A Botanical Collaboration between FBAUP & the Porto’s Botanical Garden
What happens when you mix complex scientific structures with the creative minds of our master’s students? This semester, the 2025–26 Graphic Design and Infographics class stepped out of the FBAUP studios and into the lush pathways of the Botanical Garden and Casa Museu Andresen for a hands-on field trip.
Guided through a diverse array of species, the students gathered invaluable visual references and firsthand context for their current assignment: the Botanical Infographic. Under the guidance of Prof. Emília Dias da Costa, the cohort was invited to explore the intersection of biology and visual communication in a special collaboration with the Botanical Garden this year.
Visual representation is a fundamental instrument in the construction and diffusion of knowledge. In the realm of botany, drawing and infographics make the structural and functional aspects of plants visible—details that are often difficult to grasp through text alone. The challenge set for the students is to develop a diagrammatic infographic (in an impressive A2 format) detailing the general morphology of herbaceous plants. They will focus on translating external forms—from roots and stems to flowers and seeds—into clear, hierarchical visual systems.
By conjugating scientific rigor with graphic resources, the students are putting their editorial and illustration skills to the test. Their goal is to translate complex scientific concepts into accessible, visually appealing narratives, proving once again that information design is a privileged medium for mediating science, culture, and the general public.
We look forward to seeing the final results of this fantastic field trip translated into clear, rigorous, and beautiful design artifacts!
Transparency & Acknowledgement Note: This news item was drafted, edited, and refined for clarity in collaboration with Google’s Gemini Pro 3.1.