For five years, I volunteered my design expertise through my freelance business, Pixelzz Design LLC, to create the annual reports for Gilda’s Club Madison. This work holds a special place in my portfolio, as I had the opportunity to support an organization dedicated to providing free emotional and social support to those impacted by cancer.

Categories

Art Direction
Graphic Design
Illustration
Lettering
Communications
Infographics

Skills

Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Procreate

GILDA'S CLUB MADISON WI–ANNUAL REPORT DESIGN

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For Gilda’s Club, the annual report is more than a financial document—it’s a storytelling vehicle that captures the organization’s mission, impact, and vision for the future. The design needed to balance clarity and warmth, presenting data and narratives in a way that communicated hope, credibility, and human connection. My role was to transform the raw content—statistics, stories, testimonials, financials—into a compelling, visually cohesive annual report that resonated with donors, board members, and the broader community.

Categories

Art Direction
Graphic Design
Illustration
Lettering
Communications
Infographics

Skills

Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Procreate

In each report, I focused on:

    • Clear and Engaging Communication Design: My aim was to make complex data and impactful stories accessible and engaging. I focused on structuring content to guide readers effortlessly through program updates, financials, and personal stories, bringing the Club’s mission and successes to life.
    • Visual Cohesion and Accessibility: Each report is designed with a consistent visual style that aligns with Gilda’s Club’s brand. I used vibrant colors, clear typography, and organized layouts, ensuring the reports were not only visually appealing but also accessible to all readers. 
    • A Cause-Driven Approach: Volunteering my services for this project allowed me to give back to a meaningful cause, and I took pride in creating designs that would resonate with Gilda’s Club members, donors, and the wider community. My goal was to help Gilda’s Club convey their achievements and needs in a way that fostered connection and support.

Working with Gilda’s Club has been a rewarding experience, combining my passion for communication design with a commitment to making a difference.

Goal

  • To create an annual report design that reflects Gilda’s Club’s brand personality: supportive, empathetic, and hopeful.

  • To help non-design teams communicate complex data (financials, outcomes, metrics) accessibly and engagingly.

  • To increase readability, visual appeal, and donor confidence—making the report not just something to archive, but something to share and revisit.

Approach

  • Discovery & Brand Alignment: I began by reviewing Gilda’s Club’s existing brand guidelines, past reports, and communications tone to ensure the visual direction would feel consistent with their voice and mission.

  • Content Structuring & Hierarchy: Worked closely with their internal team to organize the content into digestible sections—impact stories, financials, board messages—with a clear visual hierarchy to guide readers.

  • Visual Language & Typographic Systems: Developed a bespoke typographic hierarchy, color palette, and iconography that reflect warmth and professionalism. I introduced infographics, data visualizations, charts, and pullquotes to break up dense content.

  • Iterative Prototyping: Created mockups for print layouts and digital PDFs, soliciting feedback from stakeholders on readability, flow, and emotional tone. Adjusted pacing, margin treatments, photo layouts, and inflection points accordingly.

  • Production & Delivery: Delivered print-ready files, digital versions, and templates for future editions. Provided guidance for the client on applying design styles to future reports and collateral.

Results

  • The finalized annual report delivered a polished, emotionally resonant presentation of Gilda’s Club’s year: the stories felt human, the data felt transparent, and the overall package impressed stakeholders.

  • Stakeholder feedback highlighted that the design elevated the perceived professionalism and trustworthiness of the organization.

  • Because the report is more visually engaging, circulation among donors and board members increased (e.g. more downloads, more sharing).

  • The templates and systems I established have already been reused in subsequent years, saving the team time and cost in future report cycles.