Turning a complex document into a thing of beauty: Codea Studio designs UCLG’s Pact for the Future

UCLG Pact for the Future is an initiative by the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) organisation – a global network that represents and advocates for local and regional governments around the world – to mobilise cities of all kind to address pressing global challenges such as climate change, inequality, poverty and sustainable development. A manifesto at heart, UCLG Pact for the Future details the events in UCLG’s history and also outlines a promise and a plan to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To translate the project into both an appealing and understandable format, Barcelona-based UCLG reached out to their neighbour, Codea Studio.

Never one to tackle a brief with a predictable approach, the team – along with designer Sergio Lairisa – opted for a treatment full of visual metaphors. The challenge at hand was intricate – they had to transform a complex text into an accessible, comprehensible and engaging read, and also wanted to “provide a straightforward, flashier-than-ever memento in a context where seriousness and extensive documents abound,” Head of Strategy Clara Rodés explains. “This led us to choose a postcard format and a fold-out poster, a choice that resonated emotionally, making it accessible and visually impactful, while giving it a souvenir value.”

The postcard format helped the studio focus on each of the pact’s four pillars – people, planet, government and the future. Moving away from documentary and archival images, the team went down a non-conventional route with abstract, metaphorical imagery which is seen throughout the project. “The pencil evokes culture and creativity, while the stones symbolise teamwork and the chairs represent the United Nations. These symbols allude to concepts of equality, solidarity, justice, sustainability and peace,” Rodés tells us. To take things up a notch, the team also combined analogue and digital techniques by generating the images using AI, printing them, and then scanning them for the layout design. “We continued to explore methods that would infuse a human touch into artificial intelligence, blending technology with a humanistic sensibility,” says Rodés.

As a future-focused document that aims to encourage positive change, the pact also had to be injected with a sense of optimism and energy, for which Codea Studio used a vibrant, cheerful palette of colours. Keeping in mind the importance of accessibility for such a multicultural event and document, they opted for Neue Haas Grotesk as the hero typeface, “thanks to its universality and functionality,” adds Rodés. “We preferred Neue Haas Grotesk over Helvetica because we believe it retains a warmth in its forms that Helvetica has lost over the years, giving it a touch of approachability. Since the pact is a statement, we wanted to endow it with typographic strength.”

Codea Studio

UCLG