People don't read annual reports from cover to cover. They skim, scan and read ‘bite-sized’ chunks. In fact, research has found after reading a report, that most users only remember three key points.

Design helps prioritise these key messages without swamping readers with unnecessary detail.

A measure of a successful report is the ability to communicate a snapshot of an organisation in the five-minute ‘reception’ read. The snapshot, the elevator speil, the helicopter view – call it what you will – should be presented with such clarity that after a quick flick of the first few pages, a reader has got the gist of an organisation.