Refreshing Branded Marketing Collateral with Modern Print Design: Urban Resource Institute

URI needed a visually compelling 33-page annual report print design that followed the guidelines of their heritage brand. This crucial piece of marketing collateral had to look stunning both in print and digital formats, with a design that didn’t lose sight of the main purpose of the document–clear communication of URI’s results and projections.

Our primary challenge as their marketing and print design partner was to adhere to their heritage brand guidelines while introducing a subtle evolution to a more modern aesthetic. URI’s initial style guide featured a simple white and light blue color palette, characterized by clean lines with a corporate feel and standard photography. We set out to create a print design strategy that intelligently leveraged a layout, color scheme, and typography optimized for printed materials that also made sense in digital format.

In our initial discussions, we delved deep into URI’s mission, vision, and brand guidelines. We wanted to make sure we fully understood their requirements from the get-go, so that we could strike as close to the mark as possible. From the very beginning, we gave careful consideration to URI’s print production capabilities, ensuring the final printed annual report met high-quality standards.

Before we chose any one direction, we presented URI with a few of our favorite visual concepts, exploring a few directions that we believed encapsulated their mission effectively. This phase was crucial in using our time effectively and ensuring that we’d understood the requirements properly.

While maintaining the foundation of the white and light blue color scheme, we introduced a complementary golden gradient tone. This subtle addition not only added a touch of sophistication but also brought warmth to the overall design, reflecting the compassionate essence of URI’s mission.

We also refined the original fonts, enhancing readability and contributing to a more polished visual identity. The sleek typography aligned with URI’s main purpose of the annual report, prioritizing clarity in communication.

To break the monotony of information-heavy pages, we introduced subtle graphic elements. The new chart design we created was easy on the eye, letting URI’s results speak for themselves. With the subtle addition of orange, green, and deeper blue tones, we created more visual interest and helped highlight key data points and achievements in an engaging way.

Building upon URI’s final feedback, our print design team crafted a 33-page annual report that seamlessly integrated pre-existing brand elements and new ones. Leveraging their own visual assets, we focused on creating a cohesive visual narrative, ensuring each page conveyed URI’s story and impact through a strong piece of marketing collateral.

Understanding the dual-purpose nature of the report, we meticulously set up the designs for high quality rendering both in print and digital formats. This ensured that URI could effectively share their achievements throughout different media, facilitating immediate communication with partner organizations.