That's the question Neenah Paper posed in the AR/QA piece included in their 2010 Annual Report Kit. The piece showcases select Neenah Paper grades - from Eames Painting in Brushwork Beige to Esse Pearlized Juniper to Classic Crest Canyon Brown.Can an annual report change the economy in some way?
Neenah believes so, and we agree - but it's up to us to convince companies to produce them.
What to know how? Leave us a comment telling us how you think an Annual Report can change the world and you'll be entered to win the whole Neenah Annual Report Kit - and kaboodle.
While a finished Annual report represents the black and white portions of a business it also has the potential to impact the heart and soul of an organization, it's leaders and it's stakeholders.
ReplyDeleteNothing represents the collective effort of a organization better than an annual report. From those on the front lines providing service, to the individuals in strategic leadership positions - a story is told and when done right, people are convinced to move.
For non-profits and charitable organizations the AR can literally change lives and even save them. It can rally the troops for a cause, present a story that readers connect with and want to be a part of. When people are inspired they can, and do change the world. Lives are saved, diseases are cured and the world becomes a better place. All because someone (or sometimes multiple someone's) cared enough to tell the story and put those words to paper. Designers can make an impact and the AR is one of our best tools to do just that.
Paper and ink don't change lives. They are simply a vehicle by which information is disseminated - the same as html and pixels.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm as guilty as any designer for obsessing over a finely designed print piece where overprinted inks fall exactly as intended and the texture of the stock serves to enhance the message it presents, where a tightly set typeface allows the readers eyes to glide smoothly from word to word and line to line and where tastefully chosen imagery adds interest, but does not distract. I have never heard any designer, or reader, for that matter, attest to the physical material radically affecting the course of their life.
The physical material - cover, bound pages, ink, etc. - will not change a life. But the information can. The duty of every book is to present that information as effectively as possible. The text informs the design, and this is not to be taken lightly.
When done correctly, the information is clearly conveyed. The reader is given the chance to allow the information to affect them.
Surely this can be done in other formats. But the beauty of the printed page is that it is tangible and tactile. Its matter can serve as a physical reminder of the information contained within. A reminder of the very real way information has moved us to change.