Brochure Design - MS Society

Who they are

The MS Society is the UK's largest charity dealing with Multiple Sclerosis - from funding research into the causes and possible cures through to helping the estimated 100,000 people in the UK who have MS.

What they wanted

The Society required an annual report that embodied the charity's work, and which would be aimed at a variety of audiences. The report is a legal obligation, but is also used by the Society as a way of keeping members, donors, researchers and supporters informed of the charity's latest goings-on.

The report also needed the ability to be used as a potential fundraiser, sending it to people they would like to donate money to the charity.

The Society were looking for an agency that could supply both design and copy. The agency also had to find a unique way of turning what could be deemed dry reporting into a powerful and inspiring publication.

What we did

We pushed their Putting the pieces together guidelines to give the annual report a vibrant, eye-catching look that would make it truly stand out.

At the pitch phase, both the designer and copywriter arranged a visit to the local MS Society branch because they felt this was the best way to gain a better understanding of the condition and of the people who live with it.

This experience meant we were able to produce a pitch with genuine, emotive copy and a far more personal design. It also meant the copy presented ably demonstrated the tone of voice and the emotive element that could be used throughout to add a more human element.

Of the four different ideas pitched, the Society chose one that featured the subject of each case study shot in natural poses on a brightly coloured background, which gave the report a fresh, inviting look with the people at its core. We art directed the photo shoot to ensure this natural, human element was captured and that a real synergy existed between the pictures and our designs.

The chosen design used each case study's name as the page title - previous reports were headed with one of the five key strategies, and the person in the picture was only referenced in the copy. Using the people's names as section headers, with the key strategy appearing very much as a secondary feature, gave our report a much more person-centred feel.

What happened next

As well as producing their shorter, eight-page review, the Society also asked us to design the agenda for an upcoming AGM and a review of the research strategy working group's latest findings.

We look forward to working with the MS Society again in the future.