Scope of Work

Graphic Identity
Polygraphic Design
Type Design
Letterings
Navigation
Interior Layout
Photography
Videography

madeprogram.it

Made in 28 days
Siracusa, Italy

For most people, the place where they were born holds a particular emotional weight. Leaving it — especially right after finishing school — is rarely simple. Over the past years, around forty international students from different cities, countries and cultural backgrounds have joined the MADE Program in Siracusa.
We decided to transform this experience of "moving away from home" into a visual narrative: simple, clear and honest. First for the visitors of the Confartigianato event, and more importantly for the students themselves, who had never seen their geographical stories mapped from the perspective of the university.

As our conceptual anchor, we turned to an element already present in the university’s identity — the orange circle. We interpreted it simultaneously as the Sicilian sun, as a symbol of circularity (a reminder that nothing is permanent), and as a metaphor for existing between two familiar places: home and MADE.
This became the foundation for a graphic language built around dots and circular geometry. Each dot represented a hometown. Through visual experimentation, we connected these points in several ways to articulate different nuances of the students' journeys.

We gathered the individual dots into one large orange circle — echoing the MADE logo and forming a multilayered graphic element. This mark in the future can serve as an alternative signature for international workshops or off-site events.

Simple straight lines connected point A [a student's hometown] to point B [MADE], expressing the most direct version of the journey.

Additional circular contours reinforced the identity’s primary shape and reflected the emotional truth of relocation: even when far from home, we remain mentally connected, travelling back and forth — sometimes not in a straight line.

The resulting graphic system was applied across all communication materials: posters, banners, brochures, wall graphics, shoppers, T-shirts, stickers, social media and the website.
Initially, the university approached us with a modest request — to create a quick exterior styling for a pop-up event during a city festival. But we decided to go a step further. The constraints were tight: limited space, no time for large-scale production, no budget for costly materials, and no desire to do something ordinary.
So we worked within the limitations — and gently overdid everything.
Over the course of a month, we created more than 150 sticker variations, argued passionately, ate fourteen paninos together, spent too many nights working in the kitchen until 2AM, and finished an entire Instagram moodboard to keep our direction sharp.

The layout grid for the announcement poster and the thesis brochure follows MADE’s standard graphic structure. For workflow convenience, the initial design was created in A4 and later scaled to A3 for the poster and A5 for the brochure.
Grid specifications (pt) — 6 columns: 85.736 width, 10.242 gutter, 14.823 margins; 18 vertical blocks: each 37.847 height, 8.086 gutter.
The map poster relied on a simplified six-column grid, used only for the lower captions with approximately an 8% gutter.
To project the identity onto the building facade, we used 38 orange circular stickers, each 9 cm in diameter. Their placement was guided by a 3D layout sketch developed by Ambra, prepared to present both interior and exterior graphics to the university.
Across all elements, we maximised the use of circles and the signature orange hue — at once the brightest and most recognisable part of the identity, and visually suitable for silkscreen printing, wall graphics and small-format materials.

"MADE" stands for both "product" or "manufactured" and "Mediterranean Arts & Design Program."
MADE is the first academy of its kind in Italy operating at the intersection of design, art, craft and local cultural traditions. Located in Siracusa, it serves as an active platform invested in the cultural and creative potential of the South — a region often overlooked.
From the beginning, the academy has prioritised strong international partnerships. Faculty members come from different parts of the world; exchange programs connect the school with foreign universities; and the English-language Summer School positions MADE as the first step in a potentially expansive professional journey.

Graphic Design System — arka buro
Interior Layout — Ambra Nasсimben
Wall Graphics — Ambra Nasсimben, Medea Meli
Graphic Design — arka buro, Ambra Nasсimben, Medea Meli
Infographics — Ambra Nasсimben, Medea Meli
Letterings — arka buro
Photography — Artem Khotulev, Ambra Nasсimben
Curation — Niccolò Benetton, Roberta Esposito