From February 17–19, 2026, the University of Aveiro’s CULTURALITY team hosted two students from graphic design school Brobygrafiska (Arvika, Sweden), their tutor Jonatan Rist-Christensen, and Region Värmland researcher Stefan Barkman. The visit aimed to cross-culturally test "Alstret," a digital storytelling app prototype designed to foster rural craft-centered tourism.
Previously tested in Sweden, the goal of this Portuguese mobility was to adapt the app to a new cultural landscape. Organized by ID + Institute researchers Gonçalo Gomes, João Monge Coutinho, and Matilde Guedes, the three-day itinerary featured fieldwork at AmaCastelões, a traditional linen workshop in rural Tondela. There, students gathered new media to stress-test the prototype's storytelling capabilities.
The trip concluded with a hands-on User Experience design workshop to refine the platform's workflows, and a presentation to researchers at the ID+ Institute. This exchange highlighted CULTURALITY's core mission: bridging European realities to co-create innovative tools for heritage preservation.
Text: João Monge Coutinho
Photographs: Stefan Barkman
https://www.ua.pt/en/noticias/9/95945