Logo geek speaks to VCC students

By Collin Dever & Shannon Scheidell

Aaron Draplin is obsessed with logos. It is an obsession, turned passion, turned career, turned life. Right out of high school, he headed straight for the commercial side of art. To Draplin, “there was a beauty in things people overlook.”

Speaking to a pack of font nerds on Valencia’s east campus, Draplin talked about his work, his hobby, and to inspire.

In the middle of his road trips across America, to acquire knicknacks and preserve old packagings pulled from cobweb filled garages and condemned factories, alone, he gets called to design a few unique ones as well.

“Junk has some great shit to be discovered, which you won’t find in a design book,” said Draplin.

For the 2008 campaign for the stimulus package, the Secretary of Transportation picked the logos his company (DDC) made. Sharing pictures of his logos next to Barrack Obama and Joe Biden. Draplin also makes time to create for mom and pop shops, and everything in between.

“Hey, when I made pizzas, there was someone who didn’t like how I made pizza, whatever. So, you make them love you... instead of showing them three things, you show them 30 and make them love it,” Draplin said.

Draplin and his team design graphics for anything from snowboard magazines to logos featuring the head of his friend, Gary, the weiner dog.

“Work hard, make it fun, make up your own projects, invent your stuff, and then do a good job when you get that job. Up until that part, it’s gonna be kinda hard. We’re in a tough time.“

“So screw it, don’t wait for people to bring you gigs, make your own. Make a logo for a band, make a logo for your grandma. Go look at a logo that you hate and redo it.

Previously published in the Valencia Voice