After sifting through countless organizations' annual reports, landing on Asana's 2023 Anatomy of Work report was a jarring experience, to say the least. I felt my brain yanked out of the drabness and monotony of corporate data reporting and thrown into a sleek, elegant, serif-filled experience that pulled the eye effortlessly down the page.
But the report isn't just fun and creative—it also tells a story. It says, "We are bold, professional market leaders—and we know what we're talking about."
The primary purpose of an annual report is to analyze your organization's performance over the year, but it's also an opportunity to share your brand's identity with stakeholders, whether it's customers or investors.
After looking through dozens of reports, I'll unpack my favorites below. And if you're just here for a template to build a report of your own—I've got you covered. Check out our annual report template here.
15 captivating annual report examples
The following organizations have proven that annual reports aren't just a bunch of numbers to nod and smile at.
1. Asana's 2023 Anatomy of Work Global Index
Asana's 2023 Anatomy of Work report is a thing of beauty. As I was researching, I saw a lot of companies pare down the amount of resources they put into a report year over year—but not Asana. This report is bold, using serif fonts, black backgrounds, and illustrations that remind me of a magazine to elevate the data.
The report's data is clear and easy to read, favoring simplicity over multimedia bells and whistles. Each insight on the page above, for example, has the stat elevated in large text above the paragraph providing more detail, guiding the reader through the data story.
Takeaways:
Sometimes, less is more. Saying exactly what needs to be said in the right order and highlighting the insights that are already there is sometimes all you need to do to have a killer report.
2. 2023 Everlane Impact Report
For sustainable fashion retailer Everlane, it's just as important to communicate ethical goals and accomplishments as it is to report on financial success.
The company's 2023 Impact Report is all about transparency. It holds itself accountable to its commitment to sustainability by illustrating how its processes make up its carbon footprint. While this opens the door to criticism, honesty goes a long way in the sustainable fashion industry.
From a design perspective, natural tones dominate the report, echoing the brand's commitment to eco-friendliness. No hot pinks or neon turquoises in sight—just forest greens, deep-sea blues, earthy browns, and other natural tones. Overall, the report successfully models how to use design to communicate brand image.
Takeaways:
If your brand is committed to an ethical cause, be transparent about how you're tracking toward that cause.
Keep your color scheme consistent with your brand image.
3. The Trevor Project's 2023 Annual Report
The last thing an annual report should be is wordy and difficult to digest. In its 2023 Annual Report, The Trevor Project—the world's largest LGBTQ+ crisis intervention and suicide prevention organization—includes statistics and valuable information about its efforts while keeping things clear and succinct.
The report uses large headers, highlights, and strategic bolding to present how they're working to innovate, educate, and advocate for young members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Not all data evokes sunshine and butterflies, and The Trevor Project's report uses a clean, streamlined design to keep the focus on what matters most to them.
Takeaways:
Keep copy light and succinct wherever possible.
Call attention to your most important points through bolding, headers, and bullet points.
4. Mailchimp's 2020 Annual Report
Nobody does interactivity quite like Mailchimp. Their award-winning 2020 Annual Report is still one of the greatest annual reports I've ever seen, even a few years after its release. It feels like a video game, with the screen moving horizontally rather than vertically as the user scrolls. It even integrates hidden mini-games for the user to play. (The game with the cat fighting the evil vending machine is harder than it looks.)
The report highlights the company's success statistics, philanthropic efforts, fun facts, and some customer case studies, creating unique, colorful worlds for each of these sections.
Mailchimp is known for innovative communication solutions, and their annual report design is no exception. Overall, the company reminds us that business and fun don't have to live in totally separate realms.
Takeaways:
Implement interactivity to keep your readers engaged.
If doing so aligns with your brand image, creatively convey data using color and animation.
5. USAA's 2023 Annual Report to Members
USAA provides military families with insurance, banking, and retirement assistance, among other forms of support. There's a lot to take away from their 2023 Annual Report.
The report is divided into sections that each highlight parts of USAA's core values, including financial security, honoring those who serve, and building communities. Within each section, they break down findings from studies they conducted, as well as case studies on how USAA reacted to this data and what they're doing to protect their members. This comes together to present a compelling story.
The report's imagery also evokes an emotional reaction, depicting tender moments between servicemembers in uniform and their families. All in all, the report's endearing photography, powerful data, and use of colors associated with the military (like deep navy blue) effectively communicate USAA's mission.
Takeaways:
Let your design speak for itself by choosing fonts and font colors that embody your mission.
6. adidas Annual Report 2023
With a simple and lively user interface reminiscent of Apple's dramatized product releases, adidas's 2023 Annual Report is bold and proud. The report's minimalistic wording and huge callouts communicate, "We have nothing to hide."
The user's entire browser transitions with every scroll, each view summarizing a key takeaway and offering a link to additional details. This keeps things simple for the user while still making all important information easily accessible.
To level up user experience even further, the report offers a dashboard view showcasing the most important metrics, which you can click into for further details.
adidas is known worldwide for its influence in the athletic footwear and clothing industry, and its report's bold use of black and white, as well as its moving imagery, echo this reputation.
Takeaways:
If relevant, include photography of your audience or market.
Get creative with UX both in your report's landing page interface and in any supplemental tools you share.
7. Google Diversity Annual Report 2023
When looking for design and tone inspiration, Google rarely fails to impress. While not a traditional annual report, Google's 2023 Diversity Annual Report is reflective, inspiring, and human. These qualities show up most prominently in the company's voice and tone—for example, the report opens with a conversational and humble statement: "Strengthening our culture of respect for all."
You may think that Google, being one of the most successful tech giants in the world, doesn't have much growing to do. But their report's tone suggests they do—and they're working to improve every day.
Much like adidas, Google summarizes its most important efforts and wins while offering a link to a more extensive PDF report. Through and through, the report is clean and easy to digest.
Overall, the report's clean, clear, and data-driven design speaks to the company's mastery of technological expertise and human communication alike. It's simple, straightforward, and communicates key points clearly and efficiently.
Takeaways:
Keep your voice and tone consistent with your brand image while aiming to sound human and approachable.
8. Conservation International's 2021 Annual Report
I encountered a lot of lively, optimistic annual reports in my search. Conservation International takes a very different approach in their still-impactful 2021 Report—what you may call a "doom and gloom" approach—but it works.
The report's cover reads: "Not a moment to lose," followed by the deadlines the world has to get its act together. In a brilliant continuation of this theme, the report shows page numbers in a digital stopwatch format, as if each page represents a second in the countdown toward climate disaster.
Anxiety inducing? Yes. Effective? 100%.
The report also incorporates breathtaking photography of nature and wildlife, showcasing what the organization aims to protect.
Takeaways:
Design a cover that grabs your readers' attention from the start.
Evoke an emotional response using real-life photography.
9. World Bank's 2023 Annual Report
Altruism and philanthropy aren't the first words that come to mind when an organization has the word "bank" in its name. But World Bank isn't your average bank, and its 2023 Annual Report makes that very clear.
The report leans heavily on storytelling photography that humanizes the brand and the ideas within the report. It does an excellent job presenting its achievements as well as its mission to support countries in times of crisis, help develop their infrastructure, and improve the quality of education and health care worldwide. The cover and the first few pages tell a story that I didn't expect from a government entity. I expected pages oversaturated with charts, a heavy focus on revenue, and very little relatability. Instead, they managed to change my perspective on the organization almost immediately.
When bureaucracy is the name of the game, design and engaging content usually take a backseat. This is a mold that World Bank manages to defy and reshape.
Takeaways:
Use your report as an opportunity to debunk any common misconceptions about your brand.
Speak to your achievements as simply and directly as possible.
10. Habitat for Humanity's 2022 Annual Report
The Habitat for Humanity 2022 annual report doesn't tell a story. It tells many different stories—human ones that captivate the reader, with photographs of and quotes from the actual people Habitat helped.
Habitat for Humanity also goes the extra mile with its delivery, providing both a downloadable file and a dynamic webpage that highlights key points from the full report. This gives busy stakeholders access to an overview that they can quickly digest.
Takeaways:
Get creative with your report delivery method. Highlight the most important points from the report through interactive or dynamic webpages.
Prioritize real stories and examples, as they create a personal connection with the reader, making your brand more approachable.
11. Salesforce's 2023 Annual Report
Salesforce does an excellent job of staying true to its branding in its 2023 Annual Report. The illustrations, color scheme, and overall tone are consistent with the company's website, social media, and other branded assets.
I was particularly impressed with its clever use of margins—instead of filling up the void with colors and shapes that may or may not stimulate the reader, Salesforce filled the space with achievements and stats instead. These little nuggets of information are eye-catching, effectively summarize important contents, and keep the reader engaged.
Takeaways:
Keep the report's style and color scheme consistent with your branding and public image.
Make use of otherwise empty space on the page to deliver key information in digestible pieces.
12. Subaru's 2024 Integrated Report
Subaru's 2024 Integrated Report is all about the company's mission of "Delivering happiness to all", and how the company has accomplished this throughout the years.
Sure, it's packed to the brim with information, but its presentation, utilizing charts, graphs, and creative roadmaps, keeps stakeholders engaged.
Takeaways:
Be flexible in how you communicate information—it doesn't have to be a wall of text.
13. Semrush's 2024 Content Marketing Report
Semrush showcases timely and relevant data in their 2024 Content Marketing Report. It's the question content marketers everywhere are asking here in the era of artificial intelligence: AI, what is it good for?
This report covers the state of AI use in content marketing, including who's using it, where they're using it, and whether they would think about using it in the future. (Also, those gradients are gorgeous.)
Takeaways:
Ask good questions. The best annual reports ask questions and deliver data your audience is actually interested in hearing about. Your readers will be more likely to click on reports that contain data that's relevant to them rather than data that's only interesting to you.
14. Girls Who Code's 2022 Annual Report
The Girls Who Code 2022 Annual Report is an interactive webpage that has it all—even more so than their more recent edition. Bright colors, interactivity, a responsive page that changes colors as you scroll. It really draws the eye to each individual data point and emphasizes the most important data with dynamic graphs.
The report also presents a clear and compelling data story—showing how Girls Who Code is closing the gender parity gap in tech, from the number of students served all the way to video interviews with program alumni.
Takeaways:
The importance of a strong narrative throughline in your annual report can't be overstated. What story do your numbers tell? Make sure you're presenting your data in a way that tells a clear story from beginning to end.
15. Planned Parenthood's 2023 Annual Report
Planned Parenthood's 2023 Annual Report boasts an arresting color combination. Using magenta against cyan and yellow in a report would probably horrify your graphic design team if you suggested it—but the result is a report that grabs your attention so you can't look away.
While bright and a little overwhelming on the first page, the colors serve to highlight the subject matter and draw the eye from page to page.
The report is packed with facts and statistics, using data paired with stories about the organization's work to paint a compelling picture of what they do and how to support them.
Takeaways:
Use color to your advantage—you can call attention to the numbers and details that matter most by using bright colors and bold letters to draw the reader's eye where you want it to go.
Annual report template
It's one thing to be impressed by an annual report—it's another thing to create one. To make that easier for everyone, I put together an annual report template you can use as a foundation to build your own.
Using this template is simple. Just make a copy of the template linked above, and then fill in all that delicious lorum ipsum placeholder text with your organization's up-to-date data and narrative. You'll want to do your own research and plan your team's story before using this template—but once you have that data, this template is a great tool for laying out all your research cleanly and clearly.
How to design an annual report
If you want to impress your audience with your annual report, you can't cut corners. Here are some tips on how to live up to the examples above.
1. Include all relevant sections
Before worrying about your report's look and feel, confirm it contains the following sections:
Letter from the CEO or other leaders: This is leadership's opportunity to briefly tell stakeholders your organization's story and summarize some key wins, as well as what's to come moving forward.
Table of contents: Annual reports tend to be 30+ pages long, but nobody has time to read an entire report from cover to cover. Make things easier for your readers by including navigation like a menu or a table of contents.
Organizational overview: Hopefully, you spent more than five minutes developing your organization's mission statement. Now's your time to share some highlights about who you are and what you do with your stakeholders.
Performance discussion and analysis: Data visualizations are key here. You don't want your stakeholders falling asleep at their desks as they try to interpret a wall of copy and numbers describing your organization's performance.
Financial summary: Every annual report should include the organization's financial statements, breaking down your profits or losses over the year for stakeholders and potential investors.
If you have testimonials or case studies you can add to your report, all the better. While not necessary, concrete proof of your organization's success goes a long way when it comes to securing investor support.
2. Captivate with the cover or landing page
Your report's cover should tell a visual story that grabs the reader's attention and sets the tone for the rest of the report.
While many of the above reports execute this well, I'd argue Conservation International's cover edges out the others. It ropes readers in with nothing short of a stark warning, then proceeds to lay out what they're doing to protect the Earth (and what still needs to be done).
Many organizations also include a landing page that summarizes some of their most important achievements and data points from the past year. From this page, the user can click a button to download the organization's full report. Everlane's Impact Report landing page does a great job of stating its mission upfront, using large headers and bold statistics to grab attention, and keeping copy light.
3. Include data visualizations
Even educated professionals and subject matter experts prefer organized, color-coded charts and graphs to numerical data that reaches the nth row of an Excel spreadsheet. This holds especially true for potential investors who may know very little about your industry.
Don't be afraid to branch away from traditional data visualization formats—not everything needs to be a bar or pie chart. Integrate maps, flowcharts, 3D graphs, and other creative methods of communicating through design. Employ your organization's graphic design expertise to make your data digestible. If you don't have any in-house experts, source help from a third party.
Of course, it's important to implement data visualizations in moderation and to add context to the ones you include, keeping your report readable and accessible to everyone.
4. Implement interactivity
Have you ever listened to a tour guide talk about an exhibit for 20 minutes without asking the audience any questions? I almost have, but I fell asleep after 15.
When something encourages action, it's more likely to hold a user's attention. Mailchimp's report integrates a moving character, pop-ups, clickable elements, and mini-games to keep the user scrolling and engaged.
5. Bring attention to what's important
An annual report's format and structure should call attention to its key points. Your goal shouldn't be to fill every bit of white space with text. Add a summary page before each section highlighting what's to come. Use large fonts, color, and bolding to call attention to your organization's most impressive stats.
6. Incorporate feedback from internal stakeholders
No report is an island. Be sure to incorporate relevant stakeholders from other departments who can advise on the scope of data and visualizations they'd like to see as you work on your annual report.
For the best results, consult other team members during the creation process, not after, so that you aren't stuck making a lot of heavy-duty edits during the revision stage.
Some stakeholders you might want to consult include:
Finance/accounting departments: This team can help make sure all financial data is in order and 1,000% accurate—and they also have great insights into financial data visualization.
PR teams: Need help presenting a brand-accurate narrative or putting the brand's best foot forward? Look no further than your local PR team.
Legal departments: A legal review is crucial for any major report. This team will ensure you meet any regulatory requirements or include important disclosures.
Executive management: An executive review will help shape the overall tone of the report and make sure today's report matches tomorrow's vision for the company.
7. Surprise your readers
While stylistic consistency is important, don't be afraid to mix up your formatting frequently throughout your report. A sudden color shift, a fresh new data visualization, or a cover page with a lot of empty space can keep readers engaged and wondering what's to come. Nobody likes a boring report—surprising elements can add some excitement while still telling your brand's story.
Corporation vs. non-profit annual report design
Your annual report design should look different if you're a non-profit than if you're a corporation. Non-profits are heavily mission-focused and should aim to fundraise with their annual report design, perhaps using emotional imagery and inspiring goals. Corporations, on the other hand, should center their reports around their progress toward profit goals and should command the attention of investors.
Regardless of what type of organization you are, remember to leverage your strengths in your report. Do you have a long history like USAA does? A timeline of your progress over the years could be a powerful visual. Do you operate in several countries? Consider adding a map that illustrates your expansiveness.
Streamline reporting with automation
Annual reports pose an opportunity to get creative with how you communicate your brand's identity, but they also serve an important purpose: impressing your audience. As you get started, remember to strike a balance between creativity, content, and clarity.
Before you build a report, you first need to collect the right data and make it digestible. Use Zapier to integrate your favorite data analytics and business intelligence software with your creative tools, speeding up the report-building process.
Zapier is the leader in workflow automation—integrating with thousands of apps from partners like Google, Salesforce, and Microsoft. Use interfaces, data tables, and logic to build secure, automated systems for your business-critical workflows across your organization's technology stack. Learn more.
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This article was originally published in September 2022 and has since been updated with contributions from Hachem Ramki and Abigail Sims. The most recent update was in November 2024.
