Una Maravilla por Conocer

Abstract

This systematization summarizes the experience gained during the development of the project "Una maravilla por conocer" (A wonder to discover), carried out in the rural municipality of Tibirita, Cundinamarca. Tibirita, like many small agricultural municipalities in Colombia, faces a double threat: the migration of its young people due to the lack of opportunities and the invisibility of its tourism potential. Faced with this reality, it was decided to take action through design, creating products that not only promoted tourism, but also included young people as protagonists of change. The significant learning from this experience can be summarized as: "Graphic design management in a rural context with co-creation as a tool." This experience allowed us to understand that managing a graphic design project in a rural context involves much more than organizing tasks; it means mediating, listening, adapting to changing realities, leading with empathy, and making decisions amid uncertainty while trusting in the process. We discovered how to respectfully enter an unfamiliar community, creating relationships of trust to ensure that the design emerged from within, rather than being imposed from outside, using the tool of: "Co-creation with 9th, 10th, and 11th graders from the Monseñor Agustín Gutiérrez school." As a result, this project is As a result, this project is designing and delivering tools aimed at strengthening local pride and promoting the municipality to an external audience in order to open up new opportunities for tourism development. The products delivered include: "Co-creation workshops with young people from the municipality, graphic identity of the municipality, tourist information point, beta version website, image bank for tourism promotion, and interactive exhibition." Through the management of this project, it is clear that design goes Through the management of this project, it is evident that design goes beyond the creation of products: it is a tool for generating connections, activating memories, and building community. This process allowed us to co-create with the inhabitants, strengthen local identity, and, at the same time, cultivate in us a deep sense of belonging to Colombia. Managing a project also involves honoring roots, affections, and relationships that transform both the territory and those who inhabit and design it.