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Birds, Bees and Annual Reports

When would a squirrel release an annual report? That sounds like a silly question, but I’ve been pondering it! I believe nature is a powerful teacher and as such, I’ve always been intrigued by biomimicry. The definition, according to the Biomimicry Institute, is “a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges—and find hope.” A classic example is Velcro. George de Mestral invented it in 1941 after noticing how burrs in the wild clung to his dog. After investigating, he realized they used tiny hooks. The rest is history.

Much of my work feels decidedly unnatural – digital visual design. Yet I don’t believe that anything is separate from nature. Many of my clients are thinking about annual reports in the beginning of the calendar year. I thought I’d explore what nature might have to offer in the way of guidance and inspiration.

Same and different

To start with, the name “annual” connects to the movement of the planet around the sun. These reports are, in fact, tied to our celestial movements. In nature, seasons are a response to changing conditions (heat and cold) – but conditions that are predictable every year. There’s sameness and change in one season. This is how I see the challenge/opportunity when it comes to annual report design. Each year we want the report to feel part of the same organization. And yet it shouldn’t feel exactly the same as the previous year. This is something I love to explore. Is there a theme for each year’s report that we can build on with photos or illustrations? Can we add a splash with a featured color or font? Can we emphasize a different aspect of the work?

Timing of the release

In my experience people frequently feel that they are behind when releasing an annual report. However, organizations are all over the map when it comes to the time of year that they publish their reports. Some people aim to get them out in the first quarter of the following year while others shoot for ANYTIME in that year, and everything in between. If you happen to be stressing and feel like you’re late with your report, I assure you – don’t worry! Besides, if all reports came at in the first quarter that means more opportunity to get lost in the crowd.

Let’s consider the natural seasons again. What kinds of things do animals and plants do on a seasonal basis? In fall they prepare for the long quiet. In winter they rest. In spring they create and make plans. In summer they frolic in the natural abundance. Which of these energies feels most appropriate for you to be sharing your impact and activities? Do you want to release it in the summer, full of energy like the flowers blooming? Or in the fall when your audience may be more reflective?

Beauty

All over nature there is attraction. When flowers attract bees or sweet tasting berries attract birds, nature offers pleasure and joy. If our goal is to have people actually read our annual reports, we must be creative as we think about how to engage people with our stories and impact. (This is what I spend my days thinking about). I’ll end with some examples. Below are some snapshots of elements I think are compelling in some recent annual reports. I hope they provide some inspiration!

Spread showing data and stories intertwined in the Calvert Impact Report I designed.

Numbers are more compelling when paired with an image that tells a story in the Girls Who Code annual report.

While working with the Baltimore Impact Hub on their report, we mixed things up by using a square format.