Porto Design Biennale is a renowned global gathering that delves into the role of design in fostering more fulfilling and sustainable lifestyles. Over the course of two months, designers, curators, activists, decision-makers, students, and citizens converge in the cities of Porto and Matosinhos to envision alternative spaces, novel forms of production, and innovative ways of subsistence through design.

For the Porto Design Biennale, we put forth a design methodology and approach that is critical rather than yielding, propositional rather than destructive. Firstly, we firmly believe in design as a catalyst for political change, as it holds the potential to imagine new socio-political frameworks and engage a diverse array of participants in discourse and interdependent practices, whether in physical or remote contexts. Moreover, we contend that design must introspectively examine how systemic inequalities rooted in race, gender, class, sexuality, and other dimensions permeate its own structures. Secondly, we greatly value design as a process, deeming it equally significant as the final outcome. By rendering the invisible visible, our aim was to cultivate collaborative creativity by involving the public in the design process, thereby fostering public awareness and stimulating critical thinking.

The visually captivating proposal for the visual identity of Porto Design Biennale 2021 was co-designed with Lidia Ginga. The visual identity was conceived as a flexible template capable of accommodating various types of content, including events, images, texts, and illustrations. It serves as a platform that embraces diverse expressions and projects a future while acknowledging the significance of the past. The visual identity engenders a harmonious convergence of overlapping messages, creating a dynamic communication that resonates with history.

Client: PDB
Services: Visual Identity + Web Design
Location: Porto, Portugal
Year: 2020
Together with Lidia Ginga