Unavoidable Limit
A perception of the afterlife
Constança Pinheiro Torres, João Queirós Augusto, José Lima Ferreira, Pedro Pinto Meireis
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Undergraduate in Design
Communication Design
The Communication Design field is specialized and multidisciplinary, and is currently as challenging as it is exhilarating. In the Communication Design degree you will gain knowledge in the fields of visual communication, editorial design, programming and new media, visual identity, information architecture, typography, illustration, photography, and graphic production, with solid theoretical preparation and critical awareness of the role of the designer in terms of the social and technological context. This training prepares you to succeed as a professional designer, and you can join an extraordinary community of creative minds and talented visual communicators. Become an agent of change.
Profile
Critical, practice-based and contextual learning
Objectives
- Contextualise design activity at the historical, social and cultural levels.
- To consolidate critical and ethical awareness, considering the role of the designer.
- To enable the exploration of design methodologies with a creative and procedural dimension.
- Explore traditional tools and emerging technologies for project development. To provide skills for the development of interactive and responsive projects.
Professional Future
Editorial Designer — Illustrator — Typographic Designer — Web Designer — Interface Designer (UI) — User Experience Designer (UX) — App and Digital Product Designer — Motion Designer — Art Director — Social Media Designer — Branding Designer — Packaging Designer — Corporate Communication Designer — Design Consultant — Lecturer and Researcher
Structure, content and learning progression
Curriculum
Semester — 1
Design Fundamentals 75 HC 8 ECTS
Design and Technologies 45 HC 4 ECTS
Drawing I 60 HC 4 ECTS
Interaction Design 45 HC 4 ECTS
Geometry and Projection 30 HC 4 ECTS
Themes of Contemporary Culture 30 HC 3 ECTS
Theory of Perception 30 HC 3 ECTS
Semester — 2
Semester — 3
Semester — 4
Semester — 5
Semestre — 6
Electives
HC — Contact Hours · ECTS — European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
Dialogue between design, industry and culture
Ecosystem
Collaborative partnerships are essential in design courses as they foster a rich exchange of ideas, diverse perspectives, and collective creativity. The Communication degree programme has established a number of partnerships with public and private organisations.
- BEL Portugal
- Câmara Municipal de Matosinhos
- Clube de Criativos de Portugal
- Conservas Pinhais
- Maiambiente
- Red Bull
- Super Bock Group
- Xerox
Creative processes and tangible outcomes
Projects
Dancing on the Edge
Camp’s Flamboyant Challenge to Society’s Boundaries
Catarina Pereira, Diogo Sá, Isabella Guzman, Kacper Rychlinski, Lisa Sonntag
Archiving the Unseen
Lotta Hagedorn, Emese László, Polina Pashkina, Ines Rückl, Catarina NeryVervenne
The Magic Behind Hits
Patterns in music success throughout the years
Marco Pereira, Gonçalo Sobral, Diogo Moutinho, Carlota Leite
GRAMS of Information
A project on communication and content in the 21st Century
Daniel Garcia, Anna Riin Velner
AltusSensus
Alexandre Cabral Campelo, André Moreira, Leonor Pinto Félix, Mariana Guedes
Teaching, practice and research
Faculty
Take the next step
Applications and Admissions
Evaluate the possibilities
Scholarships
Turn your design dreams into reality with scholarship opportunities
Undergraduate 2025–2026
Calendar
Atividades letivas
● 1.º semestre · 22.09.2025 — 21.01.2026
● 2.º semestre · 09.02 — 23.06.2026
School closures
● Natal e Ano Novo · 22.12.2025 — 02.01.2026
● Carnaval · 16 — 18.02.2026
● Páscoa · 30.03 — 06.04.2026
● Queima das Fitas · 04 — 08.05.2026
● Sr. Matosinhos · 25 — 26.05.2026
Assessments
Publication
● 1.º semestre · 22 — 26.01.2026
● 2.º semestre · 25.06 — 02.07.2026
Exams
● Época de recurso — 1.º semestre — Inscrição · 27 — 28.01.2026
● Época de recurso — 1.º semestre · 30.01 — 06.02.2026
● Época de recurso — 2.º semestre — Inscrição · 03 — 06.07.2026
● Época de recurso — 2.º semestre · 06 — 18.07.2026
● Época especial — Inscrição · 03 — 04.09.2026
● Época especial · 08 — 18.09.2026
Statutes
● Pedidos estatutos especiais — 1.º semestre · 22.09 — 31.10.2025
● Apresentação do pedidos de mudança de turma — 1.º semestre · 22.09 — 09.10.2025
● Apresentação do pedido de cancelamento da inscrição — 1.º semestre · 22.09 — 09.10.2025
● Entrega dos pedidos de estatuto de estudantes com necessidades educativas especiais · 22.09 — 22.10.2025
● Pedidos estatutos especiais — 2.º semestre · 09 — 27.02.2026
● Apresentação do pedidos de mudança de turma — 2.º semestre · 09 — 20.02.2026
● Apresentação do pedido de cancelamento da inscrição — 2.º semestre · 09 — 20.02.2026
Enriching lives, opening minds
Erasmus+
Erasmus+, funded by the European Commission, is the EU's flagship program for education, training, youth, and sport. It aims to boost personal and professional development for all Europeans. This can involve student exchanges, vocational training placements, or even adult learning programs. Erasmus+ also encourages collaboration between organizations across Europe to share knowledge and drive innovation in these fields.
Administrative Services
Contacts
For further information on applications, admission, or scholarships, please contact us.
Opening hours — Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. (In August, the morning opening time is 9:00 am.)
Undergraduate
The change that generates changes is taught and learned.
By studying at ESAD, you will have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals and make use of the school’s laboratories. You will explore and master a range of processes, tools, and technologies, both analogue and digital. The undergraduate programmes develop creative and technical skills, fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and autonomy. They prepare you to act with flexibility, responsibility, and innovation, positioning you at the centre of change.