Project Overview:

Achmea IM needed a strategic report that would support its acquisition of Blue Sky Group. The goal was to communicate the vision and rationale behind the merger in a way that balanced data with storytelling, demonstrating design’s role in reinforcing trust and clarity at a high stakes business moment.

Target Audience:

Institutional investors, board members, and internal stakeholders across both organizations, audiences familiar with finance but expecting clarity, professionalism, and polish in presentation.

My Responsibilities:

I directed the end-to-end design, developed the core layout structure, and led a small team to deliver the final piece. I worked closely with content leads to ensure visual alignment with the messaging strategy, maintaining consistency and clarity across the entire report.

Design Process:

We started by mapping the narrative structure and identifying content types, strategic overviews, ESG impact, and performance insights. I created a clean, modular layout system that could flex across data visuals, text heavy sections, and image rich spreads. PowerPoint was used as the primary tool for delivery, with Illustrator supporting custom icons and graphics.

The Big Challenge:

The challenge was creating a visually compelling report that could balance strategic messaging with dense financial data, without overwhelming the reader or diluting the message.

The Solution:

I applied editorial style spacing, visual hierarchy, and brand consistent graphics to break down complex ideas. We also built a mini design system to keep the team aligned, ensuring visual consistency and a seamless design workflow under tight timelines.

Impact and Result:

The final report played a significant role in securing stakeholder confidence and was instrumental in the successful acquisition of Blue Sky Group. It also established a new standard for future reports within Achmea IM.

What I Learned:

This project reinforced how design can move beyond aesthetics, it can lead the storytelling, build trust, and play a direct role in business success when used strategically.