There's a moment in a lot of report projects where someone asks: should this be a website instead?!
Usually the honest answer is no. A PDF is portable, printable, and finished. A microsite is a build, a larger investment, and a maintenance convo.
But sometimes the answer is yes, and Tides is a clean example of when.
Storytelling Hubs, Not Updates
Tides believes a just and equitable future is possible only when communities historically denied power have the tools to build it.
Their annual impact reports were never simple recaps. They weave data, partner voices, and bold visuals to show how Tides backs changemakers in climate justice, democracy, reproductive justice, and beyond.
They needed digital experiences that could:
- Turn annual updates into dynamic, story-driven microsites
- Hold interactive elements like scroll navigation and multimedia
- Highlight leadership and strategy shifts
- Attract aligned partners, funders, and talent
The blocker was capacity, not ambition. As their Senior Creative Manager put it: "We lacked the internal capability to develop microsites/web pages."
They needed a partner who could translate movement energy into digital design without losing clarity, accessibility, or credibility along the way.
Three Years, Three Microsites, One Growing Language
We collaborated across 2021, 2022, and 2024 on interactive microsites built around scroll-based storytelling, multimedia, and thoughtful UX.
2021: Stories of Impact. Their first interactive overview, with horizontal scroll, community leader voices, and the full breadth of their partnerships. Animation, audio, and branded storytelling carried it.
2022: Shifting Power to Build Movements. A sharper focus on democracy, climate justice, and reproductive justice, with bold layouts, embedded video, and movement-focused visuals matching a deepening commitment to systems change.
2024: Community Is Power. Large-format photography, striking color, and clear thematic sections carrying a year of bold wins with energy and clarity.
Each year built on the last. That's how a recognizable digital language gets made: not in one launch, but in three.
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A National Award, and What the Client Said
"We lacked the internal capability to develop microsites/web pages. Olivia is extremely bright and had incredible ideas and insights for our project. Team was very responsive and easy to work with."
- Jenny S., Senior Creative Manager, Tides
The 2024 microsite was recognized with a 32nd Annual Communicator Award, judged by communications professionals from companies like Amazon, Disney, and Conde Nast.
When a Microsite Is the Right Call
Annual impact storytelling became a cornerstone digital experience for Tides. The microsites communicate mission momentum, leadership evolution, and community power in ways a static report can't hold.
What they have now is a repeatable platform that grows with the organization. Immersive, accessible, and built for audiences who expect digital first.
So the Q is: does your story need motion, sequence, and sound to work? If a reader needs to move through the impact to feel it, a microsite may be a great fit. If the content is linear and gets printed for board meetings, a beautifully designed report is still the smarter spend.
Thinking about a digital-first report?
If your annual story would work better as an experience than a download, book a call and let's figure out which one you actually need.
See the full project in our portfolio: Tides
