Redefining Sustainability Communication & Reporting

AW Hainsworth, a heritage textile manufacturer with a proactive approach to sustainability and commitment to transparent reporting, was preparing its annual sustainability report for 2024-25. This coincided with a significant brand refresh, presenting a unique opportunity to elevate the visual presentation of their report.

AW Hainsworth sought to optimise the design and content population process to reflect their brand aesthetic and increase internal efficiency, dedication to their deep-rooted heritage and family values, and their ambition to lead in industry transparency.

Our Solution

To address these challenges, we partnered with AW Hainsworth to design a bespoke, future-proof sustainability report template. The project was led by Ewan, our Creative Executive, Jess, our Group Head of Digital Communications and Insight, and Nicole, our Head of Client Services.

Focussing on:

Brand & Heritage Integration: Crafting a professional template that seamlessly aligned with their new brand guidelines, while subtly evoking AW Hainsworth’s established trust and rich legacy.

Enhanced Engagement: Introducing clear subsections, bold graphics, custom illustrations, and a refreshed colour palette to transform complex data into visually appealing and easily digestible insights.

Streamlined Usability: Designing the template with intuitive layouts and clear placeholders to significantly simplify the internal process of filling in and updating the report.

UN SDG Alignment: Providing appropriate graphics and colourways for seamless integration of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

See the Sustainability Report for Yourself

Curating a Sustainability Report Content Structure

Driven by the passion of their Managing Director, Amanda McLaren and their newly developed sustainability team, AW Hainsworth was looking to elevate their sustainable reporting and communication. Whilst they currently sit under the threshold of many regulations, AW Hainsworth chose to be proactive when it comes to their ESG responsibilities.

They sought out the expertise of Halston B2B to guide them on their latest Sustainability Report from both a content structure and creative perspective. To establish a structure that would encompass all key aspects relating to ESG, our team ran a collaborative session that uncovered:

Their data monitoring practices relating to sustainability, including both historic and current data to determine what they could include in the 2024 report, from GHG emissions to water consumption.
Their future ESG ambitions, establishing clear SMART goals that can be reported against year-on-year.
The social activities and employee policies they are pursuing.
Who would be the audience of the report, and the key insight they want to derive from reading.
What sets them apart in terms of their sustainable and social impact.
How actioning on their ESG ambitions will allow them to have a positive impact on the wider industry and community.

Collating all of this insight allowed us to develop three variations of content structures for the AW Hainsworth team to choose from. The structures included a detailed breakdown of each section and guiding them on content population, alongside content suggestions.

The Impact

In summary, the new sustainability report template has empowered AW Hainsworth to communicate their environmental and social commitments with greater clarity and impact:

Time Saved: The user-friendly template drastically reduces the time their in-house team spends on design and formatting.
Enhanced Brand Perception: The report now perfectly aligns with their refreshed brand, visually reinforcing their professionalism and proud heritage.
Increased Transparency: Clearer data presentation and an engaging design foster greater understanding and trust with all stakeholders.
Future-Proof Reporting: The consistent template provides a robust baseline for easy annual updates and target tracking.