In 2012, Illinois Tool Works, the global manufacturing giant, announced significant organizational changes that impacted its global business structure, financial performance and operations. For the annual report, Smith balanced the need to convey that the core ITW business model was not changing, while ensuring that the new enterprise-wide strategy’s complex initiatives were clearly communicated. The annual report design and writing were honored with award-winning marks.

To help fuel its growth, Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital wanted to grow its patient base. Specifically, it wanted younger families with children to choose it and its related outpatient services for emergent and preventative healthcare.

The hospital itself was revered for its history and hundreds+ years of service to the community. Yet in recent years, it had not upgraded its facilities, recruited new physicians or marketed its capabilities well. The result? An aging patient base, despite offering a state-of-the-art maternal health facility.

As one tactic within a comprehensive rebrand program, Smith revamped Health Report, the hospital’s quarterly magazine. With its relaunch, we focused on bringing local family’s healthcare stories to life. The publication’s editorial focus and magazine design were designed to work as a community outreach vehicle targeting both new and established area residents.

For more than a decade, Smith has crafted each issue of the Investment Strategy Annual, LaSalle Investment Management’s flagship research report. To encourage readership among the report’s sophisticated audience, a collection of custom illustrations, real estate and metaphorical photography, and sophisticated chart styles are used to add visual interest and further dimension to the high-level investor content.

As longtime partners with ITW, Smith developed a multi-level strategy to guide the company in organizing and communicating its efforts in its initial and subsequent corporate social responsibility report. Designed as a companion piece to the annual report, Smith integrated social marketing best practices and GRI guidelines to ensure that ITW was telling its story in an honest and compelling manner.