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Francisco Laranjo is a graphic designer and researcher. PhD in design methods and criticism from the University of the Arts London, MA in Visual Communication from the Royal College of Art and BA from ESAD – Escola Superior de Artes e Design. His writings have been published on Design Observer, Eye, Creative Review, Grafik, Eye on Design, Público, among others. He has been a visiting and guest lecturer at the Sandberg Institute (NL), CalArts (US), Royal College of Art, London College of Communication, Kingston University (UK), Zürich University of the Arts, University of the Arts Bern (Switzerland) and speaker at the University of Applied Arts Vienna (Austria), University of South Australia (AUS), University of the Arts Split (Croatia), BAU (Spain), University of Porto, University of Lisbon, University of Coimbra (Portugal), among others. He is an Associate Lecturer at Central Saint Martins, Editor of the design criticism journal Modes of Criticism, Co-director of the Shared Institute and Assistant Professor at Lusófona University.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Francisco Laranjo

Citation names

  • Laranjo, F.

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
4C12-F339-43D6

Email addresses

  • francisco.laranjo@ulusofona.pt (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Humanities - Arts

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2)
French Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Intermediate (B1) Upper intermediate (B2) Intermediate (B1)
Spanish; Castilian Upper intermediate (B2) Proficiency (C2) Intermediate (B1) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1)
Education
Degree Classification
2010/09/14 - 2017/02/01
Concluded
Design Methods and Criticism (Doctor of Philosophy)
University of the Arts London, United Kingdom
"Design as Criticism: Methods for a Critical Graphic Design Practice" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2006/09/20 - 2008/06/02
Concluded
Visual Communication (Master)
Royal College of Art, United Kingdom
"Speed as tool for graphic design analysis – symptoms of (and for) change" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2008/03 - 2008/06
Concluded
CLTAD, Preparing to Teach (Art & Design) (Outros)
University of the Arts London, United Kingdom
2000/10/01 - 2004/07/01
Concluded
Design de Comunicação (Licenciatura)
Escola Superior de Artes e Design, Portugal
16
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution
Employer
2020/10/27 - 2024 Principal Investigator (Research) Lusófona University – Center for Other Worlds, Portugal
Universidade Lusófona, Portugal

Teaching in Higher Education

Category
Host institution
Employer
2020/08/01 - Current Assistant Professor (University Teacher) Universidade Lusófona, Portugal
2018/04 - Current Visiting Professor (University Teacher) University of the Arts London, United Kingdom
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design Drama Centre London, United Kingdom
2011 - 2014/06/02 Invited Assistant Professor (University Teacher) University of Westminster - Harrow Campus, United Kingdom
2008/09/02 - 2012/06/04 Lecturer (University Teacher) Richmond The American International University in London, United Kingdom

Other Careers

Category
Host institution
Employer
2017/05/17 - Current Carreiras / Categorias Subsistentes Shared Institute, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2024/11 - Current Design Matters: Nurturing Inclusive and Innovative Design Research
KA220-HED-6BD10AED
Integration into Research Grant Fellow
Erasmus Plus
Ongoing
2010 - 2015 Design as Criticism: Methods For a Critical Graphic Design Practice
SFRH / BD / 68839 / 2010
PhD Student Fellow
London College of Communication School of Design, United Kingdom
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Book
  1. Laranjo, Francisco. Teatro Visual: 100 Anos de Objectos Gráficos. Porto, Portugal: Teatro Nacional São João. 2021.
    Published
Book chapter
  1. Laranjo, F.. "João Faria: tudo tem a ver com tudo". In LUGA Poster Biennale. Vila do Conde, Portugal: Polytechnic University of Porto, 2024.
    In press
  2. Laranjo, F.. "Graphic Design After the New Normal". In Graphic Design Is (...) Not Innocent: Scrutinizing Visual Communication Today, edited by Offermanns, Ingo, 269. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Valiz, 2022.
    Published
  3. Laranjo, F.. "Modes of Criticism, Interview with Hackers & Designers". In Coded Bodies – Hackers & Designers, edited by Groten, Anja; Lizotte, Juliette, 198-217. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Hackers & Designers, 2020.
    Published
  4. Laranjo, F.. "A Brief History of the Design Summer School". In Extra-curricular, 190-195. Eindhoven, Netherlands: Onomatopee, 2018.
    Published
  5. Laranjo, F.. "Critical Graphic Design: Critical of What?". In Culture Is Not Always Popular: Fifteen Years of Design Observer, edited by Bierut, Michael; Helfand, Jessica; Fuller, Jarrett, 25-27. Massachussets, United States: MIT Press, 2018.
    Published
  6. Laranjo, F.. "Critical Graphic Design: Critical of What?". In The Graphic Design Reader, edited by Teal Triggs; Atzmon, Leslies. London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017.
    Published
  7. Laranjo, F.. "It's Nice That Intro". In Modes of Criticism 3 – Design and Democracy, 3-5. Eindhoven, Netherlands: Onomatopee, 2017.
    Published
  8. Laranjo, F.. "Avoiding the Post-critical". In Modes of Criticism 1 – Critical, Uncritical, Post-critical, 19-27. London, United Kingdom: Modes of Criticism, 2015.
    Published
  9. Laranjo, F.. "Beyond Hybridity". In A Nervous Nap: On Expanding the Field in Design. Warszawa, Poland: Fundacja Bec Zmiana, 2009.
    Published
Conference paper
  1. Laranjo, Francisco. "Critical Design and Critical Practice: A Metholodological Approach?". Paper presented in Critique 2013, Adelaide, 2013.
    Published
Edited book
  1. Ellis, Hannah. The Circuit. Eindhoven: Onomatopee. 2021.
    In press • Editor
  2. Abdulla, Danah; Willis, Anne-Marie; Ahmed, Tanveer; FitzGerald, Kenneth; depatriarchise design; Groten, Anja; Ellis, Hannah. Modes of Criticism 4 – Radical Pedagogy. Eindhoven, Netherlands: Onomatopee. 2019.
    Published • Editor
  3. Pater, Ruben; Mattern, Shannon; Brave New Alps; Laranjo, Francisco; Voss, Georgina. Modes of Criticism 5 – Design Systems. Eindhoven, Netherlands: Onomatopee. 2019.
    Published • Editor
  4. Kuijpers, Els; Gordon, Laura; Mitropoulos, Angela; Decolonising Design Group; Lorusso, Silvio; Pendrell, Luke; Trafford, James. Modes of Criticism 3 – Design and Democracy. Eindhoven, Netherlands: Onomatopee. 2017.
    Published • Editor
  5. Laranjo, Francisco; Bush, Anne; Buwert, Peter; Waite, Noel; Van Toorn, Jan; Ansari, Ahmed; Kiem, Matthew. Modes of Criticism 2 – Critique of Method. Porto, Portugal: Modes of Criticism. 2016.
    Published • Editor
  6. Laranjo, Francisco; Cameron Tonkinwise; Bianca Elzenbaumer; Ian Lynam; Kenneth FitzGerald; Randy Nakamura; James Langdon; Luiza Prado. Modes of Criticism 1 – Critical, Uncritical, Post-critical. London, United Kingdom: Modes of Criticism. 2015.
    Published • Editor
Journal article
  1. Laranjo, F.. "Grayzones: Quitting Designland in 2036". Journal of Design History (2024):
    Submitted
  2. Laranjo, F.. "São João National Theater: The Autonomy of Experimentation". AIGA Eye on Design (2021): https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/portos-sao-joao-national-theater-offers-a-lesson-in-design-as-public-service/.
    Published
  3. Laranjo, Francisco. "Graphic Design Systems, and the Systems of Graphic Design". Modes of Criticism 5 1 (2019): 5-16.
    Open access • Published
  4. Laranjo, F.. "Almanaque: A Feast of Portuguese Magazines". Pli Arte e Design 5 1 (2014): 148-157.
    Published
Magazine article
  1. Laranjo, F.. "Pedagogies of the Sun", MOLD Magazine, 2021, https://thisismold.com/process/studio-visit/solar-cooking-ruivo-portugal.
  2. Laranjo, Francisco. "Delusion & data-driven design", Creative Review, 2017, https://www.creativereview.co.uk/delusion-data-driven-design/.
  3. Laranjo, F.. "Five Strategies Tabled in Eindhoven", Eye Magazine, 2014, http://www.eyemagazine.com/blog/post/Five-strategies.
  4. Laranjo, F.. "Critical Graphic Design: Critical of What?", Design Observer, 2014, https://designobserver.com/feature/critical-graphic-design-critical-of-what/38416.
  5. Laranjo, F.. "Nostalgia for the Carnation Revolution", Eye Magazine, 2014, http://www.eyemagazine.com/review/article/nostalgia-for-the-carnation-revolution.
  6. Laranjo, F.. "The Whitney Identity: Responding to W(hat)?", Design Observer, 2013, https://www.designobserver.com/feature/the-whitney-identity-responding-to-what/37934.
  7. Laranjo, F.. "Publicacão Própria ou Design Gráfico em Modo Curatorial", PLI Arte & Design, 2012
  8. Laranjo, F.. "The Fluorescent Society", Bypass, 2010
  9. Laranjo, F.. "What’s Shock(ing) in Graphic Design?", ARC, 2008
Newspaper article
  1. Laranjo, F.. "Regresso ao futuro da escola: dos ecrãs aos livros", Público, 2023, https://www.publico.pt/2023/06/19/opiniao/opiniao/regresso-futuro-escola-ecras-livros-2053641.
  2. Laranjo, F.. "Placas Toponímicas do Porto: Uniformizac¸a~o e Coerência", Público P3, 2016, https://www.publico.pt/2016/04/26/p3/cronica/placas-toponimicas-do-porto-uniformizacao-e-coerencia-1825798.
  3. Laranjo, F.. "Simplismo.", Público P3, 2016, https://www.publico.pt/2016/04/19/p3/cronica/simplismo-1825809.
  4. Laranjo, F.. "Design e (des)ilusão", Público P3, 2016, https://www.publico.pt/2016/01/26/p3/cronica/design-e-desilusao-1825192.
  5. Laranjo, F.. "A Intervenc¸a~o Como Comodidade", Público P3, 2016, https://www.publico.pt/2016/01/18/p3/cronica/a-intervencao-como-comodidade-1825215.
Online resource
  1. Laranjo, F.. Ghosts of Designbots Yet To Come. 2016. http://www.eyemagazine.com/blog/post/ghosts-of-designbots-yet-to-come.
  2. Laranjo, F.. Critical Everything (Grafik Magazine). 2015. https://modesofcriticism.org/critical-everything/.
  3. Laranjo, F.. Trendy Anarchy, or Why Just Being ‘anti’ is Not Enough, London Design Festival. 2010. https://modesofcriticism.org/trendy-anarchy/.
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. Laranjo, Francisco. "Design as Criticism: Methods for a Critical Graphic Design Practice". PhD, University of the Arts London, 2017. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.731653.

Artistic / Performance

Artistic exhibition
  1. Designers Troublemakers – Exhibition about critical graphic design. 2022.
Curatorial / Museum exhibition
  1. Luiza Prado & Pedro Oliveira; Ruben Pater; Demystification Committee; ACED Institute. 2019. "Design Systems, Porto Design Biennale 2019". In Modes of Criticism 5 – Design Systems.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/10/12 Another School, panel discussion on design education with Alice Bernardo and Susana Gaudêncio. Moderated by Luís Godinho. Another School
Editora Vai Vem (Porto, Portugal)
2024/10/08 The Visual Essay as Reflective Space BA Graphic Design Talks
Ravensbourne University (London, United Kingdom)
2024/05/15 Os territórios do ensaio visual na prática do design gráfico Plug&Play 2024
Escola Superior Artística do Porto (Porto, Portugal)
2023/10/17 Essay and Visual Literacy as Contested Space Meeting Grounds
Lusófona University (Lisbon, Portugal)
2022/09/07 The Politics of Design Methods and Publishing Critical De?!gn – Designers Troublemakers
A4 – Space for contemporary culture (Bratislava, Slovakia)
2021/09/27 Design after the New Normal, introduction and conversation with Silvio Lorusso. Joint organisation, COW and MAAT. The Design and The Plan: On Power
MAAT, Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (Lisbon, Portugal)
2021/04/27 Publishing as Research and the Politics of Method MRes, Communication Design Pathway
Royal College of Art (London, United Kingdom)
2020/10/20 Design, Cultural Programming and Inclusivity (Design Inclusivo Hoje: e Amanhã?). Round panel with Renato Bispo and Susana António, moderated by Frederico Duarte. Congresso Rede Cultura 2027
ESAD CR – Caldas da Raínha (Leiria, Portugal)
2020/05/05 Graphic Design in Times of a Pandemic MA Graphic Media Design
Central Saint Martins – University of the Arts London (London, United Kingdom)
2019/11 Critique of Smartness in Design SmartCityWeek
BAU – Centro Universitario de Diseño and Ajuntament de Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain)
2019/10/26 Design Systems, panel with Demystification Committee, Campo 24 de Agosto Metro Station Design Systems
Porto Design Biennale (Porto, Portugal)
2019/10/04 Radical Pedagogy, panel with Anja Groten and Maya Ober Radical Pedagogy, Dutch Design Week
Onomatopee Projects (Eindhoven, Netherlands)
2019/01 Design and Distraction
MA Graphic Design, London College of Commucation (London, United Kingdom)
2019 Research Methods for a Critical Practice MA Graphic Media Design
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (London, United Kingdom)
2018/11 Design Activism in the Post-satire Era Interakcije 2018, Life After Disaster
Museum of Fine Art Split and Split Arts Academy (Split, Croatia)
2018/10/04 Against the universality of design, and its principles: 10 notes on Dieter Rams MA Communication Design
Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (Karlsruhe, Germany)
2018 Publishing as Critical Design Practice, panel with Le´opold Lambert (The Funambulist Magazine) and Dubravka Sekulic Beyond Change Conference
FHNW Academy of Art and Design Basel (Basel, Switzerland)
2018 Critical Practice and Pedagogy, panel with Decolonising Design Group Dinnertime Talk
Mediendesign RV (Ravensburg, Germany)
2017/09/14 Happy(ness) & Design Uncertainty Playground Symposium
London College of Communication, University of the Arts London (London, United Kingdom)
2017/02/13 The Dangers of Universality Modes of Criticism 2
Faculdade de Belas Artes, Universidade do Porto (Porto, Portugal)
2017 Graphic Design and Critical Practice Design as Criticism
CalArts, California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, United States)
2017 Design and Democracy Modes of Criticism 3, Book Launch
Onomatopee Projects (Eindhoven, Netherlands)
2017 Post-truth Graphic Design MA Visual Communication
University of the Arts Zurich (Zurich, Switzerland)
2016/11/16 Crítica de Método
Faculdade de Belas Artes, Universidade de Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal)
2016/11 Automated Graphic Design III Encontros de Design de Lisboa
Faculdade de Belas Artes, Universidade de Lisboa (Lisboa, Portugal)
2016/06/02 Undesign and the Politics of Method Undesign Symposium
University of Applied Arts Vienna (Vienna, Austria)
2016/05/06 Critique of Speculative Graphic Design Ciclo de Conversas Design+Multimédia,
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra (Coimbra, Portugal)
2016 Critique of Entrepreneurialism, and Criticism as Design Method Design Methods Week
University of the Arts Bern (Bern, Switzerland)
2015/02 Modes of Criticism MA Visual Communication
Royal College of Art (London, United Kingdom)
2015 Design, Criticism and Method
London College of Communication, University of the Arts London (London, United Kingdom)
2015 Criticool Language: An Overview
ESAD – Escola Superior de Artes e Design (Matosinhos, Portugal)
2015 Critical Research Methods Design Lecture Series
Kingston University (London, United Kingdom)
2014 Critical Graphic Design: Why Should We Even Care? BA Graphic Design
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (London, Portugal)
2013/10 Critical Design and Critical Practice: A Methodological Approach? Critique 2013
University of South Australia (Adelaide, Australia)
2012 From Critical Design to Critical Practice RNUAL – Research Network of the University of the Arts London
University of the Arts London (London, United Kingdom)
2011/01 Criticality: Towards an Understanding of Critical Graphic Design RNUAL, Research Network of the University of the Arts London
University of the Arts London (London, United Kingdom)
2011 Modes of Criticism Masters Design
Sandberg Institute (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
2011 A History of Critical Graphic Design Masters Design
Sandberg Institute (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
2009/12/18 Graphic Design: From Speed to Criticism
ESAD, Escola Superior de Artes e Design (Matosinhos, Portugal)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role)
Institution / Organization
2021/10/19 - 2021/10/19 Alterity and Other Visual Conversations: Public conversation between researchers Mireille Fauchon and Nina Paim, in the context of the Literary Festival Folio 2021. (2021/10/19)
Round table (Co-organisor)
Óbidos Municipality, Portugal
2018/05/26 - 2019/09/27 Papanek Symposim 2019 – Real World(s) Design is in crisis: Or, at the very least, in massive transition, exploring and rediscovering its potential during deeply problematic times. Real World(s): Design, Politics, Future the Papanek Symposium 2019, investigates design’s inherent tensions in the context of rising global far-right populism and the asphyxiating manipulation of information in a post-truth era. (2019/09/26 - 2019/09/27)
Symposium (Co-organisor)
Universität für Angewandte Kunst Universitätsbibliothek, Austria

Porto Design Biennale, Portugal

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event
Event name
Institution / Organization
2022/06/15 - Current Author Chris Lee in conversation with scholars Shannon Mattern, Francisco Laranjo and Lisa Gitelman about the new eBook Immutable: Designing History, which traces the evolving graphic strategies of documents, money and writing and their entanglements with statecraft and colonialism. Available at: https://www.librarystack.org/immutable-designing-history-book-launch/
Round table
Immutable: Designing History
Library Stack, United States

NN Contemporary Art, United Kingdom
2021/06/18 - Current Guest Critic, MA Geo-design, Design Academy Eindhoven
Exhibition
Pedagogies of the Sea
Design Academy Eindhoven, Netherlands

Museu de Arte Arquitetura e Tecnologia, Portugal

Jury of academic degree

Topic
Role
Candidate name (Type of degree)
Institution / Organization
2023/06 Mesa Redonda: Perspectivas sobre Educação em Design Gráfico
(Thesis) Main arguer
Margarida Matos (Master)
Escola Superior de Artes e Design, Portugal
2022/07/25 External Reviewer of the thesis "Superstorm: Political Communication and Communication Design in the Age of Information." Noemi Biasetton (PhD)
Università Iuav di Venezia, Italy

Committee member

Activity description
Role
Institution / Organization
2021/04 - Current Scientific Committee Member, Inmaterial Journal, Diseño, Arte y Sociedad
Member
Centro Universitario de Diseño de Barcelona, Spain

Consulting

Activity description Institution / Organization
2021/02/18 - Current Consultation on the re-validation of the MA Graphic Media Design, Central Saint Martins – University of the Arts London. University of the Arts London, United Kingdom

Interview (newspaper / magazine)

Activity description Newspaper / Forum
2020/11/17 Interview on the subject of speculative design education, in the context of the Erasmus+ funded project 'Speculativeedu.eu' Speculativeedu.eu
2020 'S'éduquer à la vulnérabilité' Interview on the politics of design education and critical practice, pp. 107-131. ISSN: 1160 9958 51 Azimuts Journal, Issue 51
2017 Interview published in the Proceedings of the 'Encontros de Design de Lisboa, Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade de Lisboa', 2017, pp. 120–123. ISBN 9789898771742. Funded by FCT. 'Design, Identidade e Compexidade',

Interview (tv / radio show)

Program Topic
2017/05/05 - Current Scratching the Surface, Podcast Francisco Laranjo
2021/09/06 - 2021/09/06 Diseño y Diaspora Prática crítica en el diseño

Journal scientific committee

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2020/06 - Current Design & Culture Taylor & Francis
2020/10 - 2021/08 International Journal of FIlm and Media Arts (2183-9271) Lusófona University
Distinctions

Award

2007 Certificate of Excellence, Book Design
Print Magazine, United States
2005 Joint First Prize
Experimenta Design, Lisbon Design Biennial, Portugal