AICEP

Portugal Expo 2020 Dubai - The Portuguese Culture

The Best of Portugal and Culture

Year

2020

Industry

Public Sector

Services

UX/UI Design

Front-End Development

Back-End Development

Technology

WordPress

Bootstrap

Fully Responsive Custom Design

Context

AICEP approached Hypnotic with a high-stakes, time-sensitive challenge: rebuild the official website for Portugalʼs presence at the World Expo 2020 Dubai in just 30 days. The existing site was outdated and failed to represent Portugal with the quality, ambition, and visual identity the event demanded.

The mission was to deliver more than just a digital facelift. The platform had to serve multiple functions: inform international audiences about Portugal, showcase the Pavilion and its events, provide journalists with press resources, and create a cultural touchpoint for Portuguese citizens. All content—from exhibitions to gastronomy—had to be live and ready by October 1st, 2020. And all of this had to happen during the peak of summer holidays.

Approach

With a 30-day deadline and the weight of national representation, we focused on executional precision. We built a fully responsive, SEO-optimized, high- performance WordPress site with an exclusive design and an intuitive CMS tailored for Pavilion staff—requiring no technical expertise to update.

The UX was simplified into key user journeys: discover Portugal, explore events, access media resources, and navigate the Pavilion experience. We built custom modules for content updates, event timelines, and featured stories, all optimized for mobile-first audiences.

Despite limited time and team availability, we delivered a scalable platform that looked, felt, and performed like a flagship experience—on time and without

Website

Designed and developed in under 30 days, the Portugal Expo 2020 Dubai website launched on October 1st as the official digital face of Portugal at the World Exhibition. Fully responsive, accessible, and built with SEO and performance in mind, the platform allowed Pavilion managers to update content indepedently—keeping the site dynamic and alive throughout the Expo.

The site scored high on Lighthouse audits for Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO—proving that speed and quality donʼt have to be mutually exclusive.

Technology

WordPress (custom theme, modular CMS
Bootstrap
Fully responsive design
Optimized for performance and accessibility SEO-ready architecture

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers about how we work

What services does Hypnotic offer?

Hypnotic is a technology-first creative agency delivering high-performance websites, mobile applications, digital platforms, e-commerce, AI, XR and automation solutions.

Where is Hypnotic based?

Hypnotic is based in Lisbon, Portugal, at the Amoreiras Shopping Center, and works with clients in Portugal and internationally.

Does Hypnotic work with international clients?

Yes. Hypnotic delivers projects for clients worldwide, working in English and Portuguese.

What technologies does Hypnotic work with?

Hypnotic builds with modern web technologies such as React and Next.js, alongside artificial intelligence, XR (extended reality) and automation platforms.