You didn't become a graphic designer to write.
You excel in helping your clients communicate visually through compelling images, designs and typography.
So when you're forced to sit down and write a proposal, you might feel like a fish out of water.
Good news: it doesn't have to be like that anymore!
Instead of wasting countless hours agonizing over proposals, you can transform them into effective sales tools that get your foot in the door with dream clients.
How?
It comes down to understanding what a winning proposal looks like, how to arrange it, and which elements to include. With the right template to guide you and a little practice, you'll land more of the clients you want while freeing up more time for what you love: design.
Ready to get started?
You've got questions, we've got answers. Let's dive in.
A lot of designers get tripped up in the very beginning. Because they never really understand what an effective proposal looks like, they end up submitting documents that are poor reflections of the value they could deliver to potential clients.
“Project proposal” sounds too business-oriented for many creative designers' taste. But it's the perfect opportunity to show clients that you can do a lot more than just dream up flashy new looks.
The primary purpose of every graphic design proposal is to convey to clients that your solutions will look great and create a positive impact on their business.
Some designers get caught up on the first element but neglect the second. To stand out from the pack, you'll use your proposals to explore the business pain points behind the project and how you'll solve them. This takes more than just a price quote and link to your portfolio!
What else do you need to include?
Let's talk about that now…
“Graphic design” has become an umbrella term for all kinds of visual communication and design work. You might be working on posters one day, letterhead and business cards the next, and designing t-shirts over the weekend.
This means that there is a huge variation in both the scope and complexity of graphic design projects.
Helping a local restaurant design a logo for their website is a lot more straightforward than helping a huge corporation create a look for a new product line, design the packaging, and coordinate the marketing materials.
Winning graphic design proposals adapt to the variation between projects. While all proposals share some key structure and elements, more complex projects require more information to help clients visualize the process and reassure them that they're making a smart investment.
Here are the key elements to include in small-scale graphic design proposals:
Small-scale design project elements
Other projects will be a lot more involved. Here are the key elements to include in the proposal for those situations:
Large-scale design project elements
The proposal process starts before you sit down and write.
By getting potential clients on a quick phone call or Skype meeting, you can pull out a ton of key insights you won't find anywhere else.
Remember that, while you might struggle with proposals as a designer, plenty of clients will struggle to write requests for proposals (RFPs). Talking it out verbally can save time and clarify the most important issues.
Some designers (your competitors) won't think to even do this. Your willingness to set up a meeting shows the client that you're truly invested in understanding their situation and doing everything you can to solve it.
If you enter the meeting with the right questions, you'll make a great impression and leave with great nuggets to include in the proposal:
Here are some key questions to ask in your initial meeting:
Sticking to the blueprint above will help you save time on your proposals and make the right impression with clients.
With enough knowledge and practice, even graphic designers can learn to love – or at least tolerate – the proposal process!
{client_name} can deliver massive value to its customers, but it won’t get the chance if doesn’t make a great first impression. Top-quality graphic design will get target customers’ attention, express {client_name}’s unique personality, and encourage viewers to become leads and customers. The right graphic design services will:
If {client_name} doesn’t invest in graphic design services tailored to showcase its unique value, it could blend in with its competitors and miss opportunities. Poor graphic design gives visitors an impression that {client_name} isn’t the best choice for their needs, which could hurt {client_name}’s market share and slow long-term growth.
{my_company}’s graphic design services will create the following results for {client_name}:
To meet {client_name}’s needs, as outlined above, we recommend the following design services as part of this project:
Design of {client_name}’s Company Logo
{my_company}’s designers will meet with {client_name} to hear its vision for a logo and offer input to help {client_name} accomplish its design goals. {my_company}’s designers will create several preliminary design sketches, get feedback from {client_name}, and finalize the design. {client_name} gets complete control over the mark, logotype, color scheme, and font selections.
Design of {client_name}’s Business Cards
After getting input from {client_name}, {my_company} will design 100% customized business cards to reflect {client_name}’s unique brand. {my_company} will integrate the finalized logo into the design. Once the design is complete, {my_company} will also print 500 business cards and ship them to up to 10 of {client_name}’s employees, dividing them at {client_name}’s discretion.
Design of {client_name}’s Letterhead
{my_company} will meet with {client_name} to hear its preferences for letterhead design. Then {my_company} will design fully customized letterhead that incorporates the finalized logo that matches {client_name}’s vision. Once the design is complete, {my_company} will also print 500 letterhead and ship them to up to 10 of {client_name}’s employees, dividing them at {client_name}’s discretion.
Consummate Professional Graphic Identity Solution
| $5,730 |
{client_name} needs to make a great first impression to win business and stand out from competitors. But it can’t afford to spend precious time learning and applying principles of effective graphic design. Hiring a company like {my_company} takes care of the issue; {client_name} gets to focus on the big picture of running its business while we worry about the visual presentation. We’ll bring the following strengths in our work for {client_name}:
Should {client_name} choose {my_company} to execute this solution as proposed, our timeline for this project is as follows:
| Phase | Activities | Completion |
| Design Consultation | Meeting between {client_name}’s team and {my_company}’s designers; identification of {client_name}’s top design priorities and recommendations delivered by {my_company}. | 10/31/XX |
| Logo Design | Creation of 3-4 prelimary logo design sketches by {my_company}’s designers; feedback from {client_name}; finalizing logo design. | 11/20/XX |
| Business Card and Letterhead Design | Creation of 3-4 business card and letterhead design options by {my_company}’s designers; feedback from {client_name}; integration of logo and finalizing the designs. | 12/15/XX |
| Business Card and Letterhead Printing | Printing of 500 business cards and letterhead by {my_company}, divided among up to 10 employees at {client_name}’s discretion; shipping materials to {client_name}’s office. | 12/20/XX |
To take advantage of this proposal and proceed with the project as outlined, {client_name}’s next steps must be to:
Once completed, {my_company} will contact {client_name} to schedule a project launch meeting to make introductions and gather information before beginning the work.
We’re happy to make changes to project scope on {client_name}’s request at any time, but may be subject to additional billing.
Once project fee is paid in full to {my_company}, any elements of text, graphics, photos, contents, trademarks, or other artwork furnished to {client_name} for inclusion in website are owned by {client_name}.
{my_company} assumes {client_name} has permission from the rightful owner to use any code, scripts, data, and reports are provided by {client_name} for inclusion in its materials, and will hold harmless, protect, and defend {my_company} from any claim or suit arising from the use of such work.
{my_company} retains the right to display graphics and other web content elements as examples of their work in their portfolio and as content features in other projects.
This agreement becomes effective only when signed by agents of {client_name} and {my_company}. Regardless of the place of signing of this agreement, {client_name} agrees that for purposes of venue, this contract was entered into in [STATE] and any dispute will be litigated or arbitrated in [STATE].
The agreement contained in this contract constitutes the sole agreement between {client_name} and the {my_company} regarding all items included in this agreement.