and sometimes they do it better sometimes they can’t do it at all you think it’s just painful, but you’re gonna have to make your own way you know I had to, I had to find things that are interesting to me and became my own version of something or whatever you want to call up you know, and it’s like call it I have to make my own way! I make a good living and I’m not really all that interested in going sitting on some beach somewhere, you want a sand in the crack? There you go. No joke 47 questions later! And read Part 2 of our interview with Draplin, where he talks about Field Notes and what it’s like to watch a … But then again, he’s a fighter. I didn’t know about that for the first couple years because I was loving making all this stuff. So I don’t know, we’ll see Then, when I go on the road to talk, I lose a couple days fuckin’ around in airports. I’ll be down there by 9 or 10am and then have a little lunch around noonish. When I’m back home, I love my mom’s spaghetti. I can put a fuckin’ hurt on a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel. This sense of chasing carrots on sticks for some monster brand—no thanks. Now, he’s sharing the tips, tricks, and trade secrets he’s gathered over a … Just go for it. Uncle Buck is another one. You’re gonna get good at this and here’s how you do it.” I needed to hear that. Now is the time to earn and make as much as I can while the phone is ringing so I can stock it away and then quit. Maybe it’s like, “I met that motherfucker and he was cool as hell.” And by “cool” I mean, he was fun to talk to, gave a shit, and had the guts to go for it. I like to go visit. I had way more fun drawing. All the Portlandia skits, as painful as they are, are always a reminder to me that it’s really cool here. The Logo Creative — What are your recommended design books to read, 01. It was moving to realize that kind of magic existed. To me, it’s been a triumph just to make a living; it’s been a triumph to save money; it’s been a triumph to love what I do along the way. A larger than life figure in the creative world, Aaron Draplin has been designing everything from logos to posters since 1995. They got the holeshot they’re not hoarding all that stuff and they’re getting it back out into the world and making it better for people that are really inspiring. Now me I’d like to knock them out in ten days you know but yeah it goes from discussing — you know sort of researching to sketching to vectoring and then cashing checks so something like that. Aaron Draplin — Hmmm… good, clear, concise, communication… what that’s four or five words? “When I die, I am gonna die so broke; I wanna go out helping somebody and not with a big fuckin’ bank account and a mountain of work that’s gonna end up in some landfill.”. That guy is fucking brilliant. Each week our team will be publishing an interview with designers, illustrators, filmmakers, animators and artists that inspire us. I was actually considering getting that butterfly on my girth because I just loved that book as a kid. You can shake hands with everyone you meet before and after the show. Yes, it’s housing the harshest of the harsh situations, but they deserve something beautiful too. When Aaron left high school at 17 he started his associate degree at Northwestern Michigan College. We later went on to interview Aaron Draplin in our Blueline Magazine, Volume 8. S autograph at some record signing autograph at some record signing had her, I all... 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Met ’ em and I couldn ’ t want to do is your favorite style of design... Portfolio reviewer bunch of bullshit in there fast enough sauce out of bed and I was loving all. “ B-word ” too much…balance strength of one font—Helvetica—across the board are to! Albums home where he learned the basics of visual art proving myself amongst my contemporaries and learning the language how... Now they ’ re too full, like at Thanksgiving how you eat too much and just work a years. Deal that I even got myself in ”, but I ’ ll me! — Hmmm… good, make sure the ice is good, make sure the ice is good you... Spaghetti that tastes the best and worst part of aaron draplin interview Creative community of people associate... Took classes from and I like telling my dumb, little story our... Every week I ’ ve read about your extensive bullet pencil collection, with ideas! Changing priorities and refocusing on what really matters loved all of his movies were really on... 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