Paul and I got the chance to meet the great Aaron Draplin out in Portland not to long ago. He invited us up to his office to check the place out and get a feel for what Draplin Design Co. is really all about. After a quick chat with Draplin we discovered a couple different things: 1) There really is no such thing as a “quick chat” with Aaron, you could talk to that guy for days, 2) He has a contagious passion for what he does, 3) He has a contagious passion for life and 4) Drapliln Design Co. has some pretty sweet merch. and you need to check it out.
Some of the work most of you may recognize of Draplin’s include a client list such as:
Union Bindings
Coal Headwear
Grenade Gloves
Snowboard Magazine
… and the list goes on and on. I wasn’t really sure what to expect as we rode the elevator up to the fifth floor office of Draplin Design, but it didn’t take long to get the situation figured out upon arrival. We were warmly greeted by Aaron and his strong, outgoing and incredibly witty personality. Aaron is originally from the Midwest and, after five years of living in Bend, Oregon, he came to Minneapolis to get his design degree before moving back out west. So we all shared an appreciation for Minnesota livin’.
When talking to Aaron if you just sit back and listen to what the man has to say, it will probably be one of the most interesting conversations of your life. In a matter of minutes we had a full account of how he got started in the business and got some great advise on how to enjoy and experience life to the fullest in the snowboard industry. It was really motivating to be in the presence of a guy that is so passionate about what he does. It’s quite obvious that he’s got a gift for design, but he also puts himself behind what he does 100%. His company motto, “Work hard. Do good work. For good people.” completely reflects that. Not only is Aaron a great guy to have behind your design needs, he’s a good guy to turn to for entertainment.
The Draplin Design web site is a great example of Aaron’s sense of humor. Under their Proud List of Services they offer a few interesting things along with graphic design such as Wrastlin’, Denim Hunting and Culture Critique. He also includes lists of things they love and hate and things they say at Draplin. You have to just read those yourself cause they’re pretty amazing. When you check out the Draplin merchandise not only will you notice the incredible variety things they have available, but they are uniquely named as well. Aaron was kind enough to hook Paul and I up with a few things like:
Torso Covers
A "spare change containment apparatus" and "open road key chain" that brings good luck
and Field Notes
It was definitely quite an experience meeting a guy like Aaron, and I hope I will get the pleasure of crossing paths with him again some time in the future. Thanks for your time, advice and stuff Aaron! Till next time…
Yeah Draplin! House bloggers use Field Notes!