Reduce report pagination without losing impact

The challenge of streamlining annual reports is a topic we frequently encounter. Over the past decade, increasing regulatory requirements and the growing demand for transparency have added layers of complexity – and, inevitably, more pages.

In today’s evolving reporting landscape, reducing the length of annual reports is no easy task, particularly amid ongoing uncertainty and transition. Yet the pressure to streamline is mounting, driven by both internal and external stakeholders. From cutting costs and reducing workloads to enhancing clarity and engagement, the reasons are varied but the message is clear: page count matters.

Our clients frequently seek advice on how to streamline their reports, prompting us to explore effective ways to reduce page counts without compromising their impact. In this “show and tell” article, we’re excited to share insights and practical examples of how our clients have successfully achieved this balance – delivering clear, concise and engaging reports that meet stakeholder needs.

When it comes to pagination, page reduction shouldn’t be the goal in itself. Instead, use it as an opportunity to rethink, refine and elevate the report’s purpose. The aim isn’t simply to make the report shorter, but to create one that is clearer, more engaging and effective.

The irony is that some of the most valuable tools for communication – like infographics, case studies and summary box-outs – are often the first to go when there’s a push to cut pages. Yet these elements can be what truly bring clarity and engagement to a report.

Rather than removing content, the focus should be on restructuring and simplifying. By doing so, the report becomes more accessible, with key messages delivered clearly and purposefully.

At its core, page reduction isn’t about less content – it’s about better content. It’s about transforming the annual report into a tool that meets regulatory demands and connects with stakeholders in a meaningful way. It’s about cutting through the noise with focus, crafting a narrative that engages, informs and inspires. Done well, a streamlined report becomes more than a document; it becomes a story worth telling. 

The FRC’s guidance states that a strategic report should be “clear and concise yet comprehensive”. Let’s be honest – focusing solely on cutting pages doesn’t guarantee clarity or engagement. Instead, the opportunity lies in creating a story-led report that brings your organisation’s essence to life while keeping readers focused on what matters most.

Comprehensiveness, in this context, is about breadth, not depth. It’s about telling your story in a way that answers the “what” and the “why” with impact, without drowning your audience in detail. The “how” can live elsewhere – whether that’s in supplementary resources, or digital platforms – freeing up space and ensuring your core report remains sharp, focused and accessible.

Visual storytelling is your secret weapon here. Infographics, charts and well-crafted visuals don’t just reduce page count; they transform dense data into clear, eye-catching insights that can be grasped in seconds. Combining this with concise language and thoughtful structure will create a report that delivers substance without the clutter.

At its heart, this approach is about crafting a report that works – a report that doesn’t just meet regulatory requirements but engages, inspires and resonates with stakeholders. By focusing on breadth – not depth – you’re cutting through the noise, shaping a narrative that’s compelling, and delivering a report that feels as efficient as it is impactful.

We’ve worked with compliance-heavy FTSE-listed companies and beyond to prove a simple truth: a streamlined annual report can be just as powerful – if not more so – than a lengthy one. By focusing on what truly matters, we’ve helped organisations transform their reports into more efficient communications that resonate with stakeholders.

Faced with mounting page counts, our clients needed to refine their annual report without compromising transparency or their value creation story. Our approach was targeted and strategic. Through layout optimisation, and thoughtful content redesign, we simplified and consolidated, cutting through the clutter while retaining clarity and substance. The outcome: a shorter, sharper and more reader-friendly report that told their story with precision and impact.

This story-led approach ensured the report didn’t just tick the regulatory boxes – it captured the essence of the organisation – telling a focused narrative that highlighted what truly matters to stakeholders. By prioritising material topics, removing unnecessary detail and embracing clean, visually engaging design, we created reports that didn’t overwhelm but connected with the audience.

These successes offer valuable insights for other companies aiming to streamline their reporting. Reducing page count isn’t about saying less – it’s about sharpening focus, enhancing structure and communicating more effectively.

In this example, we streamlined two traditionally separate sections – what’s inside this report and the strategic divider – into a single, cohesive spread. By merging these elements, we created a layout that is both efficient and engaging, offering readers a clear overview of the report’s structure at a glance.

This consolidation enhances accessibility and improves the user experience by reducing duplication and clutter, while maintaining visual appeal. Key sections are easy to locate, signposting is clear and the design flows seamlessly, ensuring stakeholders can quickly find the information that matters most.

Reducing page count doesn’t mean compromising on content – it means making every inch of space work smarter. In this example, we took what was once four pages and seamlessly reimagined it into two, without losing clarity or detail. 

By reimagining how the content is presented, we maintained all the critical information while creating a layout that feels clean, engaging and easy to navigate – while trimming unnecessary bulk.

Adding new, topical content to an annual report doesn’t have to mean additional pages. The key lies in refining depth to create breadth. By streamlining existing content, we helped clients to introduce fresh, relevant insights without expanding pagination.

In these examples, we carefully balanced the depth of existing content, ensuring critical messages were communicated with clarity and impact. This approach freed up space to incorporate new narratives that enhance the report’s relevance and value, while maintaining a clean, concise structure.

The result: a report that feels richer, more dynamic and relevant to today’s conversations. Stakeholders get the full story – broader in scope, sharper in delivery – without feeling weighed down. It’s about giving stakeholders the bigger picture while keeping the experience focused, purposeful and engaging. Less clutter; more value.

For this client, we streamlined their two-page ‘investment case’ into a single, focused page, unlocking space to introduce a fresh section on ‘commercial and literary recognition’.

By tightening the focus and refining the depth of the ‘investment case’, we ensured the key messages were delivered with clarity and impact. This allowed us to seamlessly integrate fresh, relevant content that celebrated the client’s achievements and added a broader dimension to their story, without expanding the report.

For this client, we transformed two pages of ‘where we operate’ into a single, streamlined section under the heading ‘who we serve’. By refining the content and presenting it with a sharper focus, we created space to introduce a brand-new page: ‘our customers’.

This change allowed us to tell a more meaningful story – one that highlights both operational reach and customer segmentation. The new ‘our customers’ page brought fresh insights, showcasing the client’s commitment to their customer base and the value they create.

For this client, we reworked the six-page ‘overview’ section into a focused, visually optimised four-page spread. By leveraging smarter layout and design, we maintained all of the essential content while creating a cleaner, more engaging flow.

This strategic reduction didn’t just trim pages – it created space to introduce additional value in the form of case studies. These new case studies brought the narrative to life, providing real-world examples that enhanced the report’s impact and relevance for stakeholders. 

For this client, we condensed four pages of ‘performance highlights’ into a sharp, visually engaging two-page spread. By carefully refining the content, prioritising key metrics and enhancing the layout, we ensured that stakeholders could grasp the most important achievements at a glance.

This efficiency didn’t just sharpen the highlights – it created space to introduce ‘our planning horizon’, a new spread that brings the future into focus. By showcasing the organisation’s long-term strategy and ambitions, this addition offered stakeholders a clearer perspective on where the business is heading, creating a balance between performance today and plans for tomorrow.