Abstract blue and green geometric patterns used as a banner for the annual report microsite

Invest Nova Scotia

Documenting a year of empowered growth and global reach

Invest Nova Scotia (formerly Nova Scotia Business Inc.) is a Canadian economic development agency that helps start-ups and small businesses expand into new markets across the globe.

For its 2020–2021 annual report, one of the key themes was the need for Nova Scotian companies to embrace the digital age and use the internet to grow their businesses. Naturally, as the province’s business development agency, INS needed to lead by example and commissioned Half Twelve to create its first annual report microsite to accompany the traditional print edition (also designed by HT).

Homepage of the interactive annual report microsite created for Canada-US business communication.

Building on their existing brand guidelines, we designed the microsite as a sleek, visual snapshot of the annual report — distilling key data and success stories into an engaging digital experience that invited readers to download the full publication.

Corporate results webpage displaying key performance measures for Canada-US stakeholders.
Client story webpage layout featuring photos, text blocks, and a call-to-action for the full report.

Creating a digital version of the annual report proved invaluable for sharing the organization’s message more widely. Key highlights and success stories were easily repurposed into social media posts that linked straight to the mobile-friendly site.

Mobile phone screens showing the responsive annual report website for Canada-US users.

Even with the creation of the microsite, there was still real value in producing a traditional printed version of the annual report. A tangible document gave the organization something polished to share with businesses still operating largely outside the digital sphere and potentially unaware of the opportunities available to them.

Printed annual report cover with bold blue and green patterns, designed for Canada-US audiences.
Open annual report spreads with clean typography, images and professional layout.
Print spread showcasing a featured client story and testimonial for Canada-US readers.
Annual report print spread with data visualizations and program funding charts.

Services
Annual Report Design
Graphic Design
Website Design
Editorial Design