Sofia Nolasco

Saudade is a unique word created by the Portuguese. It’s a word that doesn’t have a definite translation but saudade can represent a lot of things for people. It can be the feeling of missing a loved one, the longing for an event to happen, or even the nostalgia of a childhood memory.

The homeland of my parents and grandparents defines who I am as a person and is a wellspring of imagination and excitement for me, therefore I used Portugal as the focus of my design project. I created a travel guide filled with the beauty of Portuguese cities and its natural wonders. As a guide it includes helpful information that is curated to educate future travelers who want to learn about Portuguese culture. Topics covered in the guidebook are geography, gastronomy, sightseeing, cultural festivals, as well as luxurious, unusual and cozy places to spend the night. Included with the guidebook are two additional book cover designs to show that the guide can be a stand-alone project or it can be launched as an international book series. To better understand Portugal and the travel guide, I created an illustrated informational and geographical map of the country, this way my readers will be able to plan an imaginative and fun-packed trip throughout the country.

In addition to the travel guide, I have included my design process and guidelines book. This important design element shows an interested viewer the how and the why behind the designs that I created throughout the whole project and how the final version will be produced.

Overall, my project anticipates a world post COVID-19 and where travel becomes normal once again. My guidebook is a reminder to those who have long-awaited plans to travel, explore, enjoy and ultimately escape to all the places that we hold a bit of saudade for in our hearts.