The designer isn’t just designing your sustainability report anymore.

Sustainability reporting has always been a team sport. 

Teams across the business contribute data, insights and subject matter expertise. Sustainability teams focus on disclosures. Legal manages risk. Communications shapes the narrative. Executives provide strategic direction. Designers help bring it all together. 

Everyone has a seat in the boat, with an important role to play. 

But as reporting becomes more complex, more regulated and more collaborative, I’ve noticed something interesting: many of the most successful reporting teams have someone guiding the crew. 

Increasingly, that’s the designer. Not because they’re choosing the disclosures or approving the final narrative. And not because they’re directing every decision, either. It’s because they’re often one of the few people who can see the entire course.

The designer's role keeps evolving.

In the earliest days of sustainability reporting, designers were often brought in near the end of the process with a familiar request: “Make it look good.” 

That may have reflected the reality of reporting 20 years ago, but it hasn’t been true for a long time. 

Over the last decade, designers have become strategic partners in reporting. They’ve helped shape report structures, establish information hierarchy, create navigation systems, develop visual storytelling frameworks and identify opportunities where a complex concept can be communicated more effectively through an infographic than a page of copy.  

In other words, design moved upstream. 

As reporting platforms drive the next evolution of reporting, the conversation is no longer just about how the report looks or even how the story is told. Increasingly, it’s about how the reporting process itself works. 

• How should content be structured? 
• How do contributors collaborate efficiently? 
• What workflows reduce rework later? 
• How can teams maintain governance while supporting flexibility? 
• How do global organizations support regional reporting, local requirements, translation needs and future reporting demands without reinventing the wheel every year? 

These are not software questions. They’re process questions. And designers are often uniquely positioned to help answer them. 

Workiva isn’t the destination. It’s part of the journey. 

Whether we’re supporting long-term reporting programs or reviewing major sustainability reporting RFPs, one pattern has become increasingly clear: Workiva is frequently part of the conversation. In fact, a third of ERM's sustainability reporting projects last year leveraged Workiva Advanced Design Integration capabilities. The focus is less about the software itself and more about how to maximize the value it can deliver. 

That’s an important distinction. Because technology alone doesn’t solve reporting challenges. A platform can improve collaboration, strengthen governance or create a shared environment where content, data and reviews become more connected. But software doesn’t automatically create an efficient process. Software doesn’t decide which production model best supports a company’s reporting objectives, nor does it determine how regional teams should adapt a global template. It doesn’t ask the questions that help a reporting program scale over time. 

A platform doesn’t do all that. People do.

From designing reports to designing reporting systems

One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen is that some of the most important design work now happens before a single creative concept is explored. When clients begin modernizing their reporting programs, the conversation often starts far upstream from the report itself. Rather than focusing on visual direction at that point, we’re talking about governance, workflow design, template strategy, translation requirements, accessibility and how the reporting program can scale efficiently over time. 

These aren’t design execution decisions. They’re strategic reporting decisions that influence governance, efficiency, stakeholder experience and scalability long after a report is published. Most stakeholders never see that work. But it often determines whether the reporting process feels efficient or frustrating months later. 

We may be advising a company on whether a report should remain fully connected within a reporting platform, follow a hybrid production approach or support multiple regional adaptations. We may be helping establish the visual and structural framework that reporting teams will use well beyond the current reporting cycle. 

More frequently, the goal isn’t just producing a better report for that year. It’s building a better reporting system that can drive efficiency and effectiveness for years to come. 

New waters: Navigating complexity now goes beyond design into structured collaboration. 

Successfully adopting a new reporting platform isn’t just about a team learning new software. It means a fundamental change in how a cross-organizational project runs. 

Designers are uniquely positioned to help guide that transition because they sit at the intersection of content, data, design, review cycles, production realities and stakeholder experience. They’re also accustomed to designing systems that help people navigate complexity. Whether creating a report, a website, an interface or a reporting workflow, designers are constantly thinking about the user experience. That perspective naturally extends into training and onboarding, helping project teams understand not only the process itself but also the visual cues, workflows, collaboration tools and reporting conventions that support it. 

In many reporting programs, designers help visualize the process before the work begins, translating workflows and production requirements into diagrams, frameworks, guidance materials and training resources that make a new way of working easier to understand and adopt. 

One unexpected benefit of a connected reporting platform, particularly one that supports in-platform design collaboration, is that clients no longer need to wait until the end of the process to see design take shape. They can collaborate, provide feedback and understand how content, data and design are coming together throughout the reporting cycle. For many organizations, that visibility creates confidence. It transforms design from a black box at the end of the project into a collaborative process that unfolds alongside content development. 

This in-platform capability means designers are present throughout the process and their role extends beyond making a report “pretty” at the end. They’re bringing clarity, cohesion and direction to a complex collaborative process from start to finish. 

Process and creativity are not competing priorities. 

One misconception I occasionally hear is that as reporting becomes more connected and process-driven, creativity somehow gets lost. In my experience, the opposite is true. A well-designed process creates more room for meaningful creativity. 

When content workflows are clear, roles are understood, governance is established and contributors know how to work within the system, designers can spend less time reacting to production issues and more time focusing on visual communication. That’s where creativity thrives. The best reporting design has never been about decoration. It’s about helping people understand information. It’s about visual storytelling, information hierarchy and data visualization. It’s about creating intuitive experiences that help stakeholders navigate increasingly complex content. 

The platforms may change. The reporting process may change. The regulations may change. But great design still matters. In many ways, it matters more than ever. In fact, the more complex reporting gets, the more important strong visual communication, storytelling and user experience become. 

Perspective may be the designer’s greatest contribution. 

My team supports more than 75 reporting projects annually across industries, including a growing number that leverage Workiva’s Advanced Design Integration capabilities. The biggest lesson we’ve learned isn’t about software. It’s about perspective. 

Designers develop a valuable perspective from working across industries, reporting cycles and stakeholder groups. They see patterns emerge that others may not. They understand what creates bottlenecks, what causes rework and what helps teams work more effectively. That perspective is becoming even more relevant as organizations think about digital accessibility, AI discoverability and the future of how sustainability information is consumed. That’s because the same principles that support digital accessibility, discoverability, usability and strong information architecture also help make content easier for both people and AI-powered systems to navigate and understand. 

In many ways, today’s sustainability reports have two audiences: the stakeholders reading them and the systems helping users find them. 

That doesn’t mean designers have all the answers. Far from it. Reporting expectations continue to evolve. Platforms continue to improve. We continue to learn alongside our clients and partners. But after working in both traditional and modern reporting environments, I’ve become convinced of one thing: Organizations don’t get maximum value from reporting platforms simply by using them. They get maximum value when they adapt their process to take advantage of them. 

So, who’s helping guide the crew? 

A coxswain may not row the boat, but they help the crew coordinate their efforts. 

They communicate the plan. 

They maintain rhythm and momentum. 

They adjust when conditions change. 

And they keep everyone focused on reaching the destination. 

Modern reporting teams still need sustainability experts, communications specialists, finance professionals, legal advisors and executives. Every one of them has a seat in the boat. But as reporting becomes increasingly connected, collaborative and platform-enabled, don’t overlook the designer. They may be one of the few people who can see not only the course ahead, but where the organization ultimately wants to go. And they may be helping the rest of the crew get there. 

If you’re interested in talking about sustainability reporting and navigating this evolving landscape, let’s connect.