Context
An institutional framework with a community-driven approach
Summary – Institutional in structure, community-driven in method and purpose.
Neoneli Project is a participatory research initiative involving historical, sociological, and archival studies carried out together with the local community of Neoneli.
The project originated from the proposal of an intellectual and was supported and funded by the local municipality. Although institutionally framed, it was conceived as a bottom-up process: public presentations, interviews with residents, and the direct collection of materials made the community an active participant in the research and archival work.
Audience
The community as both audience and co-author
Summary — An archive for those who live the territory, and for those who will study it.
The primary audience was the local community, involved both as the subject of the narrative and as a producer of content. At the same time, the archive was designed for scholars and researchers interested in accessing historical and documentary materials over time.
During content design, a potential future use for cultural dissemination and territorial promotion was considered, without turning the project into a tourism-oriented tool.
My Role
Design as the project’s infrastructure
Summary — Design as a structural matrix, not an accessory layer.
My role was to design the multimedia platform and the visual identity of the project.
This was not just about creating an interface, but about building a space capable of organizing complex content, making it accessible to different audiences, while giving the community a sense of recognition and belonging. I also worked on motion graphics, video content management, and the visual design of presentations addressed to both institutions and local residents.
Design Challenge
Order, accessibility, and respect for memory
Summary — Organizing complexity without betraying the fragility of memory.
The main challenge was to design a multimedia archival system capable of managing a large and heterogeneous amount of material — images, videos, audio, and documents — without flattening their historical and scientific value.
The system needed to support multiple levels of interpretation, be recognizable yet discreet, and balance archival rigor with the human and emotional dimension of collective memory.
Visual Design System
Essentiality as an ethical choice
Summary — An identity that does not represent memory, but allows it to emerge.
The visual language is intentionally essential and non-illustrative, based on simple geometric forms, to avoid interpretative overlays and leave space for the content itself.
The color palette is limited and inspired by the local landscape and materials; the overall tone is warm and restrained, designed to convey proximity and a sense of community while maintaining the solidity of a digital archive.
The identity is built around four key concepts: geographical and cultural centrality, local materiality (mahogany color), work in progress as an open and evolving system, and technology as a necessary yet discreet tool.
Key Solution
A hybrid and sustainable archive
Summary — A system designed to endure, not to depend.
The core design solution is a hybrid multimedia archive.
The website acts as the central access point and unified interface, while content is hosted on open and social platforms. This approach reduces technical complexity and allows the community to update the archive autonomously over time, without constant reliance on technical professionals.
Impact
Shared memory as a collective construction
Summary — When a community recognizes itself in a project, design becomes relationship.
The project generated a strong cultural and social impact. Video interviews with elderly residents brought to light firsthand memories of World War II as well as inherited narratives dating back to the 19th century and the Kingdom of Sardinia.
The active participation of the community — through the sharing of personal photographs and documents — was crucial in building the archive and strengthening collective identity.
Takeaway
Method, ethics, community
Summary — Designing with communities, not just for communities.
This project strengthened my ability to design systems that combine academic rigor with popular accessibility, using design as a tool for cultural mediation and civic engagement.
