FOROALFA

FOROALFA is an important reference for reflective, theoretical, and ideological content on communication, branding, and design. It is consulted by professionals, teachers, and students, mainly from Latin America and Spain.

The initial edition of FOROALFA was launched online on July 1, 2005. Luciano Cassisi (Director of FOROALFA) founded the site with the initial collaboration and support of Norberto Chaves and Raúl Belluccia. A few articles kicked off the website and established the editorial profile that remains to this day: thoughtful, informative articles and debates about design, communication, branding, and their connections and impact on social life, culture, education, professional practice, etc.

FOROALFA publishes new content of interest to various professions related to design, communication, and creativity. Each publication is meticulously edited by an International Team of Editors, often leading to a rich and fruitful exchange with the authors, with the aim of ensuring the highest possible quality of content.

In 2013, FOROALFA began incorporating texts in English and Portuguese, and in 2019 in Italian. Many of these texts are translations made by users and contributors, with the goal of expanding the dissemination of ideas. Today, the user interface can be used interchangeably in all four languages.

FOROALFA and Professional Development

FOROALFA has organized training and professional development conferences dedicated to disseminating the most advanced experiences. The first FOROALFA Conference took place in Buenos Aires in 2008, and it was repeated in 2009 and 2010. The FOROALFA Mexico Conference was held in 2011, followed by the FOROALFA Bogota Conference in 2012. During those years, numerous professional development seminars were also held in different cities in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Colombia, and Mexico.

In 2015, FOROALFA celebrated its first 10 years by launching its first Online Courses, a format that allows participants from around the world to access unparalleled professional training and updates at an affordable cost. This eliminates the high costs of travel and expenses and adjusts to the availability of each participant’s time. The FOROALFA Virtual Campus enables anyone interested to participate in the most advanced courses offered in the Spanish-speaking world, taught by renowned international experts.

How to Collaborate and Participate?

There are several ways to contribute to the continued existence and growth of FOROALFA:

1. Participate on the website by keeping your own profile up to date and actively engaging in the discussions. FOROALFA encourages all users to share their opinions at the bottom of each article, follow users whose contributions are interesting (by clicking the star icon), and show appreciation for other users’ interventions and authors by giving them a "Like" (by clicking the heart icon). These interactions are recorded on your timeline, your followers’ timelines, and are also notified to the affected users (those who receive the "Like" and those who are "Followed").
2. Submit your own articles, including reflections, news, real-life cases, and invitations to debate. Any FOROALFA user can submit an article at any time. The articles are edited by the International Team of Editors and published with the author’s permission.
3. Translate articles into your language. If you find an article interesting and wish to translate it into your language, simply look for the "Translate to..." button at the bottom of the article and start working. The translation page will assist you in the process.
4. Join the International Team of Editors. The external editor system of FOROALFA is open to adding collaborators to edit texts in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Italian. Each editor defines their availability to translate texts, ensuring that their contributions do not interfere with their regular activities. Editors receive more prominence throughout the site. Write to us to propose yourself as an editor.
5. Participate in the training and professional development opportunities, which constitute the only source of income that helps maintain the functioning of the site. This form of support is highly valued by the FOROALFA team, as it is crucial for the continuation of this project focused on reflection and debate around Design, Branding, and Communication.