Design Award for the World Bank for its Book “Sistema de Ciudades”

The World Bank report “Sistema de ciudades, una aproximación visual al caso colombiano” won the Lápiz de Acero Award in the category of best editorial graphic design. The award is given annually to the best design projects in Colombia.

The award-winning book was produced with Puntoaparte Editores, which submitted an innovative proposal, in collaboration with a World Bank team and the National Department of Planning.

The publication is based on the Colombia Urbanization Review and exposes the challenges faced by cities in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure.

“This publication is the result of an ongoing process of communication, trial and error, and innovation by a technical team and a team of designers. Eventually, they found an innovative visual format for communicating the message,” said Taimur Samad, Senior Economist at the World Bank.

Through its innovative design, it manages to reach not only the country’s experts and decision-makers, but also the non-technical public, while maintaining the rigorous analysis of the World Bank.

The report seeks to outline policies that will strengthen the Cities System as the country’s engine of growth.

This can be achieved by promoting regional and national competitiveness, and improving the quality of life of its residents, so that a more just, competitive, and efficient country, with friendlier cities, can be created.

The award was presented to the designers Mateo Zúñiga and Andrés Barragán from Puntoaparte Editores, which competed against very prestigious architecture, poetry, and violence publications.

“We were looking for a beautiful design, which did not sacrifice information and readability. That’s why in the end we achieved a balance, where we had an attractive design with a message that would reach everyone and all audiences,” explained Zúñiga.

Awards were also presented in the categories of Furniture, Product, Clothing, Digital, Graphics, Space, and Concept.

The Lápiz de Acero Award has been organized by the Proyecto Diseño magazine since 1998 to place on record the development of Colombian design, recognize the best, and promote successes, and above all, communicate the importance of design as a priority for the improvement of quality of life.

The World Bank in Colombia

The World Bank Group’s commitment to Colombia is structured around an innovative and thematic approach, for example in urban development, with a model that provides development solutions that are customized for the country, using a package of financial, knowledge and convening services.