When designed with planning, care and intent, your company’s annual report can become a powerful storytelling tool, reference document, and brand asset; it can even excite your most difficult stakeholders. We’ve designed countless annual reports for brands that care about impact, not just compliance, here are the top 10 things we’ve learned to help elevate yours in 2025.
1. Start with the cover and theme
A strong concept should flow through every page, from headline tone to visual language. For inspo, ask your team: “What one word sums up our year?” Use these words as your creative anchors to spark bold design and clear structure.
2. Design for the section they’ll keep coming back to
There’s always one section your readers return to and reference regularly. Whether it’s financials, achievements, board commentary or program impact. Make that section stand out. Use a different colour palette, tabbed navigation (in print or digital), or a visual icon to signal “this is the good stuff.”
3. Have some fun with your achievements
If your tone of voice allows, loosen the tie a little in your achievements section. This is where you can make your report unique. Include human stories and team wins; timelines with illustrations, infographics that reflect your sector, or a “by the numbers” spread with creative commentary.
4. Use imagery strategically
Great images make pages pop and help create a reference to your company story. Choose photos that say something: real people doing real things, behind-the-scenes snapshots, or visual metaphors that reflect your theme.
5. Make it digital and dynamic
Digital Annual Reports allow for rich interactivity. Add hover effects, clickable menus, embedded video, and even animations to keep users engaged. It also future-proofs your report for mobile-first audiences and makes it easier to share and repurpose. View our latest report for DEN and how we used interactive elements to bring the annual report to life.
6. Build a narrative
Whether it is starting with the CEO’s message or your company achievements by the numbers, work for a flow that feels natural for the year that was. Headings are important and should follow the same style and tone of voice whether it be active or passive.
7. Visualise data with flair
Use bold infographics, radial charts, illustrated timelines or even thematic icons. Visual data should feel like part of your brand and be re-usable for your website or in other content.
8. Highlight impact
Without stating the obvious, this is the most important part of an annual report, especially for NFPs or member-led groups. This is where storytelling can really influence your stakeholders and ensure you receive continued support. How did your work affect people, industries, or policy? Data and storytelling here is powerful.
9. Create a one-page or video summary
Not everyone will read your 80-page opus. Consider a one-page download or short explainer video highlighting the key points. Perfect for board packs, funding proposals or media kits.
10. Launch it like a campaign
Don’t wait until your report is finished to prepare for launch. Once you have a theme and your graphics are completed you can start creating communications for roll-out including messages for socials, and a campaign across email, LinkedIn and other relevant media.
Plan for distribution well in advance: Will you print copies and how many? Who will you send it to? Many an annual report has sat waiting to see the world because the distribution lists haven’t been updated, reviewed, and approved.
Let’s make your 2025 Annual Report a standout.
At pepperit, we help businesses and associations design reports that inform, impress and inspire. Whether you need a fresh theme, bold layout or digital-first version, we can help.
