Established by Jimmy Wales, the Wikimedia Foundation is a nonprofit that develops wiki technology and functions as the host of Wikipedia; the free, online encyclopedia. In addition, the Foundation operates a wide range of wikis, including text and image libraries, dictionaries, and catalogues of newspapers, species documentation, and software tools.
Wikimedia’s 2023 strategic report examines the work and impact of its UK operations. The report is based on a landing page the reader scrolls to access. This functions as an annotated page of contents. Embedded in the sections of this page are links which open as individual pages of further content, each with their own collection of links. If you’ve ever used Wikipedia this will feel structurally familiar.
Illustration is the star of the report. Given the vast library of public domain images the Foundation has access to, it is perhaps no surprise the designers revel in this treasure house. And since the report is online, there are no print costs associated with reproducing colour images.
Images appear with their backgrounds cropped out and sometimes, as part of limited-animations. The effect is a richness that does not feel cluttered. The range of illustrations is pleasantly distracting. As you navigate the report you will encounter everything from fine paintings of coral to grainy photographs of early experiments in flying machines. The images function to convey mood, rather than as pure illustration of the text.
The site includes photographic portraits of the Foundation’s staff as well as short videos. The numerous links on the pages attached to the landing page replicate the sense of possibility Wikipedia pages provide—that any subject is deeply connected to others, on and on. That, if you’re not careful, you could spend a whole day learning fascinating things. And that’s not something an annual report often manages.
