My friends welcomed a baby earlier last month and asked me to make their announcements because they couldn’t find something they both really liked. I put this together using their suggestions and an idea I had in my mind. Obviously their kid is adorable and the main focus of the announcement, but the details and info are presented in a way that they’re really happy with. I’ve blurred the middle and last names for obvious reasons.
At the end of 2011 I made the 2011 Annual Report for HAVEN, something that’s created and mailed each year and used throughout the year. Because it’s such a valuable communications tool I wanted to make sure I kept it cost-effective and utilized all the space at my disposal.
First I analyzed what didn’t work about the 2010 version. There was too much wasted space. Half the pages were used to show donor names! And even those weren’t using the entire page. I got to work and ended up with a layout that worked exceptionally well, and didn’t cost us any more than what was budgeted for, but it allowed me more space for client stories and even opened up two additional pages for the new capital campaign. Below are side-by-side comparisons of the 2010 and 2011 reports, or you can click here to view the 2011 report (PDF).
Everything in the 2011 version was written, edited, designed, chosen and laid out by me. I was so excited when it was approved, went to print and came back into office. Other employees also really liked the layout and the variety (and length!) of the client stories.
Susan Aumiller 