Design&Drinks is a monthly series of talks that brings together different design schools to share experiences, ideas, and perspectives on the role of design today. The meetings take place on the last Thursday of each month, at 6 pm, at Exploratório — Headquarters of Porto Design Biennale, a dynamic space dedicated to exhibitions, talks, workshops, and events that bring design closer to the community.

Each session features a conversation, followed by a get-together at the bar, providing an informal space for networking among participants.

In this session, the speakers are designers Bernardino Gomes, Miguel Martinho, and Daniel Leal, representing FAAULP – Faculty of Architecture and Arts of Lusíada University of Porto, who will share their experiences and professional perspectives on design.

Rui Mendonça
He is a designer, consultant and university lecturer. 
He is currently a Visiting Associate Professor at UTAD.

Cecília Peixoto Carvalho 
She is a lecturer and director of the Bachelor’s Degree in Sustainable Design at UTAD. She has a background in sculpture and product design, and holds a PhD in Design. Her academic, teaching and research work focuses on social innovation, sustainability and the co-creation of alternatives in contexts of social and material vulnerability. 
She has been developing projects and research from an interdisciplinary perspective, linking design and the social sciences through participatory approaches.

Raul Pereira Pinto 
He is a designer, researcher and university lecturer. He holds a PhD in Design from the Universities of Aveiro and Porto, and divides his time between teaching, research and professional practice in the fields of product design, biomaterials and sustainable innovation.
He is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto, and at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro. Alongside this, he continues to work as a designer, participating in design projects, applied research and knowledge transfer between academia, industry and the community.

João Tinoco 
He is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), and holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Product Design. Alongside his academic work, he works as a graphic designer for Handelsroute in the Netherlands and for the Millions Missing Alliance, developing visual identities for international scientific conferences.

We look forward to seeing you there to launch this space for sharing, reflection and socialising, thereby bringing together the academic and professional design communities in Portugal.