Being in the business of flavour and fragrance, human senses play a vital role for Symrise. These are portrayed on the cover via a picturesque lavender garden in full bloom under an expanse of sunlit sky, with two figures in deep contemplation, effectively depicting the essence of the company.
The report is divided into four sections colour-coded in an die-cut index tab system to help the reader access any section rapidly. A massive portion of the first section is predominantly red, twinning with Symrise’s logo colour. Full red backgrounds and red text on white backgrounds are the two ways in which this is exhibited in the report.
Purple, green and blue are the other three colours used for the remaining sections. Full block colours are used to highlight information and to display prominent figures.
Photography is limited to people and nature – beautifully executed to add liveliness to the report. It integrates the relationship between people and planet as part of Symrise’s makeup. Keen to keep the report as soothing to the eye as possible, it is presented in an easy-to-read manner with larger than average type sizes and numbers. The use of pastel shades in the fourth and last section of the report makes the report aesthetically pleasing. The company highlights are provided on a month-by-month basis, while investments are portrayed alongside a timeline, facilitating easy information absorption.
Storytelling takes on an illustrative and infographic approach. This reduces the monotony of the content. The pencil portraits, in a combination of white on pale blue or pink backgrounds helps to introduce the team members in an unusual manner.
Meanwhile, infographics capture a great deal of data succinctly, for instance, the organisation structure of products, and goals and strategy are communicated in this design for a quick overview.
Overall, the Symrise Annual Report 2018 employs a layout that is different yet consistent at the same time. A combination of photography, blockcolours, pastel shades, infographics, and illustrations are used to stitch various elements of the organisation together in one exceptional report.
