Press

Have been so lucky to have so many folks come after me for my little story. Here’s a collection of press stuff from over the years. With each completed interview or podcast, I’d grab the live link when it went live and put it in a folder for safe keeping when the time came to jam them all into one big, honkin’ page. That time is now. So much stuff to go through, if interest. Holy shit, can I talk. Maybe this is the time to offer a blank apology to all the interviewer who allowed my to PUNISH THEM when the recording light went on? Maybe not.

 
 

Interviews

 

2023 Interviews

 

2022 Interviews

 

2021 Interviews

 

2020 Interviews

“Rumpl & Draplin Design Co Release Extra Cozy Blanket Collab”
By Geoff Nudelman for Field Mag
March, 2020

2019 Interviews

“Draplin Design Co. Shop Takeover”
By Arbor Collective
November, 2019

“Rockstar Designers Share the Objects That Made Them”
By Lisa Hassell for Creative Bloq
October, 2019

“Success Story: VisComm graduate Aaron Draplin Designs a Postage Stamp”
Northwestern Michigan Community College
March, 2019

2018 Interviews

“How I Got Here” Aaron Draplin”
By Emma Tucker for Creative Review
August, 2018

“Birmingham Design Festival 2018”
ThisDesignLife
March, 2018

“Aaron Draplin on Life, Design and Taking the Work Home”
By Aaron White for Shutterstock
March, 2018

“Why Field Notes Have Remained Curiously Addictive for a Decade”
By Whet Moser for Chicago Magazine
January, 2016

 

2017 Interviews

 

2016 Interviews

 

2015 Interviews

 

2013 Interviews

“Tall Tales From a Large Man: Aaron Draplin”
By Firebelly Design for Design Envy
December, 2013

“Aaron James Draplin on Form, Function and Futura”
Raised By Wolves
November, 2013

“Aaron Draplin: In Praise of Simple Logo Design”
Graphic.com
October, 2013

“Aaron Draplin (DDC) Interview”
Designboom
September, 2013

“With Aaron James Draplin for HUGE Magazine.”
As shot by Parker Fitzgerald for HUGE Magazine
May, 2013

“Work With The Little Guys.”
Communication Arts
May, 2013

“Aaron James Draplin is the poster boy for timeless design.”
By Josh O’kane for The Globe and Mail
April, 2013

“Design guru addresses the legend of his own pantslessness.”
By Casey Logan for Omaha.com
April, 2013

“Designing a Sasquatch!”
The Design Bureau
February, 2013

“The Designer Resolution Round Up”
The Design Range
January, 2013

“Old Memo Books Make Digital Transition”
The Farm Collector
January, 2013

2012 Interviews

“What I’ve Learned in 2012: Aaron Draplin”
The Portland Egotist
December, 2012

“Aaron Draplin Talks Shit”
By Chris Brown for Refueled, Issue No.10
November, 2012

“The Setup With Aaron Draplin”
By Daniel Bogan for The Setup
October, 2012

“Designer To Designer: Money Matters With Aaron Draplin”
By Megan Clark for The Exceptional Creative
September, 2012

“Tastemaker: Aaron Draplin”
By Colin Whyte of the RedCard Writing Group for ESPN Snow
July, 2012

“The Great Discontent: Aaron Draplin”
By Ryan and Tina Essmaker for The Great Discontent
June, 2012

“Potty Mouthed “Wicked Boston” Poster Artist Signs 100 Posters at Neenah Booth”
By Matt Porter for the Neenah Paper “Against The Grain” Blog
June, 2012

“My Routine | Aaron Draplin, Designer”
Courier-Journal.com
May, 2012

“Five Questions/One Word Answers: Aaron Draplin”
Brotherhood of the Feral Cat
May, 2012

“Draplin Design Co. Comes To Louisville”
By Michael Buchino for The Paper
May, 2012

“Weekly Score 13.04.12 with Aaron Draplin”
Young Creative Council
April, 2012

“Insights 2012: Questions For Aaron Draplin”
Walker Art Center Blog
March, 2012

“Aaron Draplin, Draplin Design Company, Portland, Oregon”
Walker Art Center Blog
March, 2012

“One Minute With…Aaron Draplin”
By Conor O’Driscoll for1 Minute With
February, 2012

“Ladies and Gentlemen…Aaron Draplin”
You Are Not Us Blog
February, 2012

 

2011 Interviews

“The Write Stuff”
By Ruth Brown Willamette Week
August, 2011

“Episode 13 of “The Flyover Effect”
BitMethod
August, 2011

“Project Galvanize: Aaron Draplin”
By Brian Beavers for Project Galvanize
May, 2011

“Draplin’s Show and Tell”
By Jared Souney for Level Mag
March, 2011

“Clean, Smart Graphics From Freewheeling Designer Aaron Draplin”
By Adrienne So for Coolhunting.com
February, 2011

“Designer Hump Day With Aaron Draplin” by Jared Souney and Brooke Gehry
Part 1 | Part 2
Yobeat.com
February, 2011

“Interview with Mr. Aaron Draplin, Draplin Design Co. and Field Notes Brand” by John Gamber
Part 1 | Part 2
Pencil Revolution
February, 2011

“The Pied Piper of Good Design and Making Things Awesome”
Travels of John
February, 2011

 

2010 Interviews

 

2009 Interviews

“What You See Is What Yer Gonna Get” by Michelle Taute
HOW Magazine
November, 2009

“An Interview with Aaron Draplin”
Part 1 of 3  |  Part 2 of 3  |  Part 3 of 3 by Kenneth Fish
San Francisco Examiner
June, 2009

“Reading Between The Leading, Episode 19: Aaron Draplin of the Draplin Design Co.” by Matt and Aaron.
Reading Between The Leading
June, 2009

“Aaron Draplin: One Creative Soul” by DeChazier Stokes-Johnson
The Marmaspot
May, 2009

“Heavy Industry” by NIck Parish
Creativity Online
April, 2009

“Aaron Draplin - One Bad-Ass Motherfucker!” by Jamie Legion
Legion
April, 2009

“So Good, So Orange: The Aaron Draplin Interview” by Colin Whyte
ESPN.com
February, 2009

“Art Attack - Aaron Draplin”
Transworld Snowboarding
January, 2009

2008 Interviews

“Designer Highlight: Draplin Design Co.” by Mary Doyle
CoinOp
November, 2008

 

2007 Interviews

“An Interview with Draplin Design Co.” by Shawn Liu
Hear Hear
June, 2007

2006 Interviews

“Snowboarding’s One Man Graphic Design Army”
By Jennifer Sherowski for Transworld Snowboarding
April, 2006

Podcasts

 

2024 Podcasts

 

2023 Podcasts

“In the Making: Notes from the field with Aaron Draplin”
In The Making Podcast with Teresa Au
November, 2023

“Creative Characters S3 E3: Getting into the ‘heavy stuff’ with Aaron James Draplin”
Creative Characters Podcast with Carl Unger
March 2023

 

2022 Podcasts

2021 Podcasts

 

2020 Podcasts

“Talking Logo Design with Aaron Draplin”
LogoGeek Podcast
October, 2020

“Aaron Draplin | DGDC”
The Deeply Graphic Designcast Podcast
September, 2020

“Episode 21: Aaron Draplin - Founder of Draplin Design Co.”
Method in the Madness Podcast
March, 2020

“Episode 100 - Aaron Draplin”
The Quickie Podcast
February, 2020

“(Re) Do the Robot with Aaron Draplin”
Lullabot Podcast
January, 2020

 

2019 Podcasts

“Aaron Draplin, Authentic by Design”
Engagious Podcast Podcast with David Paull
November, 2019

“Know Ideas Podcast: Aaron Draplin - Episode 13”
Know Ideas Podcast
October 2019

“Podcast 263: Aaron Draplin”
Fretboard Journal
September, 2019

“Artist Talk Archive: Aaron Draplin”
Art Unbound
May, 2019

“Aaron Draplin: Designer, Author, Top-Shelf Cusser”
Ten7 Podcast
April, 2019

 

2018 Podcasts

“Ep. 74: Aaron Draplin”
Clever Podcast
November, 2018

“Episode 16: Aaron Draplin”
The Snowboard Project Podcast
October, 2018

“Celebrate the things that get you excited.”
Creative FM
June, 2018

 

2017 Podcasts

 

2016 Podcasts

 

2015 Podcasts

“What The Fuck with Marc Maron: Aaron Draplin”
WTF Podcast with Marc Maron
October, 2015

“The Collective Podcast: Aaron Draplin”
The Collective Podcast
March, 2015

“PK Podcast #75 - Aaron Draplin”
Promo Kitchen Podcast
March, 2015

 

2014 Podcasts

 

2013 Podcasts

“Aaron Draplin and the Seriousness of Backing Your Shit Up”
Pencil vs. Pixel
October, 2013

“028 Aaron Draplin”
Happy Monday Podcast
June, 2013

“Aaron Draplin from the DDC: The Reflex Blue Show #110”
The Reflex Blue Show
April, 2013

“Being Draplin”
Kanen Flowers for Scruffy Thinking
January, 2013

 

2012 Podcasts

“Design Matters Podcast with Aaron Draplin”
Debbie Millman for Design Observer
October, 2012

“Episode 83: Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Co.”
WFPK After Dark
May, 2012

“Delicicious Design League Podcast with Aaron Draplin - “Celebrate Your Obsessions”
Delicious Design League
February, 2012

2011 Podcasts

“The Ergonomics of Weinerdogs with Aaron Draplin”
The Flyover Effect
August, 2011

2010 Podcasts

“AdVerve 52: American Typographica”
AdVerve
November, 2010

2009 Podcasts

“Red Between The Leading, Episode 19: Aaron Draplin”
Read Between The Leading
June, 2009

Layer Tennis

“Draplin vs. Noper”
Season 03, Semi Finals Match, as a wildcard fillin’ in.
December, 2010

“Draplin vs. Hubacek”
Season 02, Semi Finals Match.
July, 2009

“Draplin vs. Potts”
Season 02, Quarter Finals Match.
June, 2009

“Draplin vs. Glass”
Season 02, Week 11.
May, 2009

“Draplin vs. Nakamoto”
Season 01, Week 8.
November, 2007

 
 

That One Time We Were
in the New York Times

This one was really cool. And it happened fast. I got hit up by one Steven Kurtz, a writer from the New York Times, to do a little article about me and my shop and my mess. It’s about a decade back, so my memory is a bit fuzzy. I’m pretty sure he came by the the shop in Portland? Next thing I knew he had Portland photographer Leah Nash by to shoot some shots of my mess and little ol’ me. Her work is incredible and was super nice and cool to chat it up with.

Here’s a little write-up about that visit on Leah’s blog.

As soon as the article came out, you get these weird, intense calls from these third party companies where they try to sell you usage of the article. I think I posted it on my Instagram? Or on my site? Leaving sweaty messages. So I called one of them back. And I remember the person on the phone muscling me in his thick New York accent, “I wouldn’t recommend reposting this. We wouldn’t want this to be handed over to our legal team.” Or some shit like this. I remember challeging the turd and saying, “So wait a minute…I can’t take a shot of the article and post it? What if I’m on the bus, and see someone flipping through the paper, it lands on my page, I take a shot of that moment and post that? I’ll be dragged into court.” I just laughed at the guy and told him to take a a long walk off a short pier by Battery Park.

Here’s the official link to the article. (Paywall alert!)

Or, just LIVE DANGEROUSLY and read it below…

 

This shot was taken somewhere in the world while someone had the page opened precisely to my little write-up. How about that shit?

“Disorderly Conduct”
by Steven Kurtz

A cluttered offer serves as a
source of design inspiration.

From the August 7, 2015 paper.

Aaron James Draplin

Age 41

Occupation
Graphic designer, co-creator of Field Notes stationery

Location
Portland, Ore.

His Favorite Room
The cluttered warehouse office of Draplin Design Co., his firm. This is where he keeps what he calls “all my fun stuff, all my creative tools.”

What do you love about this space?
There are no rules. My pants were off before you got here. It’s about if you want to be comfortable, be comfortable. Really, it’s a clubhouse. This is not an office that you go to because you’re just trying to get a paycheck. This is where I get to get away with it. That’s the truth.

It’s also where you get to amass old junk. Like these metal nameplates that look pulled from the back of an air compressor from 1962.
When I worked out of my home, the reason I left was I ran out of space. I go out and grab stuff from the dead world and hoard it. The language they used on these nameplates was really cool. The type is so beautiful. There’s no cake-decorating going on because it’s better work. I’ve made business cards like this for people. The beauty of some of this stuff — weird patches from over the years, old office supplies, whatever. Now when I do a patch for somebody, I know where to go.

Show me something else that inspires you.
See this sign right here? That’s one of my favorite logos of all time. It’s some national park thing. I don’t know what those little rings are. Someone was like, “It’s the National Ribbon Dancers Association.” So that was 10 bucks in some antique mall or whatever. I couldn’t say no. That’s the sickness. Records are the same — I have two or three-thousand records at home. Home is super clean and crisp and modern. Here, it gets a little dirtier.

Do you have to pry yourself out of here at night?
My girlfriend is always on my case. She’ll cook at 6:30 like human people do. I’ll have to warm it up when I get home. It’s the battle we have. This is where I hang. This is my respite.

You have a fever for your work.
When I got out of school, around ’99 or 2000, we met these guys who looked at our portfolios. One student brings in 11 pieces. One brings in nine. That’s what’s appropriate. I had 100 things. So the guy goes, “You’ll lose that.” I’ve never lost it. And I’ve built this world where it keeps getting funner and funner.

 

More Leah Nash Shots from
the New York Times Shoot