 It is generally acknowledged within the design community that Cahan elevated what was at one time the dry and academic category of annual reports to a new level of quality and creativity.The "AR" not only became a powerful branding tool for otherwise difficult and uninteresting companies and organizations, such as those in biomedical, for example; Cahan's work inspired a whole new generation of creative people who began to see that annual reports and other under-appreciated media could become career-making creative opportunities.The Cahan & Associates process was almost obsessively concerned with studying and analyzing the culture and ethos of their client's company, with their stated mission to "work harder to understand their clients better than any other firm."