15+ Sample Graphic Design Proposals

What is a Graphic Design Proposal?

A graphic design proposal is a significant document that presents solid goals, objectives, and plans to create a particular graphic design project. It is usually written by a person who specializes in graphic design projects such as marketing and advertising, motion graphics or visual effects, packaging, publication design, user interface design, visual identity design, infographics design, and many more.

According to a statistical study, 68% of digital marketers have plans in place to increase the use of visual assets in future content activities.  Thus, if you are currently developing a certain graphic design project for your work portfolio and other business ventures, the first thing you need to accomplish is preparing an effective graphic design proposal for your innovative project.

Different Types of Graphic Design Proposals

The book The Elements of Graphic Design: Space, Unity, Page Architecture, and Type stated that the design process is applied to bring order from chaos and randomness, helping readers to discern a particular message. You need to consider what type of multimedia proposal that you will use for your work.  However, there are a wide array of forms of graphic design around us with the aim of enticing viewers into a specific product or service. Below are different types of graphic design proposals:

1. Arts and Illustration Design Proposal

Are you working on designing graphic patterns for textiles? Or do you want to work on designing graphic novels, album art, book covers, picture books, technical illustration, concept art, video games or websites? From fine art to decoration to storytelling illustrations, you create various kinds of compositions to communicate and solve problems while creating original pieces of artwork. Developing an effective proposal for arts and illustration design is an advantageous method to get your artwork and design approved by your prospective client. 

2. Publication Graphic Design Proposal

If you are working with editors and publishers, you are a graphic designer who has an expertise in designing several kinds of publications such as books, newspapers, newsletters, annual reports, directories, catalog, and magazines. Your goal is creating layouts with carefully selected typography with artwork. Additionally, you are skilled in understanding color management, printing and digital publishing. Aside from  possessing these abilities, it is essential that you also create an appealing proposal for your publication graphic design proposal to make your work published if it gets a thumbs up from the publishing company. 

3. Packaging Design Proposal

To directly communicate to consumers, packaging design is crucial and valuable in marketing and advertising of different kinds of goods. As a packaging designer, you have what it takes to tell the story of a brand through their products such as box, bottle, container, and many more. Your main role is to create concepts, develop mockups and set up the print-ready files for a product. So, we recommend that you create a compelling proposal for your packaging design project. In this way, you can get some potential clients who want your packaging design services. 

4. Brand and Visual Identity Design Proposal

One of the most common types of design is visual identity design. Being extensively used in a wide spectrum of fields such as business, education, health and medicine, news and entertainment, music and culture, and many others, a graphic designer collaborate with brand stakeholders and other business firms to create assets including logos, typography, color palettes, and photo libraries in order to represent the personality of a specific brand. Writing a striking proposal for your brand and visual identity design project will help you in further attracting your clients and audience interest.

5. User Interface (UI) Design Proposal

Rand Fishkin, Founder at Moz, said: “The trend of design toward simplicity and accessibility in software happened for a reason—simple sells, simple usable and simple scales.” Many users prefer simplicity and elegance in various apps found in a smartphone. User interface (UI) design is a process of designing interfaces of a device or application to help the users interact with them conveniently.  If you are skilled in designing on-screen graphical elements such as buttons, menus, micro-interactions, etc., then it is important that you create wonderful proposals for your UI design projects.

Benefits of a Graphic Design Project Proposal

Based on a study, many people are most likely able to remember 10% of the information relayed three days later on when they hear a message. However, when the same message is coupled with a visual graphic, people can remember 65% of the information three days later. This is one of many benefits that people can obtain from graphic design applications. Other than making the reader accept their proposed idea concerning a particular graphic design project, an effective proposal can also help many novice graphic designers to gain recognition and respect about their work from various individuals, companies, organizations, and many others. Below are some of the benefits of using a compelling graphic design proposal:

1. Price and Process Comparison

When you make a proposal for your graphics design project, it allows key decision makers or prospective clients to set up some useful price and process comparisons. It enables them to look carefully on specific components of services in graphic design which may vary to establish the price difference. With this all-inclusive data, it helps prospective clients to develop more reliable and objective decisions when it comes to selling, marketing, and distributing graphic design products.

2. Amicable Agreement

The main objectives, purpose, design process, anticipated results, and scope of a graphic design project are written in a graphic design proposal. This assures both parties in settling on an agreement concerning what the graphic design project will include. It explains to the prospective client that the provider of the graphic design services clearly understands the overall scope of the graphic design project. In this way, it can facilitate an amicable agreement to one another because of the trust and integrity between the parties involved in the said project.

3. Highlight Credibility

A graphic design proposal also plays a crucial role in highlighting credibility. It must tell the potential client that the graphic  designer is responsible and efficient in completing the entire graphic design project and fulfilling expectations. So, make sure that you specify possible risks or complications in the graphic design project proposal and how you would rise over those problems and obstacles in your way. 

4. Showcase Design Process

Writing a project proposal for your graphic design services appears to be useful in showcasing the design process as you present that you have a concrete plan in order to implement and fully execute your graphic design project. If you receive an approval from your prospective clients, this proposal will be used as reference in working out the project timelines, budget, and resource scheduling  for the design contract.

Basic Components of a Graphic Design Proposal 

In this section, you will learn how to craft a proficiently-written graphic design proposal so that you are able to reach the interest of the readers of your proposal like your prospective clients, investors, and many others. However, a proposal has different components. Include the following elements for you to create an impressive document:

Abstract: One of the basic components of a graphic design proposal is the abstract. It is a dominant statement which displays the main idea, purpose, primary objectives, and target needs of the graphic design project. Scope of Project: Specify the important tasks such as typesetting, designing, and printing involved in the production of a graphic design project, as well as the key individuals who are responsible in working on them, if you are a graphic design agency or a team of graphic designers. Brief and advise your clients concerning the design style, and format. and tables. This will assist you in demonstrating additional details accurately. Timeline and Budget: Determine the requirements and budget of your client and align these aspects on your project timeline and budget. Include a clear timeline of the project, along with other processes and methods that will be carried out with the use of charts and tables. This will help you illustrate additional details in a structured area. Professionalism: While creating your graphic design proposal, you need to maintain the professional tone of the document, and avoid making it sound casual. It doesn’t need to be too formal but uses a friendly tone with a sufficient balance of business formality. Show your consideration and respect while writing this document.

How to Create a Graphic Design Proposal 

Whether graphic, industrial, or interior, design is the process of taking unrelated parts and putting them together into a systematic unit. Similarly, you need to integrate different components to create a worthwhile graphic design project proposal for your clients. Apart from setting up an elevator pitch in proposal writing, a graphic design proposal can effectively outline what your definite goal and aspiration is all about. In this matter, we suggest that you follow the simple steps below while freely using one of our free graphic design proposal templates in this article:

Step 1: Identify Definite Goals, and Objectives

Jim Smith, the author of How to Start a Home-Based Graphic Design Business, suggested that your goals and objectives can be at various levels. As you set your goals, you need to make objectives to reach the goal. These aspects help you focus your time and effort, as well as staying motivated in your graphic design project. So, consider identifying definite goals, and objectives for your graphic design project. Contemplate about the things you highly prioritize in your project and your vision in achieving your definite goals and objectives.

Step 2: Write a Concise Overview of the Graphic Design Project

Your proposal should include a brief and concise overview of your graphic design project. Lorinda Mamo, a designer, said: “Every great design begins with an even better story.” Thus, describe your unique ideas, and tell an interesting story of the overall design process of the project. When writing this section, you need to take your readers into heartfelt consideration. Then, fill the overview with reliable information such as legitimate references, valid findings, etc. 

Step 3: Present the Creative Design Solutions and Methodology

Have an efficient and valuable discussion with each member of your graphic design agency while interchanging viewpoints and opinions about important creative design solutions and methodology to possible issues which are connected to your project. After that, include these details in your project proposal. Or if you are just working as a freelance and independent graphic designer, brainstorm and develop an initial draft of your concepts and ideas about creative solutions for the project.

Step 4: Provide the Project Timeline and Budget

Ask your clients about the requirements and their own preferences regarding the project. With that information, create an estimate of the financial budget of the graphic design project that you need in order to start the design and production of the project. Provide a run-down of the cost for the graphic design project which includes printing fees, production costs, manufacturing costs, and other miscellaneous fees. 

Step 5: Feature the Unique Value

After that, feature the unique value of your graphic design project and why it is incomparable to others. Highlight the part on how your work will positively  influence many people while supporting their needs and preferences with the production and realization of your graphic design project.  This is a crucial factor for many business firms and organizations as they opt for collaborating with graphic designers who can significantly impact the public through an enthralling design like no other.

Step 6: Prepare the Final Draft

Last but not the least, prepare the final draft of your graphic design proposal that provides meaningful and logical information about your pitch. We recommend that you attach any supporting documents as well such as a graphic design online portfolio. Schedule a meeting with the members of your graphic design agency and/or the prospective client or company who will receive your graphic design project proposal. Then, ask for some help from editors and proofreaders or use some editing and revising tools for much needed proofreading and revision of your document so that you can submit your proposal accordingly.

FAQs

What are the basic methods of creating a graphic design project for a business?

The basic methods of creating a graphic design project for a business are brand identity and logo design, packaging design, web and mobile design, layout and print design .

What are the fundamental elements of the graphic design proposal?

When preparing your graphic design proposal, you should explain your creative solution to your client. Make it clear to the client about the essential steps that you will perform. Then, include a simple and concise summary that contains the pricing, timeline, deliverables, and terms and conditions of the design service that you will provide. Explain the inclusions and the payment terms and conditions. 

What are different types of graphic design projects?

The different types of graphic design projects are art and illustration for graphic design, environmental graphic design, marketing and advertising graphic design, motion graphic design, packaging graphic design, publication graphic design, user interface graphic design, and visual identity graphic design. 

Is graphic design a good career?

Yes. Graphic design appears to be one of the best careers you may want to seek because many people and business professionals nowadays tend to stay on the latest aesthetic and design trends in society. Also, you may get your design works to be seen in many lifestyle products such as t-shirts, bags, cups, etc.

What are some common types of designers?

Some common types of designer are graphic designer, animation designer, brand and product designer, motion graphics designer, user interface (UI) designer, user experience (UX) designer, web designer, interior designer, industrial designer, and many more. 

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a French writer and poet, said: “A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” With the large-scale application of graphic design in different fields and areas such as marketing and advertising, it is indeed true that 65% of digital marketing executives claim visual assets like images, infographics, illustrations, and videos are imperative to brand story communication. So, writing a clear and striking proposal for your graphic design project is an effective tool to reach your goal in helping people who need your design prowess. Before you see the light at the end of the tunnel, please follow the aforementioned tips and steps here so that you are able to craft the best graphic design proposal. Plus, download our free graphic design proposal samples here today!