Creating an annual review to reach out to new donors

In 2021 Amnesty International marked their 60th year fighting for human rights. As the world started to emerge from the pandemic, travel restrictions were lifted and their global teams were able to begin on-the-ground investigations again.

Reviewing and reporting on this significant year for the charity was a hugely important task, and we were privileged to be asked to create the Amnesty International UK Annual Review 2021.

After their previous annual review was not as impactful as they would have liked, for the 2021 review we agreed it was vital to re-align the design with their brand.

The finished document needed to tell their stories in an accessible yet impactful way, presenting the difference their work had made in the UK and across the world. The charity wanted this document to be a key marketing item for major donors, so it was also important to address the ongoing need for support.

Rise to the challenge

We created a collection of striking graphics in Amnesty International’s core black and yellow, to show their key information in clear, impactful figures.

Throughout the annual review document, we made use of their brand’s wide colour palette, but implemented it in a way that was tasteful and easy to read.

The charity supplied some powerful photos and illustrations, and we made best use of these to introduce and supplement each story, combined with visual elements of the brand.

During briefing, Amnesty International asked us to consider some other ways of portraying their financial information, after their previous annual review contained numerous pie charts with too many small ‘slices’ to see.

We created modern, streamlined bars – making full use of the brand colours – to portray the financial data in a more accessible way. The double-page spread was designed to feel clear and organised, in a way that wouldn’t have been possible with pies.

Spread the word

As the document took shape and the proofs were circulated among Amnesty International’s team, they saw the value in the review and asked us to increase the number of copies we’d be printing. This was the highest compliment for our design, since the previous report had mostly been used as their internal document rather than being circulated widely.

The finished report is an A4 size booklet, printed on high-quality recycled paper. It was well-received by the charity’s fundraising, finance and legacy teams, and was mailed to around 8000 of Amnesty International’s supporters, as well as hundreds of their major donors.