Ofício, Avenida da Boavista, 604-610 (2026)

23/02/2026

Our dear friend Francisco , author of the super useful newsletter , will be presenting his new book on EU funding for culture and creativity at Casa da Música in Porto, next Saturday, February 28th.
It is a fundamental work for all those operating in the sector in Portugal, written by a wonderful, super-generous person. If you can't be there to pick up your copy, you can order it online at the .caleidoscopio website or send a DM to Francisco.

Since you are here, you might also be interested in the Lab Candidaturas / podcast episode, where our founders Alice and Miguel spoke with Francisco about what we, at and , are doing with EU funding - the link is in our profile.

If you have an idea for an EU project and are looking for a partner in craft research and education, management of cultural and creative enterprises, or graphic design and communication, don't hesitate to reach out to book a meeting with us!

09/02/2026

Ofício recently finished the visual identity for Noronha Franco Arquitectura, Sara's recently launched independent practice, and our art director, Maria Helena, wrote about this project for our website.
"Sara is an architect whose work unfolds between Lisbon, Porto, and her native Funchal on Madeira Island, where she is currently based — cities and landscapes that each carry distinct rhythms, stories, materials and light.
One thing that was worrying us before starting was the "weight" of the brand. Two strong names, and the sort of thing you could expect from a very respectable and notorious lawyer's practice, or a hedge fund office. It reminded us of a different scale than the subtle, detailed and human-centred work that Sara has been doing in her private practice.
How do we translate these ideas into printed and digital outcomes? How do we communicate Sara's architectural precision and love of textured gestures and materials?
Starting with the logo, Noronha Franco Arquitectura is a big name, with difficult spacing that could sound a bit institutional. So our initial challenge was to soften it visually, maintaining the ideas of structure and rigour."
You can read the complete design case (and take a look at all design elements) by following the link in our profile!

21/01/2026

Filipe, founder of Binomial Advisory, is a Miguel's good friend with a decades-long career in “big guys” consulting, having decided to go solo by the end of last year. After working an early stint in auditing, he became a Tax expert: challenging the typical perception of Tax consultants was our first design hurdle: framing the practice as a proactive partner in compliance and sustainability, helping both private and public sectors navigate the tax system and avoid unnecessary legal issues. This idea guided how we positioned Binomial Advisory as a trusted, positive force.

You can read this design case by following the link in our profile.

18/01/2026

Barbot and Bernardo went on a tour in their hometown with the worst tour guide. It was horrible, but we can't wait to book another one.
Visiting or interested in knowing the other side of your own hometown? Reach out to the fantastically resourceful to book the Worst Tour of Porto!

29/12/2025

Miguel writes in our journal about one of our most recent and exciting projects: , a gorgeous bookshop specialising in illustrated books that also hosts a small cafe. It is in Matosinhos, just a few steps from our dear

10/11/2025

In 2023, Miguel passed the .culture baton to the folks at .by.bike (check their social media for superb content) to be fully dedicated to ( and ).
After spending more than ten years photographing clients leaving the shop with their new bikes, this weekend it was his turn to be on the other side of the lens.
He is still a regular at the shop and has been gradually upgrading his commuter to make it more comfortable, or "age-friendly," and better able to handle daily rides in central Porto.
This bicycle was originally a '90s Specialized Hard Rock MTB with a CrMo frame, which was upgraded with the following specs:
- New Shimano Deore gears
- Brooks B17 saddle
- Schwalbe Billy Bonkers tyres
- Polisport mudguards
- Urban handlebars for a more upright position with Pelago brake levers
- Pelago front Rasket

24/10/2025

Work in progress: yesterday, our team at received a few tests from Peninsular for something we are working on.

Sometimes we can only guess what will happen in the transition from digital to paper, especially when opting for screen printing. The proofs look wonderful; we could understand how transparency and texture will work on paper, and we still got a bit more texture than we expected from the paper.
These visuals are part of the identity we are designing for architectural practice. We are enjoying this project so much, and we can see how everything is becoming balanced and coherent.

In the next few weeks, we will publish a post with the final visuals and the process. Meanwhile, you can visit our journal at barbotbernardo.com and ooficio.com to read about other completed projects.

07/10/2025

: our new designs for and beyond

A typeface is often judged in the very first moment a designer encounters it, and the way it is presented can make or break the spark of connection that leads someone to explore it further. That’s why when asked to develop a new set of visuals to display her typefaces on the MyFonts platform, we took it very seriously. MyFonts is not only a marketplace; it is often the first point of contact a potential user has with a font family.
Our task was to design visuals that showcased each typeface while remaining both functional and visually appealing to professional designers. We didn’t choose a particular style of vibe for the visuals and preferred to create a mix of more serious/introspect designs with others more funny and light.

For each of the typefaces, we developed a cohesive family of images, centred around a specific theme and colour palette. The visual direction was matched to the typeface’s tone and expressive qualities, so that the imagery itself reflected their personality.

You can read the full story and see an extensive selection of visuals by visiting the link in our profile.

03/10/2025

How we made visual identity (part 2):

Our approach to Zumbido's identity is experimental, playful, and ever-changing. We created the logo structure through a somewhat manual process: we were not entirely satisfied with what we were getting in the computer, so we resorted to low-quality printing on light paper, cutting, and physically rearranging each letter to create some imbalances in the tracking and a natural distortion (the thin paper bent after cutting), which was then photographed and digitally re-perfected.

As soon as we had a physical space to work with, we began creating moodboards to understand the project's full visual potential.

How would it work both online and offline?
How would it set the mood for the coffee shop?
How would it be perceived by Zumbido's multiple publics, ranging from children and young adults (the primary target audiences of the bookshop) to individuals seeking a place to spend the afternoon reading or grab a coffee?
How to avoid the typical clichés and a dated look?
How to accommodate many different visual styles without loosing coherence, from the bookshop close collaborators to the titles on sale?
In our extensive research for the visual identity, we closely examined comics and graphic novels (a theme we absolutely love — how could we not?), ranging from Franco-Belgian comics, such as Gaston Lagaffe, to Daniel Clowes, Sempé, and many more. We also discussed skateboarding, collage, DIY culture, cinema, manga and Japanese culture.

At the same time, the moodboard was also a tool to imagine what the interior design could be, including objects, colours, and materials: we were heading towards a vibe that was a little bit Japanese convenience store, a little bit NY deli, and a little bit Finnish school, taking full advantage of the prime location of the cornershop by the fish market.

You can read the full story and see the gallery by following the link in our bio.

02/10/2025

How we made visual identity.

The thing about working with culture, creativity, and independent retail is that typically, there is no big budget involved. It is a lot of fun, though.
Zumbido is, as you guessed, a low-budget project, so we had to assist the client with most of the choices, from furniture and interiors to coffee equipment. Unfortunately, they didn't have a budget for an architect, which made things a little bit more complicated, and we had to improvise a lot.
Being low-budget also means a greater effort to create a comprehensive visual system that can be easily scaled at a low cost and be used by someone playing all the instruments: selling books, brewing coffee, doing admin work, updating the website, creating Instagram content, cleaning the bathroom. Everything must be printed on a budget home printer and be available as Adobe Express templates for simplified editing.

You can read the full story and see the gallery by following the link in our bio

Credits:
Creative Direction: Miguel Barbot

Art Direction: Maria Helena
Illustration and Lettering: Maria Helena

Graphic Design: Maria Helena, Cristiana Braz
Web Development: Mariana Teixeira

Typography: Obviously by Oh No Type Co., ITC Franklin Gothic by Morris Fuller Benton and Ivy Epic by Ivy Foundry

29/09/2025

TransparencyChain Learning Programme - Open Call for Craftspeople

Are you a craftsperson or a supplier of raw materials interested in promoting and raising awareness about the sustainability of your products?
Would you like to be able to track and certify the provenance of the materials/products you use?
Finding it hard to promote your work and grow your business?

In 2026, from March to December, we will organise a free learning programme and pilot project to certify craft products using blockchain, to help you with that!

As part of the TransparencyChain project, we are developing a new platform to track provenance from raw materials to handmade production, based on blockchain technology. Participants will have exclusive access to this easy-to-use platform that will allow the producers and consumers to understand how, when and by whom the products they are buying were made. This will ensure the product’s authenticity, and distinguish them from copycats or larger companies replicating their designs with less quality and less sustainable materials.

The programme will also provide training on digital marketing, allowing craftspeople to better promote their work and products and boost their sales by adopting more effective strategies.

There is no requirement for previous experience in marketing, provenance tracking or blockchain to participate in the programme.

📅 Deadline for applications: 30th November 2025

📩 Application form and more information and application form on our website, thought the link in bio.

26/09/2025

Early this month we visited in Galicia. The Os Casares was once a cattle farm and is now an important artistic and cultural centre with a strong community focus, seeking to strike a balance between rural and urban life, art, craft and agroecology, themes that are also central to what we do here at and Barbot Bernardo.

Currently, the space includes different buildings dedicated to craft and visual arts. It is a space for creation, education, and research that provides accommodation for artists in residence or participants in various events, as well as common areas, workshops, and workrooms. A considerable part is occupied by the production space of Espacio Vilaseco, from the homonymous Galeria Vilaseco , which is based in A Coruña and is also responsible for an extensive programme taking place in Os Casares. Miriam Pérez, the face behind the gallery, is a key figure in the Galician art scene, with a long history that began with her mother, the gallery owner and collector Ana Vilaseco.

This visit had been promised for a long time. The invitation came from Lola, Alicia Comenge Segard (the other half of the power duo behind Los Casares) and Miriam. The aim of the visit was to explore ideas related to the production and processing of flax and linen, as well as others related to educational projects in various textile areas.

You can read the full text and see the photo gallery in our journal (link in our profile).

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