ANNUAL REPORT FOR ZUMTOBEL

‘A celebration of light’ was the core concept behind Neville Brody and Robert Wilkinson’s design for German light company Zumtobel’s annual report for 1994/5.

The report is very image-led, and copy has been worked around the images to achieve an effective balance between business information and emotion.

‘We tried to focus more on the creative side and forward-thinking aspects of Zumtobel’s philosophy – the creativity and fun side of the company, as well as incorporating the business aspects you have to cover in any annual report,’ says Wilkinson.

Brody and Wilkinson worked closely with the client to create a basic structure for the report, but within this structure the approach to design was fluid, according to Wilkinson.

‘Everything works around the images,’ says Wilkinson. ‘We’ve used light and colour to create crescendos and emotion – basically pace – within the report.’

This is the first time Research Studios, previously Neville Brody Studio, has worked with Zumtobel.

Company chairman Jrg Zumtobel says the design of the report ‘is a sign of the feeling of upsurge and radical change’.

The style is ‘rich in contrast and striking colours’, creating an ‘informative and emotional portrait, full of energy and optimism, of our consolidated companies’, adds Zumtobel.