The Draft | 36 Days
While AUT design student’s were confined to their homes during lockdown level 3 and 4, The Draft launched a project to keep the community engaged and connected. The Draft is AUT’s internal design studio, situated in the Communication Design department. It aims to connect students from across the school with industry via external design projects and regular networking events. But in a time when students can’t connect through the love of pizza and workshops, The Draft saw another opportunity.
Inspired by an existing online project called #36daysoftype , The Draft provided a space for the community to explore typography and it’s endless graphic possibilities. Current students from AUT and other NZ universities, alumni, and even staff created daily submissions, together building a huge library of type explorations.
In these strangely flavoured times, it was a great project to be involved with. The Draft’s 36 days of Type challenge gave me something to cross off the to do list, at a time when it was hard to do much. Everything from a watermark on the kitchen bench to the rocks found on a walk, became fodder for letters and numbers. A nice reminder that inspiration is everywhere, if you keep your eyes and mind peeled.
— Silka Guy, AUT Communication Design Major
Although I didn’t manage to complete all 36 days, The Draft’s 36 Days of Type challenge provided me with the room to experiment without the pressure of it being graded. Having the challenge during the lockdown created a fun environment to experiment with different media to form letters. Using tape, cutting out parts of photographs, playing with film negatives and an old book let me test what I wouldn’t have done in lockdown otherwise.
— Oliver Wooster, AUT Communication Design Major
For more type content and information about AUT’s design community, head to @thedraft_nz or #thedraft36days
