Space to Space
1st International Conference on Design, Animation & Media
21 – 22 May 2026
Faro, Portugal
About
Space to Space - 1º International Conference on Design, Animation and Media, will be featured in the 15th edition of the Algarve Design Meeting (ADM) in 2026, taking place in Faro - Algarve, Portugal.
Space to Space invites researchers, professionals, and students to submit peer-reviewed contributions that explore design as a bridge between physical, digital, and social spaces. The conference reflects on the relationship between ecology, technology, and coexistence in a rapidly changing world, considering design as both a practical and creative response to global challenges.
The theme unfolds across four interconnected dimensions:
- Space (Earth) – Physical spaces (environment, interiors, architecture, and furniture) focusing on sustainability, ecology, and circularity.
- Space (Human) – Social spaces (social design, communities, and inclusion).
- Space (Digital) – Digital spaces (animation, interaction, media, video games, immersive technologies and AI).
- Space (Cosmic) – Conceptual spaces (experimentation, fiction, imagining possible futures, and speculative design).
Organizing Commitee
General Chairs
- António Lacerda
- Cátia Peres
- Gabriela Borges
- Hugo Mártires
- Maria Caeiro
Editorial Committee
- Cátia Peres
- Gabriela Borges
- Maria Caeiro
Credits
- Nuno Filipe Martins (Design and Art Direction)
- Gabriela Soares (Editorial Design)
- Pedro Calado
- (Alunos BIPE)
Logistic & Operations Committee
- Brígida Cardoso
- Manuela Roldão
- Rui Duarte
Scientific Commitee
- Álvaro Sousa, University of Aveiro · Portugal
- Ana Filipa Martins, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Ana Duque, ESAD (School of Arts and Design) · Portugal
- Ana Marques, European University · Portugal
- António Lacerda, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Bruno Mendes da Silva, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Cátia Peres, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Cynthia Levitan, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Daniela Garcia, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Fátima Caiado, ISEC Lisbon · Portugal
- Francesca Vita, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Gabriela Borges, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Helena Barbosa, University of Aveiro · Portugal
- Hugo Mártires, University of Algarve · Portugal
- João Bernarda, European University · Portugal
- João Paulo Cunha, European University · Portugal
- Juliana Duque – IADE- European University . Portugal
- Maria Caeiro, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Marisa Mártires, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Marta Varzim, ESAD (School of Arts and Design) · Portugal
- Miguel Carvalhais, University of Porto · Portugal
- Mirian Tavares, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Mónica Lameiro, European University · Portugal
- Nuno Filipe Martins, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Paulo Alves, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Pedro Mota Teixeira, European University · Portugal
- Pedro Ramalhete, University of Algarve · Portugal
- Rita Filipe, University of Lisboa · Portugal
- Tiago Navarro Marques, University of Évora · Portugal
Keynote speakers
To be announced
Schedule
Registration
Opening session
Keynote speaker
Lunch break
Thematic Sessions 1
Coffee break
Thematic Sessions 2
Keynote speaker
Lunch break
Thematic Sessions 3
Coffee break
Thematic Sessions 4
Thematic Areas
The “SPACE TO SPACE” conference at the Algarve Design Meeting 2026 showcases a wide range of design, animation and media disciplines, exploring the intersections between physical, social, digital, and conceptual spaces. The areas represented include:
Interaction and Experience Design
- Sensory and participatory installations
- Tangible interfaces and responsive objects (sound, light, movement)
- AR/VR experiences
- UX/UI projects focused on sustainability and accessibility
Interior and Spatial Design
- Experimental scenographies reinterpreting the industrial space of the Beer Factory
- Modular, ephemeral, or circular furniture
- Exhibition spaces emphasizing comfort, interaction, and flow
- Installations exploring light, materiality, and human behavior
Game and Interactive Media Design
- Independent games and educational prototypes
- Digital storytelling and game art with social or ecological impact
- Gamified tools for education and public engagement
Communication and Media Design
- Experimental graphic design, motion design, kinetic typography
- Visual campaigns on sustainability, ethics, and coexistence
- Hybrid experiences (physical + digital / AR)
- Event branding and visual identity systems
Digital Technologies and Media Art
- Media Art & Digital Media
- Transmedia & Digital Cinema
- Videomapping & Sound Art
- Visual Art & Media Literacy
Product and Furniture Design
- Prototyping with sustainable materials
- Circular or modular furniture
- Small-scale 3D-printed objects (PRUSA collaboration)
- Form–function experiments for exhibition spaces
Materials and Experimental Technologies
- Bio-design and reactive materials
- Studies on color, texture, and physical behavior
- Scientific research partnerships (UAlg, TUZVO, UTB)
- Process-oriented presentations
Social, Inclusive, and Strategic Design
- Projects with Algarve communities
- Participatory design and affective mapping
- Sustainable tourism, heritage, and education
Speculative Design and Futures
- Visual narratives and conceptual objects
- Critical design on AI, space, body, and ethics
- Applied academic research
Animation studies and Methodologies
- Concept design and animation aesthetics
- Animation studies and research methodologies
- AR/VR and expanded animation
- Stop motion and cinamatography
- AI-based animation
Communication Proposals
Authors may submit proposals in one of the following formats. The conference welcomes academic research, practice-based work, and experimental design approaches.
Submission Guidelines
- We invite submissions in Portuguese and English, authored by undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students, as well as professionals from fields such as design, communication, media, arts, and culture.
- Abstracts must have between 1500 and 1800 characters (including spaces) and should be submitted in English.
- A maximum of five keywords should be provided in English.
- The biographical statement may not exceed 150 words and must be provided both in the original language of the article and in English.
- The registration payment will be made after the publication of the approved submissions, according to the calendar.
- If a contribution is approved, each co-author must register.
Publication
Full papers will be published in the official Conference Proceedings with ISBN and DOI number with all the texts selected by peer review.
Submission Guidelines
- Full papers must have between 20,000 and 25,000 characters (including spaces), covering all components: title in Portuguese and English, abstracts, descriptions, tables, graphs and captions, footnotes, and bibliographical references.
- The abstract should have between 1500 and 1800 characters and must be submitted both in the original language of the article and in English.
- A maximum of five keywords should be provided, both in the original language of the article and in English.
- The biographical statement may not exceed 150 words and must be provided both in the original language of the article and in English.
- Full papers will be submitted to a scientific peer review process in order to be published in a book to be edited by the end of 2026.
Text formating
- Body: single spacing on A4 pages, Times New Roman font, 12 pt.
- Graphic elements (tables, graphs and figures): all graphic elements and tables must be numbered with a caption, without a period. In the body of the text, references to graphic elements should always appear in full (e.g., “in Table 1”). Figures, tables and graphs must be inserted in the text and also sent separately in JPEG or TIFF format, with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Tables must be provided in an editable format, not as images.
- Titles and subtitles: may be numbered to facilitate reading. They must use Times New Roman, 12 pt.
- Quotation marks: double curly quotes (“ ”) must be used. Quotation marks apply to ironic or figurative expressions, slang, quotations, and titles of articles or parts of publications (e.g., book chapters, encyclopedia entries).
- Italics: italics, rather than bold, should be used in the body text. Italics indicate titles of complete works (e.g., books, films), introduce new terms or loanwords, and highlight words or expressions requiring emphasis.
- Numbers: numbers from zero to nine should be written in words; numerals should be used from 10 onwards. Numerals must always be used in graphs, tables and figures; measurement units (e.g., 5 km); mathematical expressions, statistics, fractions, decimals, ratios and percentages; time, dates, scale points and exact sums of money. Numbers should be written in words when starting a sentence and in common fractions (e.g., “a fifth of the Portuguese”).
- Footnotes: may be used only when strictly necessary. Endnotes should not be used.
- Bibliographic references: must comply with APA style (7th edition).
- Template: texts must be submitted using the official template.
Important Dates
- Call for Papers: now open
- Abstract submission deadline: 15 March 2026
- Notification of abstract acceptance: 10 April 2026
- Final abstract submission: 20 April 2026
- Conference dates: 22 – 23 May 2026
- Full papers submission: 30 August 2026
- Notification of full paper acceptance: 15 October 2026
Contact
Address
University of Algarve
School of Education and Communication (ESEC)
Estrada da Penha
8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Call Us
00351 289 800 100
