Marta Giardini received the Honorable Mention at the 2016 ADI Compasso d’Oro Award for Perpetua the pencil.

A prestigious recognition for the Milan-based designer Marta Giardini, awarded an Honorable Mention at the 2016 ADI Compasso d’Oro for creating Perpetua the pencil, the only pencil entirely made in Italy, featuring unique characteristics and a versatile, inimitable personality.

From Turin to Vicenza — the birthplace of Perpetua — to Paris, Frankfurt, London, and New York, Perpetua – The pencil has garnered awards, recognition, enthusiastic reviews, supporters, and admirers. In Milan, it took center stage at the ADI Compasso d’Oro, the most prestigious design award in Italy, which honors not only beauty but also research, functionality, and creativity aimed at shaping a better future.

Many names stand behind Perpetua, alongside Marta Giardini:

• Susanna Martucci of Alisea, who connected the idea to a commercial vision;

• Vittorio Ferrero and Cristina Poli, who work on recovering graphite from an industrial standpoint;

• Andrea Zandonà, a production process expert, who developed the patented material Zantech;

• Marco Bertolini, who crafted Perpetua’s visual identity through graphic design and photography;

• Alberto Zavatta, who gives voice to Perpetua’s message through strategic vision and communication expertise.

The ADI Compasso d’Oro Award is promoted and organized by ADI – Associazione per il Disegno Industriale, in collaboration with the ADI Foundation. The award honors products distinguished by advanced and culturally aware design, ethically responsible toward individuals, society, and the environment — and capable of driving forward both tangible and intangible innovation.

Following the awards ceremony on June 14, Perpetua and the other winning entries will be showcased in a dedicated exhibition at Palazzo Isimbardi.