The number-one job of corporate report design is to clearly convey information to current or potential investors, shareholders, employees, donors, or even the general public. But a corporate report of any kind doesn’t have to be a bland piece whose only purpose is to serve up facts and figures. To make your publication fresh, interesting, and really stand out from the crowd, you’ll need to incorporate a variety of design elements. USE IMAGES If an image can convey your point, let it. These days, people’s attention spans are shorter than ever, so you’ll need to grab theirs as fast as you can. A large photo with action in it can often speak volumes. If, for instance, your organization helps build wells in Africa, which do you think is more likely to compel readers to act: a tabular listing of the number of wells built in each country or a photo READ MORE »
Elements of a Great Annual Report Design Cover Think of the cover of an annual report like an announcement; it lets readers know what to expect inside the report. But beyond putting a year and “Annual Report” on the cover, what sort of content should be on the front of such an integral publication? To begin with the obvious, an annual report’s cover absolutely should show the year being reviewed as well as the organization’s name (or its logo if it’s familiar enough to the readers). The audience should also be defined in some way so that it’s crystal clear who the publication is intended for. That could be as simple as including wording about current shareholders or—if the goal is to gain investment—the organization’s mission statement or tagline. Make the message clear by literally spelling out the intended audience on the cover. One school of thought is that the READ MORE »
Fresh and modern Branding for the Trade and Sustainable Development Symposium Website and Print Collateral Design Introduction Every two years, trade ministers and other senior officials gather at the World Trade Organization ministerial conference to negotiate details of ongoing multilateral trade agreements. Alongside this ministerial-level meeting, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) hosts the Trade and Sustainable Development Symposium (TSDS). TSDS is the leading multi-stakeholder platform for intellectual inquiry and dialogue on sustainable development and the global trade and investment system. Over the last decade, it has provided a platform outside of the WTO negotiating setting for sharing ideas, engaging in dialogue, and influencing trade policy negotiations. Our client, the ICTSD wanted to maintain and increase the TSDS’s reputation as the go-to venue for thought leadership, while incorporating fresh and modern branding for the event.
I had the pleasure of attending an AIGA panel discussion on design return-on-investment (ROI) for nonprofits at the offices of the Human Rights Campaign in DC this week. AIGA pulled together a terrific panel to discuss this complex issue. Much of the discussion defaulted to nonprofit design projects (after all, we are designers), yet there were still a few pearls of wisdom in the discussion. While many nonprofits equate ROI with donations, at least two of the panelists work for advocacy organizations, and they mentioned that design is core to their brand and everything they do. ROI is about how they are changing policy, not raising donations. This design team faced a dichotomy of pleasing policy experts while at the same time, their bosses were asking them to make the creative “cool.” In advocacy nonprofits, ROI can be measured by whether they become and remain the go-to authority on a particular issue. This can be accomplished through both outreach and education, and can be READ MORE »
PDF report
6 Strategies for
Better Publications
Proven steps to keep publication projects on track, eliminate surprises, and ensure successful outcomes.