Primary Health Network

Annual Report

Nikki M Group designed the South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (SEMPHN) Annual Report 2018. The report was prepared for Australian federal and state governments and is available to the general public.

Nikki M Group provided services including:

• editing
• cover design
• typesetting
• creative artwork
• image research
• information graphics
• print management.

SEMPHN wanted the report to:

• focus on activities, highlights and achievements
• be clean and accessible for readers
• appeal to primary health providers
• represent the cultural diversity within the region.

About SEMPHN

SEMPHN works primarily on behalf of the Australian Government to improve local health care. The SEMPHN region covers a population of 1.5 million. Their key priorities are mental health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, population health, health workforce, digital health, aged care, and alcohol and other drugs. In 2018 they provided $54.9 million into programs including $29 million into mental health.

Editing process

Initially the Annual Report was to be typeset and then proofread. In consultation with SEMPHN, Nikki M Group determined that it would be more efficient to provide a thorough edit before typesetting. The report underwent a structural edit and copy edit. More time was allocated to editing before typesetting, which reduced the overall time it would have taken to proofread and make changes once typeset.

Cover image

The goal of the cover was to represent the people living in the region and to avoid stereotypical images of doctors in scrubs or a clinical environment. The image chosen for the cover focuses on health and wellbeing associated with families, outdoor activities, parks and a clean environment.

Multi-column layout

The annual report is presented in a landscape format and designed with balanced margins and multi-column layout. This helped to:

• create shorter line lengths that are easier to read
• introduce white space
• break up sections and features
• place images and pull quotes.

Unique design elements

Design elements in the report help to break the layout into smaller sections, create hierarchy and reinforce identity.

Design elements include:

• SEMPHN branding (colour palette and fonts)
• full-page images that divide and contextualize content
• generous margins and white space to make content easier to read (on screen and in print).
• left-aligned paragraphs with even word spacing
• open leading making text easier to read and more accessible
• inline and block quotes
• image contouring
• dotted rules used as separators
• hero images with smaller support images
• vivid background colours that create contrast to text-heavy pages
• boxes similar to a speech bubble to signify first-hand experience
• soft rounded corners
• feathered transitions between images and background colours.