Trends in Annual Reports

Introduction: What are the Top Annual Report Trends to Watch Out for in 2022?

With the digital transformation of the world and disruption in every industry, it is becoming more and more important to be able to keep up with the latest trends.

You can get a feel for what a company is all about by reading their latest annual report. Financial reports may be boring for most people and statutory reports may contain limited information, but as a company, it is your responsibility to use the Annual Report to show your business in its best light.

Marketers are using parts of the Annual Report for promotional activities by integrating promotional elements within the design - what better way to showcase your recent successes than with a professional and satisfying Annual Report. Having an attractive and interesting Annual Report will generate interest in the services you offer. In health services and not-for-profit organizations for example, this is a major source of funding or donations.

1. Colourful & Personalised Annual Reports

The annual report is a document that communicates the state of the company to its stakeholders. Annual reports are a form of corporate communication and are often used as a marketing tool.

It’s not just about the numbers anymore. Annual reports have evolved from being a summary of financial data to being an opportunity for companies to tell their story in an engaging and interactive way, with graphics, videos, infographics and more. Annual reports have also become more colourful and personalised, with each one becoming unique for each company or organisation.

2. Typographic Design that is Modern and Elegant for Annual Reports

Typography is the art and design of arranging type in order to make language visible. Typographic design can be used for many purposes, such as to enhance the aesthetic appeal of a book or other text-based product, or to provide a means of distinguishing between sections of text.

The typeface is Helvetica Neue, which is a modern sans-serif font that was designed to be neutral and easy to read in any language. It has been used as the corporate font for many international companies, such as Apple Inc., General Electric, Volkswagen AG, Ford Motor Company and Panasonic Corporation.

Size of text is also very important in creating a modern and elegant typographic design. The text should not be too small or too big but just right so that it can be easily read by people who are looking at the design. The optimal font size for body text in annual reports is 12 pixels.

3. Diversification of Design Elements in Annual Reports

The design of annual reports has evolved over the years to include a variety of different elements that are meant to appeal to a diverse audience. This is because the companies want their reports to be as visually appealing and easy-to-read as possible. The design of annual reports has changed from being primarily text-based in the 1980s, to now including more graphics, infographics, and images.

Design elements are the fundamental building blocks of a design and are the visual components that make up a design, such as typefaces, colors, shapes and images. These elements can be combined in different ways to produce something that is aesthetically pleasing and easy to read.

Designers often use more than one design element in their work, but they should always be careful not to overuse them. When there are too many elements on the same page, this can cause confusion for users, generally making it difficult for them to find what they are looking for.

4. Clean & Minimalist Designs Resonate with the Audience

The modern design is all about cleanliness, minimalism and simplicity. The more that can be removed and the less that can be added, the better it is.

It is an ongoing battle to find a balance between simplicity and functionality, i.e.to be able to make something aesthetically pleasing while still being functional enough to do what it was intended for.

Conclusion

Annual reports are loaded with information about a company’s year in review.  It is important to present that information in a way that is easy enough for the readers to digest and understand. Users may not want to know everything within the annual report so there must be some attention given to how easy readers can find the information that they are looking for.

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While the content of annual reports remains a review of the company’s activities and performance in the prior year, new trends in design are making them easier to read, more interesting and indeed more exciting. New trends in graphic design and technology now provide the ability to create more attention grabbing reports.  Moreover, the increase in digital platforms is now an important consideration in annual report designs.

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