Project Title:

Berne Union Yearbook 2024 – Redesign

Client: Berne Union


Project Type:

Graphic Design / Editorial Design


Role: Lead Designer


 

Project Overview

The Berne Union Yearbook 2024 is a highly anticipated publication that compiles insightful articles from leading industry experts, providing invaluable information on the state of the global insurance and reinsurance markets. Traditionally presented in a conventional A4 format, this year’s edition sought a bold redesign to enhance the reader experience and reflect the evolving nature of the industry.

 

As the lead designer for this project, I was tasked with reimagining the layout and visual identity to move away from the standard design, offering a more dynamic, engaging, and modern approach. The goal was to blend editorial precision with a visually stimulating flow, while ensuring that the key articles and data stood out to offer an accessible and enriching reading experience.

 

Design Concept

My first initiative was to reframe the Yearbook into a vertical format, moving away from the traditional A4 page size to create a more flowing, intuitive, and modern design. This approach aimed to break the rigid, static feel of the standard yearbook format, presenting the content in a fresh, engaging way that would captivate the audience.

 

The visual identity of the Yearbook was reimagined with an emphasis on clean, structured layouts, combined with bold typography and vivid imagery. Infographics, data visualisations, and iconography were introduced throughout to clarify complex data and make the content more digestible.

 

Key Features

1. Vertical Flow Design: The shift from A4 to a vertical layout gave the Yearbook a more organic flow. Pages were designed to move seamlessly from one to the next, creating a narrative progression that mirrored the natural progression of ideas in the articles. The design gave readers the freedom to explore the content in a more fluid manner, creating a more engaging reading experience.

2. Enhanced Visual Storytelling: To make the articles more visually engaging, custom-designed infographics and data visualisations were integrated to break down dense information into digestible and visually appealing formats. These infographics included key trends, statistics, and projections, making complex information accessible at a glance.

3. Typography and Colour Palette: A modern, sans-serif typeface was selected to create a clean and professional look. I chose a bold, contemporary colour palette to distinguish different sections and create visual hierarchy throughout the publication. These colours helped bring life to the content and visually guide the reader through various topics.

4. Interactive Layouts: The layout was designed to encourage exploration. Articles were organised with ample white space, allowing for the inclusion of large imagery, pull-quotes, and sidebars. This broke up dense text and provided rest points for the reader’s eye.

5. Image and Iconography Integration: Full-page images were incorporated into the design to complement the editorial content, creating visual anchors. Industry-relevant icons and illustrations were also introduced throughout the book, acting as visual cues to reinforce key messages in the content.

 

Results & Impact

The redesigned Berne Union Yearbook 2024 successfully elevated the reader experience, making complex insurance industry content more engaging and accessible. Feedback from both clients and readers emphasised the positive reception of the new vertical format and interactive layouts, as well as the enhanced readability of the data visualisations and infographics.

 

The yearbook’s redesign helped to establish a more modern, forward-thinking image for the Berne Union organisation, aligning the publication’s aesthetic with the dynamic and evolving nature of the insurance industry. The incorporation of visual storytelling not only made the content more attractive but also improved comprehension of key industry trends and insights.

 

Conclusion

The redesign of the Berne Union Yearbook 2024 marked a significant departure from traditional editorial design, making the publication more visually engaging and interactive. The shift to a vertical format, combined with bold graphics and infographics, provided an enriched experience for readers, while also reinforcing the importance of innovation in an ever-evolving industry.

 

This project stands as a testament to the power of thoughtful design in transforming complex, information-heavy content into something that is not only informative but also enjoyable to explore