A journey towards our climate commitment
Route Zero is a NOVA University Lisbon initiative focused on accelerating the transition to a more sustainable future — across education, research, mobility, food systems and the built environment. Designed to engage the entire academic ecosystem, the project needed an identity that was rigorous, credible and institutional, while remaining open, contemporary and engaging for students and external audiences.
In close collaboration with the Creative Director, I worked as the graphic designer on the project, responsible for streamlining the brand identity and translating it consistently across all communication materials.
The palette is anchored in an earthy green, reflecting sustainability, responsibility and long-term thinking. From this base, the system expands into a range of vibrant, energetic colours.
This contrast was intentional: it keeps the initiative fresh, optimistic and accessible, appealing to a broad set of audiences — students, faculty, researchers, staff, partners and the wider public — without losing its academic credibility.
This contrast was intentional: it keeps the initiative fresh, optimistic and accessible, appealing to a broad set of audiences — students, faculty, researchers, staff, partners and the wider public — without losing its academic credibility.
Icons play a central role in the identity. Derived from the original geometric shapes of the logo, they were extended into a flexible icon set representing the core themes covered by Route Zero.
The result sits between abstraction and recognisability: clear enough to guide understanding, but open enough to remain adaptable across contexts. This system allowed themes to be visually defined and recombined easily across presentations, print and digital materials.
The result sits between abstraction and recognisability: clear enough to guide understanding, but open enough to remain adaptable across contexts. This system allowed themes to be visually defined and recombined easily across presentations, print and digital materials.
The identity was rolled out across a wide range of touchpoints, including:
- Impactful launch presentations to introduce the initiative
- All communication materials for the Route Zero conference
- A conference goodie bag featuring a Sprout pencil, designed to be planted after use — reinforcing the initiative’s values through a tangible gesture
- Visual identity for the special podcast Restless by Nature (translation of Inquietos por Natureza), featuring guests from sustainable architecture, food systems, mobility and related fields
- A concluding video explaining the Route Zero journey
