Complex business concepts made clear and cohesive
Annual Reports at Better Energy served as key publications, shared with stakeholders ranging from investors to potential employees. I led document production over three years and designed key graphics, translating core business frameworks into clear visual models.
Client
Better Energy
Role
Lead Designer
Year
2021 - 2024
Services
Information design
Editorial layout
Illustration
Editorial layout
Illustration
The project
More than a legal requirement
As a limited company developing and operating solar parks across four markets, Better Energy was legally required to publish annual reports for financial purposes.
However, the documents also served a wider communication purpose: to inform and attract investors, partners and employees alike.
Layered business content needed a way to reach every audience. That's where visual design provided value.
My role
Lead designer delivering clarity and product
Report production had previously sat with external consultants, involving fragmented sign-off across stakeholders and design decisions made at a distance from the business.
Year 1
I brought production in-house, resulting in a more connected workflow between stakeholders and the production team.
I brought production in-house, resulting in a more connected workflow between stakeholders and the production team.
Year 2
Following recurring output issues in previous years, we transitioned to a new reporting template built by external consultants. I provided visual identity and design direction, learned the new system and delivered that year's report independently.
Following recurring output issues in previous years, we transitioned to a new reporting template built by external consultants. I provided visual identity and design direction, learned the new system and delivered that year's report independently.
Year 3
I trained a direct report on the template and produced supporting training videos. I also advocated for earlier content sign-off, so visual design received finalised copy rather than late-stage drafts. I produced that year's key graphics and co-delivered the final report with my team.
I trained a direct report on the template and produced supporting training videos. I also advocated for earlier content sign-off, so visual design received finalised copy rather than late-stage drafts. I produced that year's key graphics and co-delivered the final report with my team.
This year saw a shift in the number and complexity of graphics required, with a specific focus on core business frameworks. Here, I drew on my expertise in information design, applying visual hierarchy to balance content appropriately, while maintaining a consistent design language across frameworks.
Brought report production in-house.
Delivered reports across 3 annual cycles.
Directed visual identity for a new reporting template.
Designed key information graphics each year.
Trained a direct report and produced supporting training materials.
Advocated for earlier content sign-off process to streamline production.
Translated content from core business frameworks into clear visual models.
Reflections
One challenge
I received a great deal of resistance when advocating for earlier content sign-off. The main challenge lay in that, although I was responsible for the final deliverable product and held the most experience producing reports in this particular company, I lacked the mandate to change the project plan.
To move forward, I enlisted the help of my manager, who was able to assign a colleague to handle content revisions, and allow my team to focus on what we did best, visual design and document layout.
One change
Produce training videos ahead of technical handover.
It holds multiple advantages: ensures I cover the basics in a structured way, allows me to highlight edge-cases without overloading the foundational content, colleagues get a comprehensive training experience with space to test out technicalities at their own pace and bring questions with confidence.
Recommendations
In their words
"[Josephine's] ability to bring a brand, ideas, or complex concepts to life through visual storytelling is truly exceptional."
Christian Mølgaard
Christian was Senior VP of Communications at Better Energy, and managed Josephine directly from 2022 - 2025
"Jo has the ability to take complex and sometimes abstract themes and translate them into deliverables that colleagues can use to communicate their ideas."
Lucas Schmidt
Lucas Schmidt was Senior Communications Strategist at Better Energy, and a colleague of Josephine from 2023 - 2025
