Draplin Design Co.: Pretty Much Everything

“Aaron James Draplin lets the simplicity and universality he found in Lego toys as a child guide his work designing corporate logos and other work for companies like Nike and the New York Times , plus snowboards, posters and a slew of other projects.” — Globe and Mail Esquire. Ford Motors. Burton Snowboards. The Obama Administration. While all of these brands are vastly different, they share at least one thing in common: a teeny, little bit of Aaron James Draplin. Draplin is one of the new school of influential graphic designers who combine the power of design, social media, entrepreneurship, and DIY aesthetic to create a successful business and way of life. Pretty Much Everything is a mid-career survey of work, case studies, inspiration, road stories, lists, maps, how-tos, and advice. It includes examples of his work—posters, record covers, logos—and presents the process behind his design with projects like Field Notes and the “Things We Love” State Posters. Draplin also offers valuable advice and hilarious commentary that illustrates how much more goes into design than just what appears on the page. Draplin writes in his introduction, “I made this stuff my life. When something is your hobby first, the “work” part never feels the same. I love making this stuff. And I’m hoping that will never change. I’ve been lucky to pull off a killer life in design. Let this goddamn book be proof.” With Draplin’s humor and pointed observations on the contemporary design scene, Draplin Design Co. is the complete package for the new generation of designers.