The design of these letterforms was inspired by the design process and work of Aaron Draplin. Draplin is based in Portland, Oregon and is known for designing many well-known logos for companies such as Union Binding Co and Coal Headwear. He does a lot of sticker, poster, and other merch design. Draplin takes inspiration from “dead stuff,” as he would say. He has a unique process that involves going “junking.” He regularly goes to antique stores and looks for old things with examples of old-school type and design. He collects all kinds of packaging, signs, and more that provide him with inspiration. As such, appreciates simple and utilitarian design. His own design contains many chunky sans-serif fonts and slab serifs – but is not limited to these types of letterforms.

Since Draplin has such a wide variety of work, I decided the best approach when designing letterforms inspired by him was to emulate his process. I went looking for old packaging downtown and found images of old, retro packaging online as well. I was able to generate a variety of different ideas using this method but decided to go with a chunky letterform to pay homage to the type of letterforms that Aaron often uses. I noticed a lot of fonts with an implied 3D look when looking at vintage packaging and decided to incorporate this into my design as well.