The Complete Graphic Designer

The Complete Graphic Designer

102

Every corporation, no matter how large or small,

for profi t or not-for-profi t, is required by law to fi le

an annual report with their state or provincial gov-

ernment—this is especially true of publicly traded

national or international companies. These documents,

which both profi le the company and outline funding

and expenditures throughout the fi scal year, provide

investors and federal regulators with the ability to

review the management’s decisions and analyze how

the decisions affect the fi nancial health of the organi-

zation. Because annual reports contain such a dense

concentration of fi nancial information, the portion fo-

cused on telling the company’s story must work hard

at getting the message across clearly and concisely. To

get a good sense of how to portray a particular client,

research competing companies’ reports and review

the previous year’s report.

Portraying a company in the most positive, profes-

sional, and ethical manner possible is the burden

the graphic designer carries. Annual reports are the

Clean layouts and clear organiza-

tion of content allow readers of

this Department of Health Annual

Report to learn more about the

state of health in England. Cyan-

colored text highlights key points

on each spread, while easy-to-read

charts and striking photography

emphasize the copy.

Design: CDT Design

Annual Reports

The Complete Graphic Designer

To promote the idea of growth, the

designers chose to feature close-up

photography of plants that appear

almost as abstract elements and

blocks of copy that mimic their

shapes for this annual report. To

further reinforce this idea, a layer of

plastic “grass” has been attached

to the front and back covers.

Design: Kinetic

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Provision-Complete Graphic Designer

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Common Design Jobs

103

“It’s not only what you know, it’s

who you know,” is the message

exemplifi ed in this annual report for

Silicon Valley Bank. Using Rolodex

cards to communicate their theme,

the report features success stories

about some of the bank’s relation-

ships. The use of handwritten text

and a casual photographic style

adds a personal feel to the report,

which further conveys the idea of

one-on-one relationships.

Design: Cahan & Associates

coup de grace of a company’s marketing budget, and

typically more money and manpower will be spent

on these projects than for anything else. Because of

this, it is essential to partner with a copywriter or

the client’s marketing department to ensure that a

highly conceptual and appropriate theme or message

is developed. The production of the fi nal piece is

also important and, for many, only the highest qual-

ity printing, paper selections, and attention to detail

will suffi ce. A single typo can cause an entire batch

of tens of thousands of books to be thrown out and

reprinted, so take extra care when reviewing the fi nal

fi les before they go to press.

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Provision-Complete Graphic Designer

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