5 Tricks for Creating an Interactive Annual Report in Vev

Annual reports are crucial communication tools for companies—why not make them interesting for your stakeholders?

Annual reports have long been formatted in lengthy, static documents that were often difficult to read and comprehend. Thanks to new technology, such as no-code interactive content builders, and a wider awareness and appreciation for the power of data visualization and visual storytelling, organizations are now adopting interactive annual reports to engage their stakeholders and provide a more immersive and informative experience.

What is an Interactive Annual Report?

Interactive annual reports combine text with data visualizations - such as number counters and animated charts -, graphics, videos, and other multimedia elements to provide an engaging experience. Designed to be interactive and user-friendly, your audience should be able to easily navigate through the content and quickly find the information that most interests them.

The History of Annual Reports

As indicated by the Wall Street Journal, the earliest modern corporate annual report was published in April 1903 by US Steel, reporting on the year ending December 31, 1902. The below image from the Library of Congress shows this annual report.

The Future is Interactive

Since 1903, we have made progress with tech and design, transitioning from black and white, word-based reporting to interactive annual reports. With an interactive content builder like Vev, it is easier than ever for marketers, designers, financial departments, and more to drag and drop visual, animated, and interactive components onto a canvas to bring their data to life.

Features of an Interactive Annual Report

The key features of an interactive annual report include:

• Multimedia elements: Interactive annual reports incorporate multimedia elements such as videos, infographics, and animations to make the content more engaging and informative. Gone are the days of lengthy and bland Word documents and PDFs.
• User-friendly design: Interactive annual reports are designed to be easy to use and navigate, with clear headings, interactive menus, carousels, drop-downs, hotspots, and clickable links.
• Customization: Interactive annual reports allow stakeholders to customize their experience, such as choosing the level of detail they want to see or the information they want to focus on.
• Data visualization: Bringing data to life through visuals is possibly the biggest hallmark of an interactive annual report. Instead of static numbers displayed within text or tables, animated charts and number counters take pride of place.

5 Vev Features to Use in your Interactive Annual Report

Let's explore five Vev features you can add to your annual report to make it an unforgettable interactive experience.

1. Animated number counters

As we mentioned, data visualization is key to creating an interactive annual report that engages your audience. One method for doing this is by using Vev's pre-built animated number counter component.

Animated number counters are a great way to display a change in data, particularly growth in numbers—something to show off about. It is also a method you can use to make a particular figure stand out amongst others on the page.

In the example below, ServiceNow's Resilience and Risk Management report - made in Vev by Message Lab, an agency championing interactive storytelling - uses our number counter to showcase percentages.

2. Interactive animated charts

Another data visualization tool to consider including in your interactive annual report is animated charts. You can use our pre-built charts component and add animation add-ons, or embed your custom data visualization made with Flourish into your Vev project.

As well as fading in, these charts can be interactive, such as including hover animations. Hover over the bars in the chart below for an example of this.

2. Interactive animated charts

Another data visualization tool to consider including in your interactive annual report is animated charts. You can use our pre-built charts component and add animation add-ons, or embed your custom data visualization made with Flourish into your Vev project.

As well as fading in, these charts can be interactive, such as including hover animations.

3. 3D elements

Want to make your report stand out from the crowd? 3D web design is a creative way to turn your annual report into an interactive content experience.

We included a 3D globe in our 2022 annual report, with clickable hotspots so that readers could meet members of the Vev team. This visual element illustrated the diversity and distribution of the team without having to write it. Moreover, the interactive nature of spinning the globe and clicking the hotspots makes the content more engaging, and adds a bit of Vev's fun personality to the annual report.

Learn how to add a 3D object to your Vev project here.

4. Sliders and carousels

Sliders and carousels offer your audience a dynamic way to view content at their own pace, and interact with the page, helping to engage them in your content. When it comes to interactive annual report design, you could display a whole host of information - like timelines or products - in a carousel.

In Vev, there are a few ways you can create an interactive carousel.

You could use our Interactions and Slider features combined to create a slider that allows you to showcase your annual report data. Check out the tutorial here. You can also find a video tutorial on using the Interactions feature in Vev here.

Check out this microsite made by Pfizer for an example of a slider made in Vev.

We also have a pre-built Image Carousel block that you can insert in your project. (Note: using the Slider feature mentioned above allows for more customization).

5. Scrollytelling

Have you heard of scrollytelling? There's been growing hype around this portmanteau of scrolling and storytelling. It is a powerful digital storytelling technique that uses a combination of interactive content elements to enable you to create more exciting, immersive content that sustains reader interest.

Whilst often a hallmark of web editorial content, scrollytelling is a fantastic option for designers and marketers looking to craft a narrative throughout their annual reports.

Below is an example of a scrollytelling annual report made in Vev by Human Rights House Foundation.

Our pre-made scrollytelling sections make it easier than ever for you to achieve this effect.

Use our scrollytelling image component to create stunning visual narratives, seamlessly changing image on scroll. Add multiple scrollytelling image sections one after the other in your Vev project, and one image will fade into the next as you scroll, while the content inside the sections moves with standard scrolling behavior.

Want to switch it up with a video background instead of static images? Try our scrollytelling video sections. Similarly to the scrollytelling image effect, your videos will seamlessly transition, fading in and out from each other, whilst the content in the foreground - such as text - will move as standard.

When using these effects in an annual report, you can turn your long-form report into an immersive storytelling experience.

Check out our scrollytelling tutorial for a step-by-step guide to using scrollytelling in Vev.

How to create an interactive annual report—video tutorial

Avoid expensive, time consuming processes, and ditch those lackluster static PDFs for good. Armed with a library of pre-coded interactive design components, learn how to quickly produce exciting interactive annual reports in Vev for a fraction of the cost, while still publishing them to your existing domain.

Interactive annual reports are a great way for you to engage your stakeholders and provide a more immersive and informative experience. You can incorporate multimedia elements in a user-friendly design to create a report that is both engaging and informative. If you're looking for more inspiration, check out our favorite interactive annual report examples.

How will you choose to showcase your company's performance, products, initiatives, and impact? Opting for an interactive annual report means you are choosing to make your report an important tool for communicating effectively, presenting your brand in a way in which you can stand out and impress those you need to impress.

Ready to Design an Interactive Annual Report?

Making your report interactive will bring it to life. Use Vev’s library of pre-coded interactive design components, then host your interactive report anywhere on the web (including embedded into your existing CMS) when you’re ready.