Making an Impact

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Annual Report has traditionally been designed as a long form printed report, full of 30+ pages of highlights, graphs, and stunning photography. While developing the FY2019 report in spring of 2020, the decision was made to shift towards a completely digital format to reflect the shifting priorities of the organization’s operations during the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As the designer typically responsible for the design and production of the print version of the annual report, I took the lead on developing a framework for how the report could be translated into a digital format, linking to and re-working existing content to minimize page length and to offer a succinct overview of the year’s accomplishments.

After producing wireframes to outline the content and finalizing a layout, I worked hand in hand with both our editorial team and our web developer to develop the graphic contents necessary for the Impact Report to tell its story and highlight the successes of the rail-trail movement.