Design and Writing: Annual Reports
I read annual reports of the company I’m looking at and I read the annual reports of the competitors — that is the main source of material.
Warren Buffett
Compared to flashy magazine ads and glossy, multi-page brochures, a company’s annual report is not exactly the go-to publication for high-quality design. But, as Warren Buffett suggests, it continues to be the key marker for a company’s fiscal growth and wellbeing.
In 2012, I accepted a service position for my alma mater. As the new Vice President of Communication for the Brown University Latino Alumni Council, I was eager to raise the profile of the group among the greater university alumni community as well as building on strong internal communication with the Latinx alumni community. After outfitting the group with a social media presence, revamping its website, and promoting the first ever on-campus Latino Reunion Weekend, I knew I had set the bar high for my final task in the position –– the group’s annual report. The final product, however, was merely enhanced by the numerous other projects throughout the year. It is the highlighting of accomplishments and discussion about a group’s bright future after all that makes an annual report worth reading.
A year later, I was tasked with producing an independent school’s annual report after it had taken a four-year hiatus. I was thrilled by the idea of bringing back such a powerful corporate tool. Even more so, I knew there was already some great material for me to work with––recent images from the school’s contemporary ensemble concert photoshoot. The end result was a dramatic, mostly black and white piece that was both informative and featured one of the school’s niche programs. Needless to say, the school community sang its praises when they received it a few months later.
A year later, the Girls Varsity Basketball team was once again poised to win the state championship and potentially be invited to Dick’s Sporting Goods National Basketball Championship at Madison Square Garden. The annual report featured them prominently making the end product a slam dunk. But, my favorite part of this piece wasn’t the design or the photography. It was the features on the outgoing and incoming Board of Trustee Chairs (pgs. 4 and 11, respectively). Their dedication to the school is unwavering and I only hope I managed to capture a sliver of their love and respect for the community as best as I could.
From 2015-2018, I oversaw the production of my own department’s annual report and the value I place on this type of publication has only grown because of this. Annual reports offer a way of publicly thanking those that contribute to educating young minds year-round and a means of sharing all that we have collectively accomplished over the past year. When it was my turn to write my own department’s “Letter from the Director,” I found that there was always more than immediately comes to mind. It was a moment for deep reflection before beginning a new year. These annual reports have not only helped expand my own teaching (several have been designed by interns under my guidance), but they provide a chance for me to show gratitude to my team. And, because I still agree with Mr. Buffett on the importance of comparing annual reports, I have my share of fun comparing my latest publication to that first report back in 2013.
CAM 