Masterclass with Luís Bandovas (Satori Type Foundry)
From Sketch to System: The Workflow Between Graphic and Type Design. April 7, 11:30 AM — Auditorium PS01, FBAUP
In this talk, Luís will share a bit of his working method and how graphic design influences and often serves as inspiration for the creation of new typefaces. It stems from an almost obsessive relationship with typography:
I am always noticing letters in my daily life and collecting references.
Luís will discuss the process, which, despite being repetitive, is something that truly excites him. From manual sketching, where form and style issues are resolved, to the digital phase, where curves and spacing, print tests, and details are refined.
He will also show how design and typography mutually support each other — when creating brands and corporate identities, typography is an essential tool that provides personality, voice, and coherence to the projects.
Luís Bandovas is a graphic and type designer with over two decades of experience in studios, agencies, and independent projects. A graduate in Visual Communication Design from ESAD, he has developed work for cultural institutions, publishers, and national brands, holding roles ranging from editorial design to creative direction.
In parallel, he has built a solid career in typography, with dozens of typefaces published internationally through foundries such as Latinotype, Monotype, and Future Fonts, or under his personal label, Satori Type Foundry. Some of his creations have been recognized with national and European awards. Beyond his professional practice, he has been invited as a speaker at academic events, sharing his vision on design and typography.
Luís Bandovas is a graphic and type designer with over two decades of experience in studios, agencies, and independent projects. He holds a degree in Visual Communication Design from ESAD – College of Arts and Design (2000) and further specialized his technical training through type design workshops with Dino dos Santos (1998) and Joana Correia (2016).
Throughout his career, he has served as a designer and creative director for firms such as Vangraf, Nomimarketing, Atelier Design João Nunes, LT-Studios, and Purpura Design. Since 2011, he has operated as a freelancer for high-profile clients, developing editorial design projects for Leya, branding for Modal & More, and collaborating with studios such as This is Pacifica and DBR Lisboa. His institutional portfolio includes work for Casa da Música, Metro do Porto, and the Municipalities of Matosinhos, Almeida, and Azores.
In the field of typography, he has established a solid international presence with dozens of type families published worldwide. Through his own practice, Satori Type Foundry, and partnerships with global foundries such as Latinotype, Monotype, Future Fonts, Black Foundry, and Nova Type Foundry, he has released several benchmark typefaces:
- Catalog Highlights: Booster Next FY (2014), Autor (2016), Epura (2017), Majora/Majora Pro (2018-19), Scansky (2020), FF Mutual (2020), Mushin (2021), Prosa (2023), and Nereida (2024).
- Custom Typography: He has developed exclusive fonts such as Brusco for This is Pacifica (2020) and SA +25 for Deadinbeirute (2021).
The quality of his work has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the selection of Ahimsa as one of the top ten fonts of the year by Fontspring (2019). He was also awarded a Silver prize at the XXIII Festival of the Portuguese Creative Club (Clube de Criativos de Portugal) for the SA +25 project, which also received a Bronze at the ADCE Awards 21 (Art Directors Club of Europe) as a European Star winner.
Beyond his design practice, Luís Bandovas has shared his vision of design and typography as a guest speaker at academic events, notably at the School of Technology Day at ISLA Gaia (2020, 2021, and 2022).
This event is organized within the context of the Type Design course of the Master’s in Graphic Design and Editorial Projects (MDGPE), in collaboration with the Ligatures SIG from CPHC program of the i2ADS.