Pedro Carvalho de Almeida (1972, Porto, Portugal) is passionate about brand imagery since he was a child, even before could understand it. This led him to graduate in communication design at FBAUP (Faculty of Fine Arts University of Porto), to earn a masters degree in Design, Materials and Product Management from the University of Aveiro, and a PhD from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, University of the Arts London. His doctoral research project was funded by FCT and is about Brand Archives as a design response to the globalization of visual identity. The main case study addressed today's symbolic and cultural significance of the Portuguese iconic brand Sanjo (1933–1996).
As a communication designer he specialized in visual identity, ethnographic research, visual analysis, mind-mapping, and decoding/deconstruction of brand identities. Previous work includes the design of the symbol and identity guidelines for Metro do Porto, as well as design projects for Escritório de Design, Sonae, Cifial, Portuguese Design Centre, Central Saint Martins Research, and for independent record labels such as Mulher Avestruz, Phonica and Resista Records.
He is assistant professor at the Communication and Arts Department, University of Aveiro, and was associate lecturer at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. Teaching covers strategic design, design management, product semantics, visual research methodologies, and contextual studies. At present he is member of ID+ Research Institute for Design, Media and Culture, and knowledge transfer associate funded by AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council) at Central Saint Martins.
Current research interests address the rescuing, recovery and exploration of Portuguese heritage brand identities. In the recent years he has been developing brand archaeology as a methodological system combining ethnographic research and design methods, aimed at the rediscovery and cultural dissemination of locally specific brands. His research has been presented and published in international design conferences, exhibitions and doctoral seminars in Australia, Finland, Hong Kong, Italy, Portugal, UK and in the USA.