Yearly Report Layout Samples and Templates (2025 Edition)
In the world of business, an annual report is more than just a document summarising a company's financial performance. It's a platform for storytelling, a showcase of achievements, and a roadmap for the future. Here are some inspiring examples and design tips to create visually impressive and engaging annual reports.
Adidas, for instance, has set the bar high with their annual reports. The design team uses bold and high-contrast colours, animates charts, and creates gradient numbers to bring financial results to life. The reports also feature a dashboard that highlights the year's biggest developments at a glance.
The Girls Who Code annual report is another example of innovation. It features elements that become colour-coded when highlighted, a range of videos, and dynamic charts. The design is vibrant and on-brand, making the content not just seen but felt.
Non-profit organisations also understand the importance of a well-designed annual report. Compassion International Kenya's 2022 report uses photos, illustrations, and colour effectively, while World Wildlife Foundation's 2022 report focuses on bringing tigers back into the Nepalese wild with full-page images, square colour frames, and punctual white text over a turquoise background.
Simplicity is key when it comes to report design. Mailchimp's year in review report, for example, adopts a simple and minimalistic design, similar to the signature Mailchimp email layout. On the other hand, Weatherford's 2023 annual report is all about the energy of innovation, with a product video explaining the idea behind the energy of innovation, followed by a letter to shareholders and four subsequent sections with more information, each with one of the Weatherford colours as the background.
Incorporating real stories and examples, interactive maps, and multimedia elements such as videos can help build a connection with the reader, make information more digestible, and keep them engaged. Forbes found that viewers retain 95% of a message when watching it on video, compared to 10% when reading text.
Offering readers a quick overview or one-pager with your best data can help ensure they understand the most important information about your report. A dedicated website for annual reports can make them more accessible, interactive, and engaging compared to a static PDF.
When it comes to non-profit annual reports, it's essential to cover the basics like the who, what, and where your cause is driving the most impact. Don't assume that the reader knows about your brand. Make quick introductions and overviews so they can better connect to the rest of the data or content in your report.
Experimenting with different layouts each year can help keep annual reports fresh and engaging. Having an eye-catching cover can help set the tone for your brand's vision, achievements, and future goals, building trust, reinforcing leadership, and giving readers valuable insight into the brand.
In conclusion, creating visually impressive annual reports involves a combination of effective design principles, storytelling, and interactive elements. Incorporating sufficient whitespace, using a palette with a primary, secondary, and accent colour, and incorporating storytelling with clear narratives and visuals can make annual reports more captivating and memorable. By following these tips, annual reports can become effective communication tools that engage and inform their audiences.
- Data widgets and animated graphics are used in Adidas' annual reports to bring financial results to life, enhancing the visual content of the document.
- The Girls Who Code annual report, like other innovative designs, incorporates technology such as color-coded elements and dynamic charts to create a vibrant and engaging user experience.
- Non-profit organizations like Compassion International Kenya and World Wildlife Foundation also utilize technology, such as full-page images and interactive maps, to tell their stories effectively and captivate their audiences.
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