By Emma Robinson 鈥�27, Visual Studies
Back for another attention-grabbing and eye-opening presentation, Aaron Daplin, creator of the world-renowned Draplin Design Company (DDC), spoke on campus again in the Morganroth Auditorium, hosted by the Graphic Design Department.
Although he started the presentation by calling himself a 鈥渞eal serious, real academic guy,鈥� Draplin鈥檚 enthusiastic love for graphic design quickly debunked that persona as the first (of many) pranks he pulled on the audience throughout the night. His big personality, along with his wide smile and firm handshake, helped disarm an audience in awe of the quality and amount of work credited to the Draplin name.
The Draplin company first launched in 2004, and 20 years later, Draplin is proud to report that he’s managed to 鈥榢eep everything out of the red.鈥� From a humble beginning in the Midwest, Draplin grew up loving snowboarding and skateboarding, with much of his future inspiration coming from the design culture of those two activities. During his presentation, Draplin said he first started drawing at age three on paper diner placemats, a last-ditch attempt from his mother to keep him from misbehaving in public. A funny anecdote from the start of his career, but Draplin continues the tradition of drawing wherever and whenever he can.
DDC has worked with dozens (if not hundreds) of organizations, big and small, including companies such as Nike, Hot Wheels, and Skillshare, public figures such as Chris Stapleton and Tenacious D, and even government organizations such as NASA, the United States Postal Service, and the Barack Obama administration. His most recognized work, the Field Notes workbooks, can be bought worldwide and are commonly found in bookstores, cafes, and malls. But that鈥檚 not all DDC brings to the table. Draplin came equipped with plenty of swag, bringing an array of stickers, pins, patches, hats, pencil bags, dice, posters, and more for purchase. His iconic book, Pretty Much Everything, currently in its 13th printing, was also for sale.
The Draplin Co.鈥檚 work is best described as classic Americana: thick outlines, efficient design, and retro colors. While never confined to one niche, Draplin鈥檚 work amasses a large body of coherent yet unique designs. One of the more unique areas of Draplin鈥檚 work, however, is his educational design. Motivated by past medical experiences and family health scares, Draplin aims to use graphic design to open the door for talking about scary topics. Education is the first step to solving problems, and if a funny sticker helps start that difficult conversation, it鈥檚 a net positive.
And that鈥檚 the crux of Draplin鈥檚 philosophy: finding the net positive in whatever you do. In a world where graphic design seems more threatened than ever, Draplin鈥檚 speech was an uplifting reassurance to the audience, emphasizing the importance of finding joy in your work. He stated that he likes to share interesting work that inspires him in the hope that it will inspire others, and inspire others he did. Draplin鈥檚 presentation was a constant reminder of the beauty that can come from graphic design and poignant advice on how to achieve it. One of the most important mottos to take from work is to celebrate what鈥檚 important, 鈥渘o matter how big, small, or ugly.鈥�
Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest 四虎影视 news in your inbox.
Contact:
Office of Marketing and Communications
communications@ringling.edu
941-309-4008
