DDI Quarterly Reports: A Design Update
Toward the end of 2024, we wrapped up a comprehensive brand refresh for Downtown Durham Inc. (DDI). They tagged us back in this year to refresh the layout and branding of their quarterly reports. So, we reworked the look, bringing the layout up to par with the new branding.
The original cover
A More Memorable Cover
The original report covers were fairly sparse—one large image, curved at the bottom, and text that sat unaligned with any other design elements. We iterated to emphasize the document title and date range, centered the text, and used a curved design element to bring in some color and anchor DDI’s logo. We recommended more dynamic photography with a clearer focal point—a goal that will continue to inform future covers. And since these will be for on-screen viewing only, we ditched the white border from the original and went edge-to-edge with the artwork for a more polished look.
The new cover
New Content and New Document Styles
With the update came new content. We bookended the main report content with a new, and artfully styled, introduction and placed the map of downtown’s Business Improvement District (BID) on the last page as a closing sheet. The closing sheet also invites readers to explore DDI’s website alongside DDI’s contact information.
After those structural changes, we could focus on bringing typography, table, and chart styles up to date with the new branding.
Sample pages from the report
The Result
The report template, built in InDesign using document styles, makes it quick and easy to iterate each new report. DDI’s happy with how these became more vibrant, standout pieces—and so are we! We’re looking forward to restyling their annual reports next. More on those and other DDI publications soon.
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