I have gathered the information, written, edited and/or prepared, or many reports.

Although the resultant product has always been a sense of pride for me, my experience in its preparation has ranged between challenging, enjoyable and horrendous.

I am pretty sure that I am not Robinson Crusoe in this experience. The planning stage of an annual report is critical to its success and given that it will soon be time to start thinking about your 2015/2016 report, I have put some notes together to keep in mind this year. It is never too early to start planning.

Planning the report

Take time to ensure that all relevant directors and senior executives are clear on how they want the report to portray the organisation. Don’t be afraid to bring in some examples of your own. Keep track of reports that inspire you and bring them to meetings where layout and presentation is discussed.

Presentation: Will the report be printed, sent out as a PDF or online?

An early decision on how the report will be presented will make a big difference to your planning

Theme: Having a theme that all directors agreed on early will also make a big difference

A theme helps you to keep the report cohesive and makes it easier to find the stories that will make it pop. Also keep in mind – Who is going to write it? Will there be a single cohesive voice or a range of voices from across the organisation. It will be more coherent if written by one person, or written by section leaders and edited by one person for consistency.

Timeline: Make sure that you have a timeline and that everyone knows what it is and sticks to it.

If everyone knows when they have to write/submit/report back on information, you have a hope of getting it ready by the planned date without a nervous breakdown, send out reminders and make sure that the timeline is reasonable

Quality of photos: Start going through photos; make a list of the types of photos that you still need

You want photos that engage emotions and they need to be the right quality for the platform that you have decided to use to present the report.

Availability of stories: Don’t wait until ‘Annual Report time’ to start asking for stories

Remind teams regularly that you need stories for the report and that they should be keeping track of them all year. If they are not used in the report, there are likely many other uses for them.

Understanding regulatory requirements on Annual Reports –

Governments require certain things from government departments and funded organisations. Make sure that you know what is required of you, but don’t let it get in the way of an engaging report.

Acknowledge sponsors/donors/VIP – Thank everyone who helped your organisation grow One of the many things that can go wrong in an Annual Report is that at the last minute you start scrambling for your lists of people, organisations and government departments to thank. Or that you

Now for the content

Your accomplishments are more engaging than your activities. Paint a picture – what were your results? What difference did they make? How do they line up with your mission and vision? How did they inspire your staff/clients/customers? How can they inspire those looking at your annual report?

Audience

Your annual report audience is likely to be broad. Brainstorm all the people who will be interested in your report and keep them in mind while writing it. This could include board members, staff members, volunteers, shareholders, members of parliament, advocacy groups, regulators, competitors, financial specialists, lenders, creditors and journalists.

Photos

Images are essential, if you want your report to be understood and appreciated. Many people will not read the report right through, so make sure that your images are remarkable and have captions that tell your story of how the photo relates to your mission or an accomplishment you made.

Do you have something in place to make sure that someone is responsible for taking photos at your events and celebrations? This is a great way to get a variety of images. Better yet, if there are no/ few proficient photographers in your communications team, invest in photography training so that staff have a few tips that will make a big difference.

Is there also something in place to ensure that every photo at your disposal has written consent for use? That is essential and that the consent forms area easily identified with the person in the photo and easy to call up at any time.

The financials

I know that if I am going to have trouble reading any of the report, it will be reading the financial statements and interpreting the tables. This is often exacerbated by a tiny font. Consider a narrative written in plain English as well as the financial statements and tables so that all readers and viewers can get a clearer picture of your financial situation.

Regulation

Parliaments require specific information included in reports written by government departments and some other organisations. Make sure that you comply, but don’t let it stifle your creativity.

Acknowledgments

Don’t forget to acknowledge All your donors, supporters, funders

Contact us for help with your Annual Report

We love annual reports and we can – advise, write, edit – anything but design… We should have included – get a professional designer!

The post The early bird gets the …. Time to start thinking about planning your Annual Report appeared first on Agility Communications.

Just a couple of small issues. There is no sound on my computer, and each of us lived more than 100 kms from each of the other of us. Found the technology, (twice). It didn’t work either time. So while I go back to the drawing board for the rest of the year, I will present my topic and two guest speakers as an interview.

Our interview was all about the colour green. To be precise, Pantone’s 2017 colour of the year – Greenery.

Pantone describes Greenery “as a life-affirming shade, emblematic of the pursuit of personal passions and vitality”. Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate.

Our first guest, graphic designer and interior designer, Alana Ryan starts off by telling us a bit about green from a design point of view.

Alana is currently working as an interior designer for a wholesale textile company. Alana’s passion for all things design, led her to further her skills by studying graphic design.

She works full time in the interior design industry, whilst completing small to large graphic projects under her own business name AR.C Design Studio.

Alana has done some graphic design projects for some of my clients and I can highly recommend her.

Welcome Alana

I am interested in your thoughts as a designer on using a colour of the year, whether it be in graphic design or in the new office – is there a risk that the colour defines itself as 2017 into the future?

The Colour of the year is selected as a trend forecast as the colour that is expected to been seen throughout fashion, design and culture coming forward.

Trends are trends, they do usually have an expiry date. However, working in design, I have seen the interest in the colour green increase in the past 1-2 years, although previously they were richer colours such as Emerald Green.

With the current trend and society pushing towards the importance of health and wellbeing, sustainability, and the current trends in Interior Design (in regards to indoor plants etc), this colour makes sense on a global scale.

It is great to see such a fresh and vibrant green like Greenery forecasted for this year.

Do you think being a colour of the year influences decisions about colour in graphic design?

Yes, to a certain extent. Design is always about being on trend or the next best thing. As Greenery becomes popular and known through use, the colour may influence the way of colour schemes, the overall feel and font colour choices.

However, in terms of web design and marketing design I think the colour of the year has less of an impact.

Generally the selection of colour for web design/marketing is selected to reflect the brand, and although it is important to keep up with current trends it is also important to create a difference whilst also reflecting the brand.

This colour will most likely be used throughout web and marketing purposes for business/websites/for marketing collateral day spas, wellbeing etc. due to green being related to peace, nature and relaxation.

Would businesses would use the colour because it is the colour of the year, or is it the colour of the year because people are using it?

In terms of interior design, I think we will start to see this colour throughout homes in coming months, through paint and decor accessories, but also in fabrics such as velvets and linens for upholstery and cushions.

I think the colour will be used in different ways – paired with warm colours such as reds and yellows for a tropical scheme or with blues for a cooler look and feel, or even with neutrals to make the colour of the year stand out.

Interior design is very much about what is on trend and how it can be used in relation to what the client already has or their needs. Whereas I find graphic design, particularly in relation to business, is more about the brand and what it reflects.

What does green mean to you as a designer?

To me, green is the colour of Relaxation, Calmness, Balance, Growth and Sustainability. It reflects our environment, our nature, our landscape. It’s part of our everyday life, Pantone describe it as ‘our nature’s neutral’ and I absolutely agree!

I would now like to introduce our second guest Dari Rees (of Dari Rees Colours).

Dari has been working with colour professionally for over 30 years. She originally qualified with Beauty for all Seasons USA which complemented her background in fashion and soft furnishings.

Dari’s focuses on how we can use colour to enhance our lives and see ourselves as unique with our own style expression, regardless of fads and fashion, regardless of income or status.

She has worked extensively with women in transition and is an Aura-Soma® Practitioner. Dari describes herself as a Colour Tarotist, an Intuitive Colour Catalyst, Soul Stylist and Wardrobe Warrior.

Welcome Dari, I wonder if you can talk to us about the colour greenery in an esoteric sense?

What does that mean for 2017?

Green in general will allow the space we need to do the things that need to be done. Thus, if we tune into green we will feel that we have more time and space.

Pantone’s colour of the year Greenery, has quite a lot of yellow in it and I feel that working with this colour may lead to more cooperation as opposed to competition. Bringing more feminine leadership. More like minded people joining together. This colour is a unifier, a lively colour which brings about the opportunity for regeneration and healing.

Everyone needs green in some form as it helps us with direction, making decisions, generosity, freedom and openness. An absolute breath of fresh air!

Some of the Pantone choices come and go but I feel that Greenery is of benefit to all.

Do you think that businesses are influenced by a colour of the year?

Businesses will always be curious about latest trends and will be influenced in some way. Even if it is coffee cups and cushions!

I feel that this is a great colour for business this year, as it lightens things up giving more hope and possibility. To be more consciously aware of this colour in business should bring results.

The post Green is the new black, but can a colour really influence your business? appeared first on Agility Communications.

For some reason, blogs about fonts and typography often show up in January. They are nearly always a good read and an opportunity to learn something new and this one from Hubspot is no exception.

The post Which emotions do the fonts you use elicit from your audience? appeared first on Agility Communications.

And let’s face it – everyone loves a celebration. It’s fun, it lifts spirits, it builds connection and community, and it makes us all feel better about who we, and each other, are.

There can be some really simple things you can do in your service to make those celebrations alive a vibrant for your clients. It doesn’t matter whether you have people at your service who identify with the communities that the various International Days commemorate – but of course it’s great if you do and, more likely than not, you will.

Here’s a list of some of the days you might like to think about including in your service’s program of celebrations:

•  May 15 International Day of Families
• May 17 International Day against homophobia, bi-phobia and transphobia
• May 21 World Day for Cultural Diversity
• May 27-June3 (including May 26, National Sorry Day) National Reconciliation Week
• 1 June Global Day of Parents
• 7 June Ramadan begins
• 19-25 June Refugee Week
• 20 June World Refugee Day
• 3-10 July NAIDOC week
• 7 July Eid Al Fitr

A good way to plan for these days is to include your clients in discussions about what might be done. Even planning a celebration can be as much fun, and as strongly building of community, as the celebration itself.

Each of these days celebrate different people, cultures and events. They all generate their own possibilities for something to mark the day. A day that celebrates families and parents, for example, could be celebrated by people sharing photos of their own families, their own children and parents, or telling stories. Your clients’ families could be encouraged to come along and be part of this.

For a day like International Day against homophobia, bi-phobia and transphobia, you could show a film like Priscilla: Queen of the Desert.

On days that celebrate particular cultures, or commemorate important events in their history, such as Sorry Day or the beginning of Ramadan, you could bring into your service a representative of the community being marked by the day, and they could chat with clients about the history of their culture, or even just tell their own personal story as an indigenous person, a Muslim person, and so on. Imagine the stories that could be told about the thousands of years of Aboriginal history of the place at which your service is located! Foods from different cultures could be part of the day, or displays of art and music.

For something like Refugee Week, chances are that there are people using your service who have themselves come from backgrounds where they needed to flee persecution and war. Many will still have memories and stories to share. You could spend a day encouraging them to do this, find pictures and old newspaper clippings about the journeys people have made to Australia, and have them on display throughout your service. Libraries and the Internet can be great sources for this sort of archival material.

All of these celebrations provide you with the opportunity to involve the outside community in your service, too. There are community organisations that are devoted to each of the issues commemorated on these days, and many of them will be more than keen to engage with the people using your service.

The possibilities are endless – and the important thing to do is to try to think what will resonate with and connect to the people who use your service. Even though some of these days are about very serious issues, the day can still be about having fun, sharing yarns, and encouraging respect. It’s a chance to discover, and to rediscover, that, regardless of age, life and communities are full of different histories, different stories, different ways of celebrating what it means to be a person.

Agility can help you with planning these sorts of days. We can come and spend time with your staff and talk about strategies you might want to adopt for planning a celebration with your service users in a way that will be meaningful for them, and in which they can be genuinely and meaningfully included. We can also help you to get media to your event to highlight your diversity and ability to connect with community.

No one should miss out on a chance for a party, or simply to sit down and listen to someone else tell an amazing tale about an amazing past.

For more on making your service accessible to a diverse range of people see Are your aged care services inclusive and supportive of your LGBTI clients 

Henna print on hand

The post Can’t find your point of difference? Make it diversity. appeared first on Agility Communications.