On this episode of the Co-Pro Podcast, we open the proverbial can of worms with Aaron Draplin — designer, maker, Field Notes co-founder, and all-around creative force of nature. The Michigan-born legend has gotten his hands dirty on the heaviest of brands: Nike. Burton. Red Wing. Patagonia. Fender. NASA. Even campaign work for Obama and Bernie. And that’s before you get to the posters, merch, and the gospel of good design he’s been preaching across 500+ stages from Adobe MAX to TEDx.
Draplin brings his trademark mix of honesty, humor, and blue-collar hustle to the table — talking shop on the business of merch, the grind of freelancing, and why community and collaboration still matter. He gets real about sweating the details, rooting for the underdog, and keeping your compass steady in a world that moves too damn fast.
Oh, and we also throw him an AI logo challenge just to see what happens when analog meets algorithm.
If you’ve ever filled a Field Notes notebook, drooled over a clean logo, or just love hearing a big personality speak their truth — this one’s for you.