Digital corporate report

Halfway through an ambitious five-year plan, United Utilities approached us to create a digital corporate report that would provide customers and shareholders with an update on progress toward five key performance commitments.

The report needed to engage and inspire its audience by presenting the achievements and milestones in a way that was clear, compelling and well-balanced, ensuring confidence in the company’s ongoing efforts.

Background

United Utilities, which supplies water services to 7 million people and 200,000 businesses across North West England, is currently midway through a five-year plan aimed at enhancing its services. As part of this initiative, the company collected customer feedback and improvement suggestions from across the region to better understand expectations and areas for development.

This feedback was distilled into five key performance commitments, each addressing a critical area of focus: Providing great water, Disposing of waste water, Providing value for money, Delivering reliable customer service, and Protecting the environment.

Challenge

Our brief was to design a digital corporate report that effectively conveyed our client’s dedication and commitment to fulfilling their promises to customers while ensuring the information was clear, compelling and memorable.

The report design had to present a large volume of detailed content in a way that wouldn’t overburden the audience. It needed to be structured so that key messages stood out, allowing readers to quickly absorb important insights without losing engagement. Striking the right balance between informative content and visual appeal was crucial in making sure the report captured attention while maintaining credibility.

With the report being digital, navigation and accessibility posed another challenge. The design needed to allow readers to move through the content intuitively, finding the information they needed quickly without unnecessary distractions. At the same time, the digital format had to be flexible enough to accommodate future updates and evolving business priorities.

Ultimately, the challenge was to develop a report that not only delivered transparency and clarity but also left a lasting impression, reinforcing trust in our client’s ability to follow through on their commitments.

Solution

The digital corporate report we designed is fresh, dynamic and engaging, creating an immediate emotional connection with the audience. Through the use of compelling photography, we brought United Utilities’ mission to life by showcasing real customers and employees in action. The carefully selected imagery does more than simply decorate the pages, it tells a human story about the people who rely on United Utilities’ services every day, as well as the employees who work tirelessly behind the scenes to maintain and improve these essential services.

By placing people and the environment at the heart of the company’s corporate goals, we ensured that the report’s message resonated on a deeper level. This emotionally driven approach was carefully balanced with a clear and structured presentation of performance results, ensuring that the report was not only engaging but also informative and transparent. Readers could easily understand United Utilities’ achievements, challenges and future commitments without feeling overwhelmed by excessive data or complex terminology.

The clean and well-organised layouts played a crucial role in making the digital corporate report accessible and easy to navigate. Every element was strategically placed to minimise distractions while maintaining a logical flow of information. This approach ensured that each section led naturally into the next, guiding readers through the content in a way that felt intuitive and engaging. Instead of being bombarded with information, the audience could absorb key insights effortlessly, making the experience more impactful.

To further focus on readability and navigation, we introduced a thoughtful use of colour, bold typography and visual hierarchy. The strategic application of colour helped to categorise different sections, allowing readers to quickly identify topics of interest. We used bold typography selectively to emphasise key statistics, headlines and performance insights, ensuring that critical information stood out. The combination of these elements created a well-structured user journey, making it easy for stakeholders to find the data they needed without feeling lost in the details.

The final result is a visually engaging and highly informative digital report that successfully communicates United Utilities’ progress while reinforcing its commitment to transparency, customer service and sustainability.