Field Notes, the memo book brand that launched in 2007 as a joint venture between Portland, Oregon-based Draplin Design Company and Chicago-based design firm Coudal Partners, has just launched their 50th quarterly edition and we’re smitten. If you aren’t familiar with Field Notes, they are the beautifully simple memo books inspired by the innocent pocket material of the American farmer from a bygone era. Having grown up in the beautiful vacation destination of Bakersfield, California amongst farm and ranch land I have a personal appreciation for all that Field Notes represents as a brand. Not to mention, I’m a big advocate of the handwritten note as our daily interaction with technology increases.
The tagline of the brand is 'I'm not writing it down to remember it later, I'm writing it down to remember it now,'" Jim Coudal says. "That comes from my grandfather, Nels Coudal. I lived with him for a while after my grandmother died. He would always be writing scraps on little scraps of the Tribune. Finally, I was like, Grandpa, why don't you get a notebook? Why are you writing them there, you know you're going to lose that piece of paper. He said, 'I'm not writing it down to remember it later, I'm writing it down to remember it now.' Meaning, the physical act of writing ingrained something in your brain much more than flipping it into an app.
Fifty is traditionally the “golden anniversary,” but for the new Fifty Edition, its 50th set of quarterly limited edition memo books, Field Notes is making a splash with bold red covers, silver ink and a die-cut peeking through to flypapers recalling past editions. The special limited edition launched this week and is available for purchase at fieldnotesbrand.com and from select retailers worldwide. As an added bonus for annual Field Notes subscribers the company has also produced a retrospective book, the “Anniversary Desk Ledger,” filled with historical details, trivia and most importantly, wisecracks.
For our 50th edition we wanted to go back to basics, but as usual we couldn’t leave well enough alone,” said Jim Coudal, cofounder of Field Notes.
“So while it looks simple, we’ve incorporated little nods to techniques and materials we’ve featured in the past. It's the most complicated, and most fun, thing that we’ve ever made."
While supplies last, all purchases on fieldnotesbrand.com that include one or more Fifty 3-Packs will also receive a fun commemorative adhesive stamp set celebrating “Great Moments in Field Notes Finishing.”
If you have a minute we highly encourage taking time to enjoy the short film around the launch...about making short films here.
About Field Notes
Founded in 2007, Field Notes is a memo book brand headquartered in Chicago, and is a joint venture between Portland, Oregon-based Draplin Design Company and Chicago-based design firm Coudal Partners. Its memo books are proudly printed and manufactured in the United States. Learn more at fieldnotesbrand.com.
