Electrical Safety Authority

The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is a government-related not-for-profit corporation that aims to enhance public electrical safety in Ontario. They oversee code regulations, license contractors and electricians, and educate various stakeholders on how to minimize electrical hazard in home, commercial and institutional use.

ESA came to Haft2 to design their 2010 Annual Report. Previous reports had been comprehensive, but communicated no concise, clear message. They didn’t reflect the credibility of the organization, and they didn’t at all represent the principles of the new five-year strategy the agency had undertaken the year before.

ESA needed visual clarification. We began with giving it a theme which we called “Partnerships”. Every page in the report features two ESA stakeholders, one external and one internal. An extensive photo shoot of employees and board members, new graphic treatments and a simplified colour strategy gave the piece a sense of story. We then re-illustrated their set of icons called the five harms, which outline in simple visuals the five ways that electricity-based injuries and deaths occur. We ensured that the copy throughout the piece reflected the new graphic simplicity. A separate but corresponding business plan document complements the report.

The result is a report that has simplified an important message and energized all stakeholders, internal and external, refocusing them on their goal of reducing electricity-related accidents in Ontario.