Another ongoing project we contribute to are Airbnb Impact Reports. Since 2012, the Public Policy and Graphic Design teams have worked together to create data-driven reports of how Airbnb positively impacts the cities and communities in which its members host and travel.

Our intention is to provide concrete numbers behind Airbnb’s positive impact so that city officials and policymakers can make informed decisions about short-term rentals. Although initial reports have been successful in sharing this information, we’ve given them a refresh that broadens their scope and makes the story more complete.

What the redesign includes

Expansion of data - While earlier reports focused on the local economies, the new reports have expanded to include environmental and social impacts. Each report is tailored to the specific interests of that city.

Airbnb brand evolution - We designed the entire report to match our brand changes and expanded the color palette. Economic, environmental, and social sections take on an identity through color.

Message - The new reports feature a refined message and framework that allows us to compare major statistics and data points across cities. We use quotes from actual hosts as testimonials to help tell the story.

Local photographers and illustrators - We collaborated with local photographers and illustrators to capture cities and design the cover of each report. This ensures that each study has a unique visual style and truly local perspective. It’s also an opportunity for Airbnb to support local artists.

Design considerations and challenges

When approaching the redesign, we kept in mind our target audience: busy city officials who expect data heavy documents with hard facts and numbers. To bridge these expectations with our brand story, we selected custom photography and quotes to support the data, and created heirarchy to offer a high level takeaway as well as an opportunity for deeper exploration.

We worked closely with the Public Policy team to maintain the right balance of aesthetics, humanity, legitimacy, and cost for the audience. We used charts, graphs, text and quotes best suited to communicating key information, knowing sometimes a standalone number can be the best way to highlight content. The result is an easily digestible report that also provides a significant amount of information.

Why we enjoy this project

We welcome the challenge of creating for such a different audience. But most importantly, our work on Impact Reports are a direct contribution we make towards helping Airbnb grow. It’s rewarding to know that what we do empowers hosts, supports local economies, and allows more people to have authentic, memorable travel experiences.