Sílvia Soares is a Strategic Designer, innovator and researcher, passionate and dedicated to the development of sustainable innovation combining design with other multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge areas, in response to societal challenges.
Sílvia is a lecturer in the scientific area of Design at the University of Minho (UM), School of Architecture, Art and Design and Course Director of the Master’s Degree in Product Design and Services.
She carries out her research in the Laboratory of landscapes Heritage and Territory - Lab2PT, as an Integrated Researcher, and at the ID+ Research Institute for Design, Meda and Culture, as a Collaborating Researcher.
She has a Degree in Communication Design from the Fine Arts Faculty of the University of Porto (FBAUP, 2001), a Master´s Degree in Design (2006) and a PhD in Art and Design also from FBAUP (2015).
In the field of Teaching, she has an extensive experience as a University Lecturer, working for over 23 years.
She began her professional career in 2001 as a Trainee Assistant, on a full-time and exclusive dedication basis, in addition to the teaching staff of the University of Beira Interior. In 2006 she was hired as an Assistant, in addition to the same staff, at the University of Beira Interior, (UBI) and in 2015 she was hired in the category of Assistant Professor in public functions for an indefinite period, on a full-time basis and exclusive dedication, in a trial period, at the same University, remaining in service as a career teacher until 2019. In the period 2001-2019, she was a responsible and lecturer of several Curricular Units (UCs) in the scientific area of Design, in the 1st cycle of studies at the UBI, in Industrial Design, Multimedia Design, Fashion Design and Marketing. She has hold positions of Member of the Scientific Committee in several departments and study cycles at UBI and has participated in the creation of new Study Cycles and in the reformulation of existing ones, as well as in the creation of new Curricular Units and reformulation of existing ones.
In the period 2019-2024, in the category of Junior Researcher, she has been responsible and lecturer, by invitation, on various courses in the scientific areas of Design and Engineering, at the University of Aveiro: in the 1st cycle of studies in Design, in the 1st cycle of studies in Engineering, in the 2nd cycle of studies in Engineering and Product Design, in the 2nd cycle of studies in Design, in the 2nd cycle of studies in Mechanical Engineering, as well as in the 3rd cycle of studies in Mechanical Engineering.
At the invitation of other universities, she has also collaborated with the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto (FBAUP) in the 2nd cycle of studies in Industrial and Product Design.
She has also been responsible for and lectured, by invitation, at various Master Classes, namely at the Escola Superior de Artes e Design (ESAD), in the 1st cycle of studies in Product Design and in the 2nd cycle of studies in Product Design, both at the same school, as well as at the Escola Superior de Media Artes e Design (ESMAD) of the Polytechnic of Porto, in the 1st cycle of studies in Design.
In the Research field, she has concluded her PhD in Art and Design, at FBAUP (2015), which was unanimously approved with distinction and honor. Since the start of the PhD, her research practice has focused on Strategic Design to promote health and well-being and contribute to sustainable lifestyle changes.
She supervises master's theses and doctoral dissertations and is a member and chair of several master's juries.
She is also a double-blind-reviewer and a member of scientific committees for international conferences.
In 2016 she was diagnosed with a breast cancer, forcing her to stop all the activities in order to recover her health, causing a long stop. During her recovery process, Sílvia has identified that the food chain in general and bulk sales in particular, have several problems in terms of consumer’s health guarantees and sustainability, providing a global opportunity for the development of new and more effective solutions.
In the period 2019-2024 she was a Junior Researcher in the Communication and Art Department of UA, on behalf of the Scientific Employment Stimulus (CEECIND/04748/2017/CP1459/CT0048), with a grant financed by FCT with a score of 9.6 (quantitative scale from 1 to 10).
This research project included the research and development of innovative solutions for the real world to increase food safety and public health, promoting also a reduction of the impact of packaging and food waste on the environment.
She has several publications in indexed National Journals with International Circulation and Peer Review, in International Journals with Peer Review, in International Conference Proceedings with Peer Review, Book Chapters, and several Communications in International Scientific Congresses.
In terms of Knowledge and Technology Transfer, she has been working with industry since 2017 as a consultant in Product Design and Development, Industrial Design, Strategy and Communication Design and is a co-founder of the Portuguese startup Pavnext. She is co-author of the national brand Pavnext, registration n.º 58193. She has participated in the development of 5 projects, from the product design and laboratory testing phase (TRL4-5) to the controlled and real environment testing phases (TRL6-7), leading 1 project and collaborating in the pilot implementation of 3 projects. Pavnext has won more than 19 innovation awards and distinctions, including 8 international awards and 11 national awards from different national and international institutes (European Commission, the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), Vodafone, IAPMEI and others).
It was awarded the European Commission's Seal of Excellence for the “Next Road Safety For Smarter Cities” project, submitted to Horizon 2020's SME instrument phase 2 program, in the H2020-EIC-SMEInst- 2018-2020 (H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-2) call, on October 10, 2018, in the EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020 area. It was also awarded the Seal of Distinction by the French Agency World Alliance for Efficient Solutions, by Solar Impulse Foundation.
As part of his doctorate, she was unanimously awarded Distinction and Praise by the jury (out of a total of seven). Throughout her academic career, she was also awarded a School Prize Diploma and a Merit Scholarship, as the FBAUP’S Best Student.
Since 2022, she has been a member of the “New Business Models” working group of the Portuguese Pact for Plastics (PPP), of the Smart Waste Portugal Association, an initiative of the international network New Plastics Economy (Ellen MacArthur Foundation), and is working on a co-creation and co-design process for the development of innovative solutions that accelerate the transition to a circular economy in the plastics industry in Portugal. This project aims that plastics don’t be converted into waste, placing Portugal in the group of countries that intend to lead this transition.
Silvia has participated and collaborated in organizing applications for FCT and European research projects, such as: Project “A design-based solution to promote an effective food and nutritional literacy combined with a responsible and eco-friendly package“ (CEECIND/04748/2017/CP1459/CT0048) , Project “U.MAKE.ID” (CENTRO-01-0247-FEDER-003385) financed by the PORC - R&D Projects Companies in Co-Promotion , within the scope of Portugal 2020 (2016-2018); Pavnext Project with ESA - BIC Portugal (ESA BIC 17/2018), funded by AIDST, Portugal (2018-2010); Pavnext Project with SME instrument (contract 807942), funded by the European Commission (2018).
Design, Health and Wellness, Environmental Sustainability, Innovation
Selected publications
Real, H., Soares, S., Ferreira, C., Marques, L., & Gonçalves, T. F. (2021). Referencial de critérios para checklist de avaliação da sustentabilidade em restaurantes [Benchmark criteria for checklist of sustainability assessment in restaurants]. Acta Portuguesa de Nutrição, 26, 18–30. doi:10.21011/apn.2021.2604 DOI
Soares, R.; Sousa, C., Soares, S., Moreira, A., Silva, M. V. da, & Freitas, M. (2024). Determinação de alergénios de amendoim e amêndoa em alimentos comercializados não pré-embalados. RevSALUS - Revista Científica Internacional da RACS, 5(Supii), 52 DOI
Madureira, G., Soares, S., Dias-de-Oliveira, J. (2024). Product design, Food and Wellness: Exploring the Symbiosis of Artificial, Natural and Human Experience. The International Journal of Design in Society. DOI
Madureira, G., Soares, S., Dias-de-Oliveira, J. (2024). Product design, Food and Wellness: Exploring the Symbiosis of Artificial, Natural and Human Experience. In: Di Lucchio, L., & Imbesi, L. (Eds). Cultures of Transformative Design: Eighteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices, Design Principles & Practices 2024, March 10-13, Universitat Politècnica se València, Valencia, Spain: Common Ground Research Networks [ISBN PDF: 978-1-963049-46-6; ISBN PBK: 978-1-963049-47-3]. DOI
Madureira, G., Tavares, S., Soares, S., Dias-de-Oliveira, J. (2024). A comparative analysis of ecocentric design approaches: Nature based solutions, biomimicry and ecodesign. What’s around design?: WAD?24 International Conference, 8-11 october 2024, Portimão Museum, Algarve, Portugal. CUMULUS Association – Endorsed Conference. DOI
Soares, S., Duarte, F. (2024). Design Innovation in the Circular Economy: Moving from Single-Use to Reusable Food Packaging Systems. Comunicação na Digicom – 8th International Conference on Design and Digital Communication, 7-9 November, Gil Vicente Theatre, Barcelos, Portugal. DOI
Garcia, G. Soares, S., Tavares. S. (2024). Exploring Packaging-Free Consumption Patterns in the Portuguese Population: Insights for Design and Innovation. Comunicação na Digicom – 8th International Conference on Design and Digital Communication, 7-9 November, Gil Vicente Theatre, Barcelos, Portugal. DOI
Silva, F. Soares, S., Tavares. S. (2024). Fruit and Vegetable Storage to Reduce Food Waste. Design Prospects for New Solutions. Comunicação na Digicom – 8th International Conference on Design and Digital Communication, 7-9 November, Gil Vicente Theatre, Barcelos, Portugal. DOI
Oliveira, C., Soares, S., Tavares. S. (2024). Unpacking Consumer Adoption: Understanding Design Drivers and Barriers of Adopting Reusable Packaging Systems in the Food Retail Sector. Comunicação na Digicom – 8th International Conference on Design and Digital Communication, 7-9 November, Gil Vicente Theatre, Barcelos, Portugal. DOI
Saraiva, A., Soares, S., Tavares. S. (2024). Front-of-Pack Labelling: A Review of Existing Design Approaches. Comunicação na Digicom – 8th International Conference on Design and Digital Communication, 7-9 November, Gil Vicente Theatre, Barcelos, Portugal. DOI
Madureira, G., Soares, S., Dias-de-Oliveira, J. (2023). Product design for a sustainable human-food future. Coleção "DeCA - Dissertações de mestrado". Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro Portugal. DOI
Naydenov, P., Soares, S., Neto, V. (2023). Desenvolvimento de um sistema de armazenamento de alimentos secos a granel para o setor da restauração. Coleção "DeCA - Dissertações de mestrado". Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro DOI
Other publications
Real, H., Soares, S., Ferreira, C., Marques, L., & Gonçalves, T. F. (2021). Referencial de critérios para checklist de avaliação da sustentabilidade em restaurantes [Benchmark criteria for checklist of sustainability assessment in restaurants]. Acta Portuguesa de Nutrição, 26, 18–30. doi:10.21011/apn.2021.2604 DOI
Soares, R.; Sousa, C., Soares, S., Moreira, A., Silva, M. V. da, & Freitas, M. (2024). Determinação de alergénios de amendoim e amêndoa em alimentos comercializados não pré-embalados. RevSALUS - Revista Científica Internacional da RACS, 5(Supii), 52 DOI
Madureira, G., Soares, S., Dias-de-Oliveira, J. (2024). Product design, Food and Wellness: Exploring the Symbiosis of Artificial, Natural and Human Experience. The International Journal of Design in Society. DOI
Madureira, G., Soares, S., Dias-de-Oliveira, J. (2024). Product design, Food and Wellness: Exploring the Symbiosis of Artificial, Natural and Human Experience. In: Di Lucchio, L., & Imbesi, L. (Eds). Cultures of Transformative Design: Eighteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices, Design Principles & Practices 2024, March 10-13, Universitat Politècnica se València, Valencia, Spain: Common Ground Research Networks [ISBN PDF: 978-1-963049-46-6; ISBN PBK: 978-1-963049-47-3]. DOI
Madureira, G., Tavares, S., Soares, S., Dias-de-Oliveira, J. (2024). A comparative analysis of ecocentric design approaches: Nature based solutions, biomimicry and ecodesign. What’s around design?: WAD?24 International Conference, 8-11 october 2024, Portimão Museum, Algarve, Portugal. CUMULUS Association – Endorsed Conference. DOI
Soares, S., Duarte, F. (2024). Design Innovation in the Circular Economy: Moving from Single-Use to Reusable Food Packaging Systems. Comunicação na Digicom – 8th International Conference on Design and Digital Communication, 7-9 November, Gil Vicente Theatre, Barcelos, Portugal. DOI
Garcia, G. Soares, S., Tavares. S. (2024). Exploring Packaging-Free Consumption Patterns in the Portuguese Population: Insights for Design and Innovation. Comunicação na Digicom – 8th International Conference on Design and Digital Communication, 7-9 November, Gil Vicente Theatre, Barcelos, Portugal. DOI
Silva, F. Soares, S., Tavares. S. (2024). Fruit and Vegetable Storage to Reduce Food Waste. Design Prospects for New Solutions. Comunicação na Digicom – 8th International Conference on Design and Digital Communication, 7-9 November, Gil Vicente Theatre, Barcelos, Portugal. DOI
Oliveira, C., Soares, S., Tavares. S. (2024). Unpacking Consumer Adoption: Understanding Design Drivers and Barriers of Adopting Reusable Packaging Systems in the Food Retail Sector. Comunicação na Digicom – 8th International Conference on Design and Digital Communication, 7-9 November, Gil Vicente Theatre, Barcelos, Portugal. DOI
Saraiva, A., Soares, S., Tavares. S. (2024). Front-of-Pack Labelling: A Review of Existing Design Approaches. Comunicação na Digicom – 8th International Conference on Design and Digital Communication, 7-9 November, Gil Vicente Theatre, Barcelos, Portugal. DOI
Madureira, G., Soares, S., Dias-de-Oliveira, J. (2023). Product design for a sustainable human-food future. Coleção "DeCA - Dissertações de mestrado". Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro Portugal. DOI
Naydenov, P., Soares, S., Neto, V. (2023). Desenvolvimento de um sistema de armazenamento de alimentos secos a granel para o setor da restauração. Coleção "DeCA - Dissertações de mestrado". Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro DOI
2024/2025
Seminários em Design
Bachelor
Teoria e História do Design I
Bachelor
Teoria e História do Design II
Bachelor
Trabalho de Projeto
Master
