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 Álvaro Sousa, João Martins, and Sara Figueiredo, representing the University of Aveiro (UA), who will share their experiences and professional perspectives on contemporary design.

Álvaro Sousa
With a degree in Design from ESAD and a PhD from the University of Aveiro, he has a special interest in the areas of communication design, branding, typography, and strategic design. 
He has been a lecturer at the University of Aveiro since 1998, having taught in all three cycles of Design training. He was director of the Master's in Design and is currently director of the Bachelor's in Design. Between 2019 and 2023, he was part of the management team at PCI – Science and Innovation Park, as Director of Communication. He has been an Associate Professor since 2023, having completed his Aggregation in 2024. He is a member of the DeCA Executive Committee, responsible for Communication.
He has developed highly relevant visual identity projects, including the brand for the 40th anniversary of Portugal's accession to the EU, the institutional identity of the University of Aveiro, the brand for the Santa Maria da Feira City Council, and the redesign of the Aveirense Theatre and the Aveiro Design Factory.
He is a researcher at ID+ and a collaborator at INET-md. He is a founding member of the Luso-Brazilian Design and Innovation Network and editor of Ergotrip Design magazine.

João Martins
Born in Aveiro, he grew up influenced by his architect father and early on developed a taste for drawing, a path that led him to study Visual Arts and later to complete a master's degree in Engineering and Product Design at the University of Aveiro. As part of his dissertation, he developed a kitchen robot for the electrical appliance company Flama, where he has been part of the team since 2020. 
As Head of Product Design and Innovation, he works in several areas, from new product development to innovation project management. 
As a freelancer, he also collaborates with the Think Bold studio in the design and 3D modelling of bottles for spirits.
Winner of several design competitions, his goal is to participate in innovative projects that promote his evolution as a product designer.

Sara Figueiredo
She is a strategic designer and consultant in Customer Strategy, with an international career that combines innovation, education and organisational transformation. She graduated in Design, with a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Aveiro, and participated in the MeDES (Master of European Design) programme, an experience that marked her transition from industrial design to strategic design, studying at Aalto University and the Politecnico di Milano. Her professional career took shape at the Aalto Design Factory, where she joined the teaching team of the Product Development Project (PDP), a leading course in which multidisciplinary teams develop real solutions with partner companies. 
Within the Design Factory Global Network, a global collaborative innovation network, she coordinated global initiatives, collaboration models and international learning programmes. She is currently part of Deloitte, where she works on customer strategy, service design and customer experience transformation projects. 
At the same time, she is pursuing a PhD at Aalto University on problem design and university-industry collaboration. Sara stands out for combining analytical thinking, creativity and pragmatism to generate real impact.

 

We count on your presence to strengthen this space for sharing, reflection, and socialising, bringing together the academic and professional design community in Portugal.