VIRTUAL: Learning. Life. Work.
Abstract
This study delves into a pedagogical exercise conducted in December 2014, wherein BA Communication Design students from the University of Porto collaborated with five local businesses—Costa Real, Casa Januário, Casa Lima, Carvalho Baptista, and Casa Natal—to revamp their Christmas window displays. With the rise of shopping in malls impacting local businesses, this article aims to shed light on the initiative that contributed to promoting local purchasing during the most crucial time of the year for businesses—the Christmas season. The research methods encompassed observation and direct examination of the displays. Interviews and feedback sessions with students, business owners and clients provided additional qualitative data. Findings highlight the exercise’s outcomes, emphasising community engagement as local shoppers came together, lending objects and fostering a sense of community. Students gained practical experience working directly with businesses, applying communication design principles in real-life settings. In conclusion, revisiting this study a decade later reveals not only the positive impact of the 2014 pedagogical exercise but also its enduring relevance. The lessons learned from this initiative continue to resonate, advocating for the importance of community engagement, practical skill development, and the positive impact of design education on local economies.
Susana Barreto is a Design Educator and Researcher at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto. Susana’s scholarly inquiry is focused on the role of ethics in visual communication, design and crime, cross-cultural design and plural narratives in design through local stories. For the past couple of years, Susana has been involved in a number of research projects focusing on the preservation of specialised knowledge at risk of disappearance that is embedded in individual experiences of retired professors and artists, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of arts, crafts, and design.
Marta Nestor is a researcher with responsability for science management of CEGOT. She holds a PhD in Design from Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto. Her doctoral research explores the patrimonialization phenomena of historical shops. She was invited to participate in relevant working groups dealing with public policies for retail, such as: Regional Workshop “Revitalizing Small Retailers” (2017) for European Commission and “Porto de Tradição” from Porto City Hall (2016-2019) to create a support programme for historical shops. Marta’s research interests are: Urban Retail; Retail Planning; Historical Shops; Patrimonialization; Resilience; Community Projects, and Codesign.