Etisalat Annual Report 2018

Designing a report around a connection

An annual report designed around the idea that progress is never created in isolation. Built on the theme “Together matters,” the 2018 Etisalat Annual Report translated a corporate message into a tactile and editorial experience through concept-led print design, layered storytelling, and carefully crafted visual details.

Client
Etisalat
Sector
Print / Annual Report
Year
2018
Role
Creative Direction / Annual Report Design
Brief

An annual report built around the value of connection.

As part of Etisalat’s annual reporting journey, the 2018 edition was developed around the theme “Together matters” a message that reflects collaboration, connectivity, and shared progress across the business. The challenge was to transform a formal corporate document into something conceptually strong, visually refined, and worthy of the brand’s scale.

The report needed to communicate business performance, leadership, and strategic vision while feeling more engaging, premium, and emotionally connected than a conventional annual report.

Approach

Translating a corporate message into a tactile print experience.

The design direction treated the report as more than an information document; it was approached as a complete storytelling object. The chosen theme shaped the visual system, typography, colour use, imagery, and cover construction, ensuring every element reinforced the idea of connection and collective progress.

A custom die-cut cover was introduced to create a physical expression of the concept, revealing the core message through a central opening that symbolised interconnectedness around a shared hub. Supporting spreads combined elegant layouts, data-led compositions, and bespoke illustrative imagery to give the report a distinctive and contemporary character.

Outcome

A concept-led report with strong visual presence.

The final report brought together strategic messaging, premium print design, and editorial clarity in a way that made the annual report feel both sophisticated and memorable. The visual language carried the theme consistently from the cover through to the internal sections, helping create a more immersive reading experience.

Deliverables included cover concept development, editorial layouts, section openers, infographics, leadership pages, and print-ready report design resulting in a publication that balanced corporate credibility with strong creative expression.

My Role

Leading the creative direction of the report.

From 2016 to 2020, I contributed creative direction to Etisalat’s annual reports, with each year beginning from multiple proposed themes before one direction was selected and developed into the final publication. For the 2018 edition, I helped shape the chosen concept “Together matters” into a complete visual and print narrative.

My role included defining the creative direction, guiding the theme into the design system, overseeing the look and feel of the report, and ensuring the final outcome felt cohesive, elegant, and aligned with Etisalat’s brand stature across every page and print detail.