From the Nominator

The Strategic Communications team in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa created a unique, interactive annual report experience. Because the main audience was alumni, and alumni value the physical experience of their alma maters, we invited them to take a stroll through campus and downtown Iowa City, which are uniquely integrated. They could choose among 29 visually striking custom-made illustrations of buildings and sites, click on them, and be presented with brief, engaging stories about and photos of the people within those spaces who make the university tick. Combined, the individual stories tell a broader narrative about a thriving campus and college, with students, faculty, staff, and donors engaged in exciting research, teaching, creative work, and service.

From the Judges

Annual reports: seen one, seen them all. Well, not the University Iowa. Iowa took a risk and it paid off. This creative and artistic approach shows you can take typical mundane concepts and still give them fresh new looks. This is a site we all felt was just “cool.” It allows you to be interactive with stories and take a picture-first direction to the project. This was created by a very small team and they got big results. The most important part of an annual report is ensuring that the content, no matter how creatively displayed, gets to your target audience.