Annual Reports, looking for good well designed examples

[idiwa]

I'm just about to start a new assignment at art school. We have to design a annual report (16 pages) but they want it different than the usual grey men in suits style. Looked at 50 or so reports last night and I was surprised at how **** some of them look (yep i know there is a usability issue and making things clear and concise). Really what the tutors are looking for is a more sexy/funky post modernist approach rather than bluechip a go go!

So Im just wondering if you have any recommendation's for well designed annual reports? So far the only thing that's impressed me is Nike, HMV, Vodafone and Swiss Air and SKY Broadcasting (in pdf) I've got a copy of the Royal College of Arts report from a few years ago (I grabbed it at the time since it was designed by Airside). Companies that I expected to look cool look rather drab (Ducati, addidas, Sony, emap, BMW, capcom, ubisoft) nintendo's was OK but on screen its a bit of a pain to read with its colour choices, thou the layout is nice.

I take it I've got bugger all chance of getting annual reports for companies like Stussy, Addict, Adio, Carhartt Europe? Of course I was gagging to get hold of one from Apple, but from what I've read they dont produce annual reports? Is this right? I thought it was a legal necessity (in the UK anyway).

Also does anyone know if the Best of Brochure Design series will cover Annual Reports as well?

If anyone is bothered in the above:

Nintendo: http://www.nintendo.com/corp/report/06AnnualReport.pdf
SKY: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=104016&p=irol-reportsannual
Swiss Air (from 2002) http://www.swiss.com/web/annual_report_2002_e_image.pdf
Nike: http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/investors/annual_report/ar_05/docs/2005_annual_report.pdf
HMV: http://www.hmvgroup.com/investors/annual.jsp
Vodafone: http://www.vodafone.com/redirect/sfs2006/



cheers, thanks for your help.

 

[shecky]

you should look at anything done by Cahan & Associates.

their book i am almost always hungry is also excellent.

 

[idiwa]

you should look at anything done by Cahan & Associates.

their book i am almost always hungry is also excellent.

Cheers man. Having a look at some of the reviews of the book at least its a look at how the work not just a coffee table nice pics book. I really like the Gartner report... very similar to some of my own work atm. Ah well amazon here i come.

 

[primalman]

you should look at anything done by Cahan & Associates.

their book i am almost always hungry is also excellent.

YES!


bump

 

[Blue Velvet]

I've designed half-a-dozen or so annual reports in the past few years, but you asked for good, well-designed ones so we won't dwell on them here.

In my opinion, the reason that many are a little bland is that they're usually pored over and approved by a committee of board members and trustees who seem always inclined to take the safest route. Also, their intended audience is usually investors or stakeholders who are also frightened by anything risky or edgy. That's not to say that are exceptions, but this is my experience.

There's almost always a tortuous route of copy approval and accounts sign-off as well so every one within the organisation that is involved usually gets a chance to comment leading to design by committee.

Good luck with your assignment though.

 

[kretzy]

The place I work recently released theirs. As far as annual reports go, I think they did a fairly decent job of it. The cover of the printed version looked great as it was done in a matte finish.

 

[iMeowbot]

Of course I was gagging to get hold of one from Apple, but from what I've read they dont produce annual reports? Is this right? I thought it was a legal necessity (in the UK anyway).

They do have annual reports, but not in the glitzy magazine format. They seem to be content with unadorned government filings.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

In my opinion, the reason that many are a little bland is that they're usually pored over and approved by a committee of board members and trustees who seem always inclined to take the safest route. Also, their intended audience is usually investors or stakeholders who are also frightened by anything risky or edgy. That's not to say that are exceptions, but this is my experience.

There's almost always a tortuous route of copy approval and accounts sign-off as well so every one within the organisation that is involved usually gets a chance to comment leading to design by committee.

You have just described perfectly my design life, as it stands right now, working for a conservative hospital.

 

[hqsbud]

As another source of inspiration, here's the annual report for Defenders of Wildlife:

I wrote an annual report in Pages last year and scoured the Internet for inspiration, and found this one to be great graphically, and with clearly laid-out content.

My report isn't inspiring though, because it needed to be downloadable by people on dial-up, so there are hardly any graphics at all.

I heard Berkshire Hathaway's annual reports have consistently gotten awards, and theirs have absolutely no graphics at all. I would fall asleep reading those.

 

[YS2003]

you should look at anything done by Cahan & Associates.

their book i am almost always hungry is also excellent.

I checked up Amazon for I am almost always hungry. It seems it is a good read and I am going to order it now. I am thinking about getting another book on design and marketing tied in together. Are there other good reads in that field?