Annual Report, Graphic Design
Development Gateway Foundation
Background
Development Gateway is an international nonprofit organization that provides Web-based platforms to make aid and development efforts more effective around the world.
Its mission is to reduce poverty and enable change in developing nations through information technology. It envisions a world in which the digital revolution serves people everywhere—creating greater opportunity through increased access to critical information and greater reliance on local capabilities.
The work of the Development Gateway Foundation focuses on areas in which the Internet can have a high impact in terms of development results: better coordination of international aid; more efficient government, particularly in procurement; and the exchange of knowledge and best practices online.
Development Gateway's Annual Report serves as a primary marketing vehicle to help generate and secure additional funding for their programs in developing countries.
The Annual Report is distributed to high profile dignitaries including Ministers of Finance in governments of foreign countries, the United Nations Development Program, World Bank, and the European Commission.
Understanding the current financial crisis impacting donors as well as global economies, Development Gateway was seeking a marketing partner to help design a publication that could resonate with a variety of audiences and accomplish its marketing objectives of fundraising and organizational promotion.
JDG Solution
JDG teamed up with Development Gateway to design and produce its 24-page plus cover, 4-color Annual Report. The goal of the Annual Report was to communicate that Development Gateway provides Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools to make aid more effective and that these tools can help reduce poverty by streamlining operations and reducing administrative and operations costs to developing countries.
The Annual Report needed to have both substance and aesthetics, whereas it would make use of high quality photographs as well as include a discussion of international treaties, why there is a need for better information about aid distribution, and how Development Gateway fills the gap. In addition, Development Gateway expressed the need to incorporate a clean and professional design while ensuring that the design was not overly polished to avoid a misrepresentation of the organization's mission and use of funds.
To help achieve this goal, JDG recommended that the report be produced on environmentally friendly paper that was of lighter weight and used a satin finish as opposed to a high gloss stock. In addition, JDG chose imagery from a library of vibrant photographs that helped balance the publication with human interest with technology themes.
JDG kicked off the project by meeting with marketing leadership to confirm messaging and specs for the publication. To provide for a delicate balance between clean design and substantive content, JDG optimized white space, incorporated at least one photograph per page, and included charts and graphs to help demonstrate financial benchmarks and milestones. In keeping in brand, JDG created a ghosted version of the Development Gateway logo and carried this element consistently throughout the publication as part of the overall design.
Results
After producing the Englishversion of the Annual Report, JDG produced both French and Spanish-versions of the publication for Development Gateway's diverse constituents.
