Digital performance report

Following its award-winning success the previous year, the latest edition of IFoA’s digital performance report is an evolution rather than a revolution. This approach ensures continuity while making strategic improvements to usability and engagement.

Background

Founded in 2010, the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) is the result of the merger of the Institute of Actuaries and the Faculty of Actuaries in Scotland after members of both bodies voted to merge their respective organisations. Actuaries work in a number of different practice areas: life insurance and pensions, finance and investment, enterprise risk management, general insurance, health and care. The IFoA currently regulates and represents over 32,000 members all over the world.

Challenge

An update on the report design we had designed the previous year, our client viewed this edition as a natural evolution rather than a complete transformation. The previous version had been well received not only by members but also by the wider industry, earning recognition and even an award. Given this success, the challenge for this year’s digital performance report was to maintain a sense of continuity while ensuring it had a distinct enough presence to feel fresh and relevant.

At the same time, the new report had to respect the established budget and work within the technical limitations of the chosen digital platform. Striking this balance meant refining the visual and functional aspects rather than overhauling them completely. Another important aspect of this year’s edition was the inclusion of video interviews featuring two senior leaders from IFoA, which added an extra layer of engagement. These interviews had to be seamlessly integrated into the digital format, requiring careful planning to ensure a smooth user experience.

Solution

A strong start to a digital document that reports on a strong year. The opening page immediately captures attention with a dynamic motion effect applied to an infinite swirl of fluid particles, symbolising the continuous movement and exchange of data within the IFoA. This visual element not only adds a sense of energy but also reinforces the organisation’s role in managing and interpreting vast amounts of information.

Directly beneath this engaging introduction, video interviews with senior leaders take centre stage. Filmed by our expert video production team, these interviews provide a direct, personal connection with IFoA members, ensuring that the message is both engaging and authoritative. By featuring key voices from the organisation, the digital performance report strengthens its impact, creating an immersive experience that combines striking visuals with insightful commentary. This thoughtful integration of motion design and video helps sustain interest and reinforces the significance of the year’s achievements.

Building on the foundation of the previous digital performance report, we introduced an additional layer of refinement, ensuring that the design remained sophisticated without becoming overly complex. Our approach was to enhance the user experience while making full use of the available functionality, both from a designer’s perspective and for the end users navigating the report. Every decision was made with balance in mind, elevating the aesthetics and interactivity while maintaining a seamless and intuitive interface.

There is a subtlety to the report design, where thoughtful refinements contribute to a more polished and engaging experience. Rather than overwhelming users with excessive visual effects or unnecessary embellishments, we focused on a clean, purposeful layout that guides readers effortlessly through the content. This careful evolution of the design not only makes the report more visually appealing but also ensures that it remains accessible, functional, and in line with the expectations of its audience.

With a clean layout free from distractions and a well-defined structure, navigating the report feels effortless, allowing users to engage with the content easily. The intuitive design ensures that readers can find the information they need without unnecessary friction, creating a smooth and enjoyable browsing experience.

Every element has been carefully positioned to guide users logically through the document, maintaining clarity while enhancing usability. The navigation flows naturally, encouraging exploration without confusion, ensuring that the structure supports the content rather than competing with it. This considered approach results in a digital report that is not only visually refined but also highly functional.

The approach to imagery in this edition of the report has undergone a significant transformation. In previous years, the report primarily featured abstract visuals that subtly alluded to the work of the IFoA. While effective in establishing a conceptual link, these images lacked a distinctive presence. For this iteration, we took a fresh approach by carefully curating a selection of stock images from a range of free online libraries, ensuring that the digital performance report maintained a unique and differentiated visual identity.

Despite being sourced from freely available image libraries, the visuals maintain a high level of technical and artistic quality, making them entirely appropriate for a document of this nature. Their inclusion not only enhances the report’s aesthetic appeal but also introduces an element of surprise. Because these images are not commonly used in professional websites or corporate publications, they bring a refreshing authenticity that resonates with the audience. Their polished yet candid style adds depth to the overall design, reinforcing the balance between professionalism and visual engagement while offering a fresh take on how the IFoA’s work is represented.

Since the digital performance report is primarily designed for mobile and laptop consumption, we carefully structured the content to ensure a reading experience that flows naturally across different devices. To achieve this, we used a two-column layout that efficiently presents information on larger screens, such as laptops and desktops, while dynamically adjusting to a single-column format on mobile and tablet devices. This responsive approach guarantees that users can engage with the content comfortably, regardless of the device they are using. By adopting this flexible structure, we maintained a balance between readability and visual organisation. The two-column layout allows for efficient use of space on wider screens, enabling users to scan content quickly. When viewed on smaller screens, the design intelligently adapts, stacking content in a way that preserves clarity and ensures an optimal user experience.

The design is imaginative when presenting the most important statistics that are the essence of the digital performance report. Rather than simply displaying data in a conventional manner, we explored innovative ways to make these figures more engaging and visually compelling. By thoughtfully playing with colour, structure and visual patterns, we transformed numerical information into a dynamic and interactive experience that captures attention and enhances comprehension.

Every design choice was made to ensure that the statistics remain clear and impactful while adding a sense of visual interest. The strategic use of colour highlights key figures, guiding the reader’s eye naturally through the data, while carefully structured layouts ensure that information is easy to digest. Additionally, subtle visual patterns introduce a layer of sophistication, reinforcing the overall aesthetic without overshadowing the clarity of the report. This imaginative presentation not only enhances readability but also elevates the overall experience, making the digital performance report more engaging and memorable for its audience.

We designed each article as a concise, bitesize piece, making it easy for readers to focus their attention. By structuring the content in clearly defined sections, we ensure that users can engage with each topic, making the reading experience more efficient and enjoyable. This segmented approach also enhances readability, ensuring that key messages stand out while maintaining a visually cohesive layout that supports easy navigation.

Beyond improving the user experience, this modular structure also provides practical benefits for the IFoA team. Since each section functions as a self-contained unit, it becomes significantly easier to repurpose content for wider distribution across multiple platforms. Individual articles can be extracted and adapted into standalone assets for social media, email newsletters or other digital communications, extending the digital performance report’s reach beyond its primary format. This level of flexibility ensures that the content remains impactful across various channels while maintaining consistency in messaging and design.