Passion Project · A daily history newsletter
A daily history newsletter I built end to end with Claude, Claude Code and Claude Design.
This Day is my passion project. It's a daily history newsletter that sorts history by date instead of by era. Each morning brings one date and what happened on it, everywhere at once, from 1580 to last year and from Lagos to Lima.
The idea
School teaches history as a line: centuries in order, one region at a time. I wanted to cut across it. Each issue is about a five minute read on purpose. The goal isn't memorizing facts. It's the jolt of realizing how much of the world was happening at the same time.
The build
I built the whole thing between Claude, Claude Code and Claude Design. Claude writes each issue every morning, and an automated fact-check runs after it publishes. Claude Code built the site and the daily send. Claude Design is where the brand came together, from the type study and logo to the brand sheet and the Instagram launch series.
The issue
Anatomy of an issue
Every issue has the same four parts, so readers know the rhythm and the date can take the spotlight. Scroll to read one.
- 01
The Anchor
One story from the date, told in depth, with its sources.
- 02
The World in Parallel
Meanwhile, the same day on every continent: seven cards, so no region is left out.
- 03
Also Today
Quick hits from other years on the same date, from 1580 to last century.
- 04
The Through Line
The thread that ties the day together, ending with the signup.
The brand
The words lead.
The hourglass signs.
The words lead and the hourglass signs. I borrowed from almanacs and broadsheets: a heavy serif, calm paper, and the oldest clock there is. The badge works still at small sizes, and in motion it settles, pours and flips.
Kerned by hand.
01 · Wordmark
Playfair Display 800, kerned by hand. Word space +0.155em. T/h −0.012em, D/a −0.018em, a/y −0.028em.
02 · Horizontal lockup
Still badge at 1.13em with a 0.25em gap, nudged 0.03em to sit on the x-height.
03 · Stacked lockup
Icon at 0.66em with a 0.22em gap. Wordmark shifted 0.02em for optical center.
04 · Stacked, on Olive
The hourglass keeps its true colors. The wordmark switches to Paper.
05 · Hourglass badge
06 · Color
- Ink #1C1917
- Olive #5C6B3A
- Sand #B8933A
- Paper #F5F3EF
- Glass #FAFAF9
- Concept, Brand & Creative Direction
- Chris Irwin
- Built with
- Claude, Claude Code, Claude Design