Annual Report design: Telling the human story
Every business has a human element and a story to tell. even if you sell robots, software or rubber flanges. Human stories are what people want to read about, they can bring any report alive and add a different dimension to an annual report.
There are lots of different opportunities in discovering what your stories might be. The first step is to look at what you do, who ‘makes it happen’ and of course your clients and customers.
Some businesses and programmes offer obvious opportunities, like entrepreneurial schemes where the results can change an individual’s life and career. Others may need a little more digging.
We recently delivered an annual report for David MacBrayne. This organisation is owned by the Scottish government and provides ferry services to the distant and remote Scottish islands. They are a lifeline to their communities.
Navig8 works with clients across the globe and our working practises remove any barrier when working with organisation far and wide.
David MacBrayne is a brand that is hidden behind a complex group structure and public-facing companies (CALMAC for instance). This report would help re-establish who they are and what they do.
Setting aside the benchmark quality reporting we put in place in all of our reports, we consulted with the client and established some key communication goals. The organisation has a rich history and a ‘hidden’ team of people that keep the wheels turning and deliver customers safely and happily to their destinations.
We established a group of individuals that would help tell the story of David MacBrayne’s vital service. These included:
A skipper
A maintenance technician
A ticket sales and customers service representative
A tradesman
What was the other?
We then set about putting together an interview framework, gathering contact details and arranging telephone interviews. We also coordinated a photoshoot to capture the subjects going about their day-to-day business.
We edited down the content to give a consistent word count and structure without losing the individual’s personal story and voice. We used pull-out quotes and where possible, statistics. For example, Gavin had worked as an engineer, keeping the engine running for 16 years, or the fact that customers dealt with 1,120 calls a day.
We then devised a report structure to ‘weave in the stories into the main content of the report, aligning the stories where possible with the narrative.
We capitalised on the location shoot to capture ferry operatives, customers and staff and photographed images of people delivering CALMAC’s service. This year there would be fewer photos of boats and more people.
The end result was a report that felt like a more human, approachable organisation that plays a huge part in the community; not just its customers but also its staff. It was a step-change in tone and communication.
Every organisation has a human story to tell, you just have to seek them out. We can help you with that.