Hello! I’m Rafa, a 22-year-old Portuguese designer with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Design from Universidade Lusófona do Porto. My design philosophy is rooted in boldness, eccentricity, and authenticity. I believe in creating work that not only looks good but also communicates, remains cohesive, and conveys originality, while always maintaining professionalism and purpose. Beyond design, my discipline comes from another equally demanding world: sports. Over the past five years, I was a student-athlete competing at a high level, balancing academic rigor with sporting dedication. This dual path has shaped me into someone highly determined, resilient, and focused on excellence in everything I do.…

Rafael Oliveira

Hello! I’m Rafa, a 22-year-old Portuguese designer with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Design from Universidade Lusófona do Porto. My design philosophy is rooted in boldness, eccentricity, and authenticity. I believe in creating work that not only looks good but also communicates, remains cohesive, and conveys originality, while always maintaining professionalism and purpose. Beyond design, my discipline comes from another equally demanding world: sports. Over the past five years, I was a student-athlete competing at a high level, balancing academic rigor with sporting dedication. This dual path has shaped me into someone highly determined, resilient, and focused on excellence in everything I do.…

Available to hire

Hello! I’m Rafa, a 22-year-old Portuguese designer with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Design from Universidade Lusófona do Porto. My design philosophy is rooted in boldness, eccentricity, and authenticity. I believe in creating work that not only looks good but also communicates, remains cohesive, and conveys originality, while always maintaining professionalism and purpose.

Beyond design, my discipline comes from another equally demanding world: sports. Over the past five years, I was a student-athlete competing at a high level, balancing academic rigor with sporting dedication. This dual path has shaped me into someone highly determined, resilient, and focused on excellence in everything I do.

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Language

Portuguese
Fluent
English
Fluent

Work Experience

Carpenter and 3D Designer at Family business
January 1, 2025 - October 15, 2025
Carved and assembled carpentry pieces, collaborated on 3D modeling for client presentations, blending hands-on craftsmanship with digital visualization to bring concepts to life.
Advertising for Liga-Dura ADCEC at Liga-Dura ADCEC
January 1, 2024 - October 15, 2025
Created several digital and physical advertising campaigns for local competitions, seminars, and events representing the sports association.
Student-Athlete at Self (Student-Athlete)
January 1, 2024 - October 15, 2025
Maintained a career as a high-performance athlete while studying, representing Portugal in multiple international competitions.
Intern at Ventura + Partners
January 1, 2020 - Present
Developed illustrations and 3D models for printing in an architecture firm.
Carpenter and 3D Designer at Family business
January 1, 2025 - January 1, 2025
I took part in my family business, working both as a carpenter and as a 3D modeler for carpentry projects presented to clients.
Advertising for Liga-Dura ADCEC at Liga-Dura ADCEC
January 1, 2024 - January 1, 2024
Created several digital and physical advertising campaigns for local competitions, seminars, and events for the sports association I represent.
Student-Athlete at Self/Portugal National Team
January 1, 2024 - January 1, 2024
Maintained a career as a high-performance athlete, where I had the opportunity to represent my country in multiple international competitions.
Intern at Ventura + Partners
January 1, 2020 - January 1, 2020
During my academic career, I interned at this architecture firm, where I was responsible for developing illustrations and 3D models for printing.

Education

Bachelor's degree at Universidade Lusófona do Porto
September 1, 2021 - July 31, 2024
High School Diploma at Artístic School Soares dos Reis
September 1, 2018 - July 31, 2021
Bachelor's degree in Communication Design at Universidade Lusófona do Porto
September 1, 2021 - July 1, 2024
High School Diploma in Audiovisual Communication at Escola Artística Soares dos Reis
September 1, 2018 - July 1, 2021

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Professional Services, Education
    paper Tame Impala: Second Wave
    Tame Impala revamped: an academic project given new life out of pure love and admiration for the music artist. In this project, I created a set of 12 postcards, one for each song on the album "The Slow Rush" by​​​​​​​ Tame Impala. Each having it's own illustration, coupled with an explanation of the song, the lyrics, and a Spotify code ready for when that sparkle of curiosity hits and you want to go have a listen to the song.…
    paper The Art of Living: VividNest's Identity
    VividNest is a modern interior design brand dedicated to creating personalized, elegant, and functional spaces that reflect individuality and inspire comfort. With values rooted in creativity, sustainability, and p​​​​​​​recision, the brand blends timeless design with innovative thinking to transform ordinary homes into unique havens. In this project, I document the process of creating the brand identity for VividNest, from the initial sketches to the mockups. Showcasing my line of thought and work flow to achieve the result the client asked for.…
    paper Pulsefit: A dynamic brand experience
    A boutique fitness studio, designed to be more than a gym - it's a community-driven space that inspires people to push their limits while having fun. PulseFit is a bold, community-driven fitness brand built on energy, inclusivity, and motivation. Focused on high-intensity, functional training, it creates an environment where people can push limits, grow stronger, and connect with others who share the same drive. With values rooted in authenticity, health, and empowerment, PulseFit’s goal is to make fitness both challenging and fun, while inspiring individuals to unlock their full potential and become part of a thriving, supportive community. For this project, I was tasked with creating the brand identity for this brand, including the logo and it's variants, the whole brand guidelines detailing how to properly use it, as well as a cohesive colour palette, typographies and additional collateral. Here I will take you through my thought process and work flow to answer this brief.…
    paper Comic "Yes!" - A healthy story
    An academic project selected to be published by Universidade Lusófona do Porto to educate children on t​​​​​​​heir health. Comic "YES!" is a yearly project done by the students of Graphic Design on Universidade Lusófona do Porto, every year we are tasked with creating a visually engaging comic book from a given script. Targeted towards kids, the topics vary but are always related to health. In the end, from a classroom full of graphic design students, only one project is selected to be improved upon, printed and published, in my year my project was selected.…
    paper Portfolio
    In here I present my portfolio that showcases my most refined skills and design style. graphicdesigner illustrator communicationdesigner branding brandidentity packaging poster editorial magazine comic illustration…