Abbey Luong
Junior Graphic Designer, Studio Pask, Christchurch
Bachelor of Design in Communication Design with a minor in Design Thinking
The people she met were the highlight of her time at AUT, says Abbey Luong who came to AUT to study a Bachelor of Design in Communication Design with a minor in Design Thinking.
“I made friends from the very first breakout room when we started our studies during one of the COVID lockdowns. I appreciated that the tutors and lecturers encouraged and pushed me to be the designer that I am today.
“I also enjoyed the studio environment, which encouraged exploration, and tactile experiments in the bindery and screen printing room. It was all about finding our personal voice and the reasons why I want to design. During my time as an AUT student, two of my designs were featured in the BJ Ball 2024 type calendar and at our end-of-year exhibition AD23 I was awarded the Adam Tan Memorial Award in Display Typeface Design. I was also given the opportunity to do a summer scholarship with George Hajian, where we worked on the Queer Art Narratives publication.”
As much as she loved studying communication design, she admits that graphic design wasn’t initially on her radar.
“I actually knew nothing about design or that it was even a career option. Initially I wanted to take architecture, spatial or industrial design. It was only when my sister enrolled for the UX/UI pathway as part of her Bachelor of Design in Communication Design at AUT, that I became interested and chose to enrol with AUT.”
A love for typefaces
For Abbey, listening to a guest speaker from branding agency Milk was an experience she found particularly inspiring.
“Ben from Milk came in as a guest speaker for one of our lectures and talked about the custom typeface Max they had created for the deja petfood brand. I’ve always been interested in lettering, and hearing him talk about all the details, intricacies and technicalities and the craft of that typeface really sparked that interest for me. It aligned with where I wanted to see myself in the vast world of design.”
It wasn’t long before Abbey herself got a bit of attention for creating her own typeface.
“My AUT capstone project – Huong Display, a typeface exploring my Vietnamese heritage – was a winner for the Type Directors Club Young Ones award and will be a part of their TDC70 Travelling Exhibition. This project encapsulates so many parts of myself as a designer and my personal identity. Being recognised on an international stage is truly an honour, and it's still incredible to think that my work would be received like this. As it was my university capstone project, sharing this journey with my peers made this achievement even more special.”
A new chapter
After completing her studies at the end of 2023, Abbey now loves her role as a junior graphic designer at creative agency Studio Pask in Christchurch.
“What I love most about this role are the people, working in an environment where I can grow and learn, and most importantly the fact that my creativity is valid and heard despite my position as a fresh graduate.”
She has some great advice for other students who are dreaming of a career in graphic design.
“My advice is to get out of your comfort zone – it’s always worth it!”
