Services
Brand Strategy & Identity
Visual System & Print
Art Direction
A familiar name, with a new reason to gather.
Estudantina began as a bookstore in Alcântara. When the space was reimagined as a café, the name remained — and with it, a piece of the neighbourhood’s history.
An estudantina is traditionally a group of university musicians who come together to perform. That idea of coming together became the starting point for the new identity.
The place had changed, but its purpose remained surprisingly similar: a place for people to gather.
The identity is a group. Rather than creating a conventional standalone symbol, we built the identity as a collection of characters.
A central E anchors the system, while the remaining letters gather around it — expanding, contracting and rearranging themselves across signage, packaging, tableware and photography. Alongside it, a small cast of illustrated musicians brings the history of Estudantina into the present, adding an informal and playful counterpoint to the typography.
The identity doesn’t simply describe an Estudantina. It behaves like one.
Designed to be played with. We wanted the experience to go beyond things people simply look at.
Placemats become crosswords, connect-the-dots and small games inspired by coffee and the visual language of the café. Typography moves, illustrations become stamps and badges, and familiar objects are given unexpected roles.
The system is consistent without always being the same — designed to invite participation rather than simply carry a logo.
History, without nostalgia.
Across cups, plates, aprons, uniforms, signage and printed matter, contemporary typography meets vernacular illustration, warm neutrals are interrupted by colour, and structured layouts make room for humour.
The result is a visual identity that acknowledges what Estudantina was without trying to recreate the past.
A new chapter for an old Lisbon name, built around the same simple idea: coming together.
