As a Digital Production Manager at Altavia Paris, Robert Peneau looks back at the assignment he received from the Agence du Don en Nature (Goods to Give Agency): create a digital version of their annual report. Goal: to design a platform that’s anything but a simple copy of the paper version. This challenge was met with flying colours by a team that worked closely with their client.
“Digital production” …What exactly does the Altavia Paris department do?
It works in three main areas:
- motion design: digital posters and informational films on YouTube, 360° videos for virtual reality headsets – like what we made for the Club Med agencies
- designing banners for the web or for e-mail campaigns
- digital publishing: creating digital content for brochures and catalogues
Sometimes, though less frequently, we are also asked to do web design. We have a solid network of independent professionals that we reach out to when we need specific skill sets to meet our clients’ needs.
You recently did some work for the Agence du Don en Nature. How did that happen?
Altavia has already been designing the paper copy of the Agency’s annual report for several years. This year, Coralie Abram-Palti, the Project Director in charge of partnerships, asked us to create a digital annual report as well. She wanted an interactive website dedicated to the annual report! We also needed to create an informational video about the Agency’s activities.
What part did you play in designing the site?
One thing was clear: the digital annual report needed to be more than just a copy of the paper version! People read websites and paper documents differently. That’s why we tried to summarize the paper report and highlight certain points. This gives site visitors an overview of the Agence du Don en Nature’s activities, its key figures, events, etc. For those looking for very specific information, a PDF download of the paper version is also available. We saw the way people would approach the paper document and website as separate but complementary.
What about the design?
We decided to put three main sections on the home page in separate squares to make navigating the site easier:
- Key figures
- Personal stories: statements, testimonials, etc.
- Events from the past year and various regional initiatives.
What external partners did you work with on this project?
We brought on a freelancer to build the site, someone we work with regularly. It went very well. We created an interactive mock-up for the Agency, with clickable wireframes where you could actually leave comments. Interactivity is essential for web projects, even at the prototype stage. The first draft already looked like a website, with its own interactive experience. When the final version was approved, we were asked to load content onto the site.
How did the creation of an informational video about the Agence du Don en Nature’s expertise go?
First, we wrote the script with help from the Agency, which helped us make a good storyboard. Next, we checked all of the content and got started on the “Animation” phase. We held off on motion design until the last possible moment. When the Agence du Don en Nature saw the animation, the content was already approved. It saved us a lot of time! They put a direct link to the video on the home page, a sign of how important it was to them. All of the motion design was done in house.
Would you work with the Agence du Don en Nature again?
Of course! This project was a shining example of good cooperation, and I hope to work with them again soon.