For two decades the annual has been evolving under pressure from economic, social and technological forces. In this special feature on annual report design, several top practitioners tell us, in their own words, about recent projects they have executed - and about both the short-term and long-term challenges facing corporate report design. Among their observations…

SHORT TERM
In today’s challenging economy, the client’s message must be perfectly focused, concise, aligned with the needs of the organization and differentiated from competitors; designers must keep costs down by thinking lean and efficient in their selection of paper, production and printing techniques; and alternative media present opportunities to complement the printed report while stretching tight budgets.

LONG TERM
Looking at the broader sweep of time, annuals continue to be less about the financials and more about the marketing message; many reports are being influenced in content and form by the corporate social responsibility, sustainability and transparency movements; print versions provide gravitas and credibility but online versions are growing in sophistication, and some reports migrate to the web; and there is still room for the report that steps out of the box in tone, style or format to touch an audience and communicate the essence of a company.

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