The School of Art, Design, and Audiovisual Communication (FADCOM) at ESPOL held a special closing event for the “Portfolio” course in the Product Design program, featuring professionals from the national creative sector.
The event, held on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, featured Alejandro Mejía, co-founder and Creative Director of LUP Studio and Pull Up, and Juan Pablo de la Roche, a designer, audiovisual producer, filmmaker, and founder of various projects specializing in branding and sports audiovisual production.
The initiative was spearheaded by Professor Billy Soto, Ph.D., and was designed to create a space for exchange between students and active professionals in the creative sector. During the event, the students presented their professional profiles and the projects they had developed during the course. Based on these presentations, the guests shared observations, recommendations, and feedback drawn from their professional experience.
The exchange allowed students to gain an expert outside perspective on how they present and communicate their work, as well as to identify opportunities to strengthen their project selection, the development of their professional identity, their ability to articulate their ideas, and their positioning strategies within the creative sector.
The event fostered a closer connection between university education and the dynamics of the workplace. The participation of professionals with experience in various areas of the industry helped broaden the students’ perspective on the opportunities and challenges they will encounter in their professional careers.
These types of experiences strengthen the connection between the Product Design program and the professional world and contribute to an education that combines academic development with the knowledge and practices of the creative sector.
© Photography: Ricardo Torres / Text: José Luis Castro
