This annual report is one of my favorites – particularly since the clients and I managed the project as a creative team. Many thanks to Lisa Verges for overseeing the work Caitlin Brown and I were so deeply involved with. And a special shout out to Caitlin for hard work; as well as, partnering with me to deliver a book, which accurately, and beautifully captures the essence of the extraordinary work CLS does for the community.

All three of the Girard College annual reports were handled like magazines, and a lot of fun to do. Each article needed its own flavor, but had to fit in with the annual message from the president, details about commencement addresses, financials, and list of board managers. We used a carefully chosen palette to unite the pages.

Our focus this year was on the new roof for Founders Hall. Yes, it looks like the Parthenon, and the interior is as spectacular as the exterior. Stephen Girard's legacy is an excellent read and the school offers tours of this magnificent campus by appointment.

The theme of this annual report was the students. Len Rubenstein did the photography; Zuki McLaughlin art directed the shoot, managed the content, and did all the copywriting. With talent like that on board, the life of a designer is blissful.

Above is a two-color annual report. It was their tenth anniversary, hence the cover graphic, done by yours truly. The art on the inside was done by Murray Callahan; the project management and copywriting by Mari Bernhagen.

And for yet another configuration to fit a budget: a four-color cover with two-color text pages. Overbrook School for the Blind, built by the Philadelphia firm Cope and Stewardson in 1899, is an architectural masterpiece.  To quote Christopher, my friend and client: "You and I do a lot of work for schools behind tall stone walls."

My first annual report project, done many years ago, was designed in landscape view. Back then, the company wanted to showcase some of the entrepreneurs in whom they invested. I smile to see how large they have become since then (no, nothing to do with me or this annual report ;-) The cover, which looks so bland here, was actually blind embossed with their old "lightning bolt" logo. You just have to believe me. Embossing is done when a job goes to press – so you are flying blind until the die is cast.