graphic design project proposal examples

30+ Best Graphic Design Proposal Templates (Branding + Marketing)

When designing a project proposal one thing you need to keep in mind is that you’re going to be competing with many other agencies for the same projects.

Even if you spend days working on the perfect pitch or writing the best copy for the proposal, it will all go to waste if your proposal brochure doesn’t have a design that stands out from the crowd.

Designing a great-looking graphic design proposal is not that difficult, especially when you have the right proposal template to get started with. Today, we want to help you find the perfect design proposal template for your project.

In this collection, you’ll find many different styles of graphic design proposal templates and web design proposal templates. There are templates with modern, minimal, and colorful designs so that you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. Have a look.

Creative Design Proposal Template

You can use your proposal brochures as a way to show off your creative side. This design proposal template is made with that goal in mind. It has colorful shapes and patterns throughout every page to make your proposal look more attractive. There are 20 unique page layouts in the template. You can easily customize each page using Adobe InDesign.

Modern Design Project Proposal Template

If you have lots of case studies and portfolio examples to showcase in your proposal, this template is for you. It’s designed with a more visual approach, allowing you to use large images and colors to grab the client’s attention. It also has many pages for you to show off your work, portfolio, and examples. There is a total of 28 page layouts included in the template.

Graphic Design Proposal Template

This template is well optimized to take advantage of the right colors to create a very stylish look for each page in your proposal. It uses a black and white-style color scheme with a bright highlight color. This gives the document an interesting look that will surely capture your client’s attention. There are 12 unique page designs to choose from.

Simple Graphic Design Proposal Template

This graphic design proposal template is designed with modern design studios and agencies in mind. It uses a clean and simple design with fewer colors and lots of space for images. You can easily show off your case studies and portfolio with this template to persuade clients of your abilities. The template has 18 unique page layouts and it comes in InDesign format.

Unique Design Proposal Template

Sometimes, using the “less is more” approach in your design proposal is the best way to grab the attention of your clients. This template takes a similar approach with its minimal and colorful design. It uses abstract shapes and colors instead of images to give each page a very attractive look and feel. There are 20 different page layouts with vector graphics, editable colors, fonts, and more.

Free Black & White Design Proposal Template

This is a free proposal template you can use to create a simple and professional-looking design proposal without breaking the bank. This template includes 10 different page layouts with customizable elements. It’s perfect for small business and freelance project proposals.

Design Project Proposal Template for InDesign

This project proposal template features the perfect design for showcasing your graphic design projects and ideas to potential clients. It has stylish page layouts with colorful shapes that highlight specific parts and attract more attention. You can customize the colors, change paragraph styles, and even change the fonts as you like.

Graphic Design Proposal Brochure Layout

This brochure has a multipurpose design you can easily customize to create various types of proposals for your design projects. It’s especially ideal for freelancers and design agencies. There are several page layouts included with the template for showcasing your team, services, and case studies as well.

Creative Proposal Brochure for Design Agencies

A stylish proposal template made just for designers and agencies. This template comes with 20 different page layouts for you to choose from. Each page can be easily customized to change the images, text, and colors. It has a very attractive cover design too.

Brand Design Proposal Template for InDesign

This proposal template includes carefully integrated image placeholders that allow you to create highly visual and modern brochures for your graphic design projects. It also has a landscape page layout with editable and organized layers.

Free Agency Proposal Template Word & Google Docs

A simple and free brochure template for making proposals for various types of agencies and freelancers. This template only has 4 pages but you can easily copy its layouts to multiply the pages as necessary. The template is available in Word, Google Docs, and Apple Pages formats.

Design Agency Proposal Brochure Template

This InDesign brochure template comes with a well-structured layout across multiple pages. It’s ideal for making proposals, agency profiles, portfolio brochures, and much more. It has a clean and minimalist design that you can customize to make it your own.

Project Proposal Brochure Template for Graphic Design

You can use this brochure template to make rather wordy project proposals for your design projects. It has pages with more space for paragraphs. And it includes many image placeholders as well. Of course, you can easily customize each page to add more images and change the text however you like.

Square Proposal Brochure Template for InDesign

This brochure template stands apart from the other templates on our list thanks to its beautiful square-shaped design. It will offer you a unique and simple way to present your design project proposals. The template includes 20 pages.

A professional brochure template to help you make more compelling proposals for graphic design projects. This template features a modern design with attractive colors and stylish page layouts. There are 12 unique pages in this template in A4 size.

Free Minimal Graphic Design Proposal Template

This free InDesign template is perfect for putting together a simple and basic proposal brochure for your design projects. It includes 16 page layouts with minimal and clean designs. You can customize them easily to change images and fonts.

Free Design Project Proposal Template

This modern design project proposal template is also free to download and use. It has very clean and professional page designs with space for showcasing images and portfolio items. The template has 16 page designs in A4 size.

Minimal Design Project Proposal Template

As we mentioned earlier, you don’t have to use vibrant designs filled with lots of colors to make attractive design proposals. Sometimes, a completely white design layout with just one color to highlight important parts is much more effective. This template is perfect for creating such project proposals. It has 26 page layouts in A4 and US Letter sizes. It also comes with a free invoice template as a bonus.

Exeelo – Stylish Design Proposal Template

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with using a proposal design with more colorful pages, as long as it helps you to highlight your core message. You can use this stylish design proposal template to create professional-looking proposal brochures for various types of design projects. There are 36 fully customizable page layouts in this template.

Web Design Proposal Template

When creating proposals for web design projects you have to include information addressing different aspects of the project. What’s more important is highlighting your approach for the design project. This template is designed to help bring your design concepts to the client’s attention. It has colorful page layouts with lots of pages to explain your proposal. The template comes in A5 size.

Elegant Design Proposal Template

This design proposal template looks much more suitable for modern design agencies. And it’s especially great for interior design firms. But you can also use it to create professional-looking proposals for graphic design projects. The template comes with 24 unique page layouts in A4 and US Letter sizes. It also includes INDD and IDML file formats.

Website Design Proposal Template

The creative cover page design and the attractive color scheme give this proposal template a very unique look and feel. While it’s designed with web design proposals in mind, you can easily customize it to create proposals for graphic design projects too. There are 24 page layouts in this template that you can edit and customize however you like.

Free Graphic Design Proposal Template INDD

You can download this design proposal template for free to create attractive proposal brochures for small projects. It has clean page layouts with minimal designs to help highlight your content above all else. You can also customize each page to match your branding.

Red Accent – Free Design Proposal Template

Just as the name suggests, this proposal template has a beautiful design featuring a red accent color scheme. It features 10 unique page designs for you to create a basic project proposal for graphic design projects. It’s free to download.

The Iceberg – Graphic Design Proposal Template

If you’re looking to use a creative and modern approach in your proposal, this template is for you. It features a magazine-style page design where you can create a stylish proposal for design projects. It comes with 28 page layouts, including pages for showcasing your services, team, skills, portfolio, and more. The template is available in InDesign, Photoshop, MS Word, and Apple Pages formats.

Design Project Proposal Template

This design proposal template has a very professional design that will allow you to make proposals for various types of design projects. Whether it’s a graphic design project, web design project, or even an interior design project, this template is perfect for making all kinds of proposals. It includes 20 unique page layouts in both A4 and US Letter sizes.

Creative Graphic Design Proposal Template

Another creative design proposal template with colorful page layouts. This template is perfect for graphic and web design project proposals. There are 24 unique page layouts to choose from. And you can customize each page to fit your brand by changing colors, fonts, and more. The template comes in InDesign and MS Word formats.

Design Business Proposal Template

This is a business-themed proposal template you can use to create brochures for persuading corporate and big brand clients. It has a clean page design with beautiful content formatting. The template also includes lots of space for adding images to show off your portfolio. It includes 30 different page layouts in A4 and US Letter sizes.

Temply – Design Proposal Template for InDesign

Temply is a beautiful design proposal template that uses a minimal layout across all of its pages. This template is perfect for crafting proposals for both web and graphic design projects. You can easily edit each page to change colors and customize them to your preference. There are 24 custom page layouts in the template and it comes in InDesign file formats supporting both old and new versions.

Multipurpose Graphic Design Proposal Template

The beautiful visual design of this template makes it one of the most attractive templates on our list. With this design proposal template, you can create brochures for all kinds of project proposals. It has flexible and customizable page layouts with fully editable elements. It includes 26 page layouts in US Letter and A4 sizes.

Floret – Free Design Proposal Template

Floret is a modern project proposal template you can use to create brochures for web and graphic design projects. The template includes 44 different page layouts with various styles of designs. You can edit and customize it using Adobe InDesign.

Olive – Free Graphic Design Proposal Template

This free design proposal template is ideal for making proposals for various graphic design projects, including branding and marketing projects. It has clean and modern page layouts that allow you to streamline your design process through the proposal brochure.

Don’t forget to check out our best business proposal templates collection to find inspiration for your next project proposal.

6 Tips for Making Winning Graphic Design Proposals

Once you pick the right template to design your graphic design proposal, follow these tips to create a proposal that wins over the client.

Understand the Client’s Needs

The foundation of a successful graphic design proposal lies in comprehending the client’s vision and requirements. Start with a friendly and open discussion, actively listening to their ideas and goals. By truly understanding their needs, you can tailor your proposal to align with their objectives. This not only demonstrates your genuine interest in their project but also assures them that you’re focused on creating a solution that suits their unique needs.

Outline the Scope of Work

To prevent any confusion down the line, it’s vital to provide a clear and comprehensive scope of work. Break down the project into manageable phases, detailing the specific design services you’ll provide, such as logo design, brand identity development, or website layout creation. This gives the client a structured overview of what to expect and how the project will unfold, making it easier for them to track progress and ensure alignment with their initial vision.

Set Realistic Timelines

Honesty about project timelines fosters a positive client-designer relationship. While you might be eager to deliver promptly, it’s crucial to strike a balance between quality and speed. Offer a realistic timeline for each phase, considering factors like design complexity, revisions, and other commitments. A well-structured timeline not only sets expectations but also shows your commitment to delivering a well-thought-out and polished final design.

Provide a Detailed Budget

Transparency is key when it comes to project costs. Instead of overwhelming clients with jargon, break down your budget clearly and understandably. Explain how your pricing is allocated, covering design work, revisions, and any additional services. Providing a transparent breakdown instills confidence in your professionalism and ensures both you and the client are on the same page about financial expectations.

Showcase Your Portfolio

Your past work is a powerful tool to showcase your skills and style. Use visuals rather than excessive text to display a selection of projects that resonate with the client’s needs. This allows them to see firsthand how your design approach aligns with their project. Visual representation helps them envision the potential impact of your work, making it easier for them to visualize their own project’s success.

Communicate Benefits

Beyond presenting your design skills, emphasize how your proposed solution can benefit the client. Discuss how your creative approach will amplify their brand identity, deliver their message effectively, or engage their target audience. This demonstrates your value beyond the design itself; it shows that you’re committed to creating a design solution that addresses their core objectives and delivers tangible results.

8 Essentials for Every Graphic Design Proposal You Send (+ Example)

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Are you trying to start your own graphic design business? If you are, here’s a little secret: you’re going to need more than just experience and an outstanding portfolio to land a design job from a new client. Landing gigs also means you’re going to need a standout graphic design proposal, too.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie or a seasoned graphic designer, the graphic design industry is competitive and a bit shrouded in mystery, especially for people who can’t tell the difference between an Illustrator, a Graphic designer, and a UI/UX designer.

A graphic design proposal explains your value proposition and convinces the client why you are the best fit for the job, even if you’re looking for an agency job, an in-house position, or a freelance gig.

Whether you’re into graphic design to start an online business or just putting your creativity to work, a graphic design proposal lands you a design job with relative ease. That said, how do you go about drafting the perfect graphic design proposal? I’ll be teaching you all that and more in this article. Let’s get cracking!

What is a graphic design proposal?

A graphic design proposal is a document that sells your value proposition to a client.

It summarizes everything you can offer regarding a new design project. It also includes proof of your previous work — otherwise known as your portfolio — and the costs that you think you’ll incur while doing the project.

However, a graphic design proposal is not a sales pitch .

When we say “sales pitch,” we’re referring to a verbal attempt to sell your services to a client. Yes, it requires a mastery of its own, but it’s only the second step in the bidding process. Creating a graphic design proposal comes first.

So, technically speaking, you can say a graphic design proposal is a hard-copy sales pitch sent after you’ve discussed with a client, not before. This means your proposal must be top-notch, convincing, and engaging from the first page to get the client to the negotiation table.

Why is a graphic design proposal important?

A Facebook page called “Clients From Hell” shares horror stories from freelancers and creatives. Many of these stories feature some sort of client claiming that they shouldn’t be paying for services that they believe don’t require any real talent.

While clients like these are fortunately in the minority, many clients will balk at your price as a freelancer until you show them what you can do.

Unlike digital marketers or data analysts who quantify their claims with charts and statistics, the game’s different for us designers. You need visual proof that shows you understand and can deliver what the client expects. A graphic design proposal showcases your previous works and gives your clients an idea of what you can do for their business.

As a graphic designer, your proposal must answer these questions to a client’s design project:

• What does your project intend to do? Talk about the design project’s problems, goals, and objectives.
• How can you help the client? Explain your proposed solution.
• Why are you the best fit for this project? Show your portfolio.
• What will it take to do this project? : Outline your expected costs, including any work you expect to outsource to others .
• What can your client expect?: — Finish up with the deliverables, including the timeline for each item.

As you create your proposal, you need to keep in mind that you’re not the only one who can do the job. This is why you need to add your touch to the proposal and showcase what makes your designs unique.

Defining your unique selling proposition as a creative worker helps you stand out as a graphic designer and opens you to a whole new world of opportunities.

Now we have that out of the way, let’s look at how you can draft a winning graphic design proposal that reflects your value as a designer.

How to put together a graphic design proposal in 8 steps

Clients ask for proposals. Not because they don’t trust you can do it, but because they want to compare, and your proposal might be all that breaks or makes the deal.

Hence, to ensure that you’re not missing the critical bit of a proposal, you must have a custom freelance design proposal template you can whip out when the need arises.

You have to understand that other designers are a competition. So your job is to communicate (with your proposal, of course) why you’re a better hire for their business, even though you might be way expensive.

It shows you understand the project in question and have the confidence and expertise required to execute the job flawlessly.

Below, I’ll cover the steps you need to draft a graphic design proposal. Read on.

1. Discuss every detail of the project with your client

Your proposal should never come as a surprise to your client. Before you send a proposal, you’ll want to discuss every detail of their project beforehand. It’s a collaboration, which means you’ll need to know where to come in and use your design expertise to tackle the problem.

While designers used to discuss projects with their clients face-to-face, it’s not practical at this point. Instead, you may email the client to ask for more information, then set up a video call where you can discuss their requirements.

The key to great project calls is to be prepared to go over each detail of the project and listen actively.

2. Do proper research

If all goes well with your client call, you’ll hopefully get their go-ahead to send a proposal. To allow you to send a proposal that meets their requirements, you need to do intensive research on the potential client and their needs.

You must find out more information on your own to understand everything about this prospect’s brand, services, or products. Ask for any branded materials or documents that shed light on the situation and get to work.

You can also research their competitors to see how they stack against the prospect’s brand. Analyzing information from their social media and how effectively they compete in their industry can be invaluable as you put together a proposal.

Proper research helps you know what you’re going into, so you don’t underestimate yourself and the services you hope to offer. And, at the same time, it gives you a glimpse into the scope of the project and the amount of time and effort you’ll put into it.

3. Determine the proposal software you’ll use.

When your research is done, the next step is to get your proposal started. But you don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

Thankfully, there are different freelance tools that can help you create a terrific graphic design proposal quickly and easily. While most of these tools offer paid plans you’d pay monthly or annually, some offer freemium services such as invoicing.

However, to get the most features when drafting your graphic design proposal, you might want to consider a paid version. Here are some software tools to help you get started:

Fiverr Workspace

Fiverr Workspace offers an efficient suite of smart and seamless freelancer tools. It has all the essential features that help you with invoicing, customized proposals, contracts, and more.

What’s more, it is easy to set up and use in just a few clicks. Plus, if you’ll need a legally binding contract along the way, Fiverr Workspace allows you to embed the Standard Freelance Contract from the Freelancers Union with one click.

Other features include:

• Automatic reminders
• Smart alerts
• E-signatures
• Automatic invoices, and much more.

Fiverr Workspace is also free to sign up for and doesn’t charge you for standard contracts if you’ve got just one client. This makes it perfect for first-time freelancers.

If you’re not keen on using complex proposal creation tools, then HoneyBook’s easy-to-use interface might be what you need. It has tons of basic options to create a graphic design proposal without requiring any HTML coding knowledge.

All you need to do is create sections and move blocks around those sections for each part of your proposal. These blocks let you add images, text, and other handy options to your proposal. Creating proposals doesn’t get any easier than this!

Bonsai’s proposal creation feature offers you multiple and flexible proposal templates you can customize for every client. The proposal package also lets you upsell services to your clients by allowing you to edit a previously-created proposal.

Along with these remarkable features, you can track when clients view your proposal and make scheduling decisions right away. The best thing about using these tools is that you’ll save a lot of time and energy that you could use for more useful activities.

4. Describe the problem

Remember when I said to do some proper research in step 2? Yes? Now is the time to put your research to use. Having a good grasp of the client’s problem gives you the following advantages:

I. It shows the client you fully understand their problem and that your solution will address their needs.

II. It gives you a framework for your proposal.

If you’ve done your homework, this should be a breeze. Be specific. Use relevant stats, data, figures to buttress your “problem statement.”

Here’s an example of a concise problem statement, stating a specific problem.

This example ticks the box when it comes to being concise. That way, there’s no room for ambiguity.

By stating the client’s problem in your own words, you show a thorough understanding of the issue being faced by the client. If done correctly, this section should help convince your prospect that you’re the right person for the job.

5. Address the main goals and objectives

This is where you give a situation appraisal by describing the goals and objectives (you’ve surmised from the research) of the problem. To stay on course, you must clearly understand what success looks like for the graphic design project by using SMART goals :

This framework serves as a jump-off point for measuring and assessing your goals. You might even score bonus points if you assess the situation from another angle that the client didn’t think of. Aim for something short — two, three paragraphs at most. After this, move on to proposing a solution.

6. Provide your solution + next steps/deliverables

The solution strategy section is the core of your graphic design proposal. Think of it as the key to your client’s conversion. If your client got this far, surely, they’re interested in what you have to offer. Don’t disappoint them.

How do you write a solution section that will bring you closer to landing the job? You can follow the outline below:

• A detailed plan of action that describes the steps to achieving the solution.
• Hard facts, data, and statistics that back up the proposed course of action.
• Consistent and defined opportunities to assess the solutions you proposed. In other words, you are providing a feedback mechanism for your client.

I’m not saying other sections of your graphic design proposal are not as important, but this is the meat of it. When it comes to deliverables, do not leave room for imagination. You must visually communicate by explaining what goes on behind the scenes. For example, you can include initial sketches, design revisions, and mood boarding.

This is also where you incorporate your portfolio into the proposal, with the relevant pieces.

For instance, if you’re trying to land a book design project, include previous book designs in your portfolio. Likewise, if you’re bidding for a print ad campaign, showcase previous print ads.

That said, for this section to be successful, all data, statistics, and outlined solutions must culminate into an actionable plan that tackles and benefits the client in the long term.

7. Outline the costs involved

Many designers aren’t comfortable setting their rates, possibly because they don’t know their worth. However, you should be careful not to sell yourself short if you already have a comprehensive portfolio.

I’ve found that asking for the client’s total budget for the project helps outline graphic design services’ costs. Many clients are skeptical about graphic design rates but can be flexible if you can assure them that your work is worth every penny.

Here are the steps you need to follow when you do pricing for a graphic design proposal:

1. Estimate the complexity and timeline of the design project. If you’re a seasoned graphic designer, you should be able to predict the number of hours you’ll need to complete specific types of deliverables.

2. Come up with an hourly rate based on your previous work, the industry standard, and the client’s budget.

3. Multiply the total number of estimated hours for the project by the hourly rate. This will form your initial costing.

4. Consider upselling your services for different project options.

You may plan to add a certain number of revisions or different image sizes for multiple platforms. You can also identify gaps in the client’s marketing using the research you performed earlier in the process. For instance, you can offer web design services if you feel that the current site needs a makeover.

8. Call to action — sign, deposit, etc.

After stating your case as the best person for the job, you’ll want to end the graphic design proposal with a solid call to action.

Give clear and specific instructions on the next steps and how to execute the agreement. These instructions help your prospect move to the next stage with ease.

If you created your graphic design proposal document on a PDF, embed PayPal buttons so clients can pay online. A tool like Fiverr Workspace allows your clients to attach e-signatures and enable invoice payments.

You may also promote yourself one last time by telling your prospect why they should hire you. This is less of a hard sell and more of sharing your excitement about working with clients and delivering what they need. This will end the proposal on a positive note.

Struggling to get better-paying clients as a freelance designer? Then, check out this next section to see how to use all the tips we’ve discussed so far below.

Graphic design proposal example

Now that we’ve discussed the elements of a graphic design proposal, let’s look at a sample proposal that could help you land new clients .

As you see, this example stated the problem specifically. In addition, it demonstrated a thorough understanding of the design project, which is to overhaul the client’s brand identity to target new customers in Northborough.

Goals and Objectives

Strategy and Solutions

For this section, list out the strategy you intend to use for the project. That could include research, design, implementation, and evaluation. Demonstrate your design prowess by making the strategies and solutions; SMART, to solve the problem.

Deliverables

The “deliverables” should be a continuation of the “solutions’ section. List out the milestones you hope to achieve and deliver. It must be as straightforward and visually appealing as possible.

Costs and Pricing

State out the implementation costs of the entire graphic design project. Ensure it includes your terms for implementation, such as the payment timeline for the first deposit and discounts, if applicable.

If you’re upselling your services by offering bundle package(s), use this section to explicitly state the prices of each service, in a table, like in this example. Then, make it scannable by highlighting the most important parts like the total amount and service description.

Call to action

Finish off the graphic design proposal with a straight-to-the-point CTA and next steps.

When you follow these outlined steps, you’ll earn your way into the heart of your client. What’s more, you now have the edge over those who don’t bother with proposals. This’ll allow you to land more projects and increase your freelancer cash flow.

Final Thoughts

There are many steps to being a professional graphic designer. Aside from knowing how to design, you also need to know how to find clients. Learning how to create a graphic design proposal will allow you to reach out to potential clients and showcase your work.

Creating a graphic design proposal starts with initiating a discussion with the potential client and continues with in-depth research about the client’s needs and what they intend to get out of the project. These insights will allow you to use professional tools to put together a proposal that addresses the client’s needs and gives them a clear idea of your vision for their campaign.

Finally, learning how to compute cost estimates will help set you apart from the competition as a graphic designer who doesn’t overcharge nor underestimate their value.

A well-curated design portfolio, accompanied by a comprehensive project plan, a reasonable price model for deliverables, and a strong CTA will help convince your clients that your design services are worth every penny.

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Written by Jimmy Rodriguez

Staff at millo.co.

Jimmy Rodriguez is the COO of Shift4Shop , a completely free, enterprise-grade ecommerce solution. He's dedicated to helping internet retailers succeed online by developing digital marketing strategies and optimized shopping experiences that drive conversions and improve business performance.

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Graphic Design Proposal

Introduction .

[Managing Director]

[Head Designer]

Client Testimonials

[client 1 testimonial] .

[Client 2 Testimonial] 

Terms and Conditions

• Unless agreed otherwise with the [Client Company] , all design services require an advance payment of a non-refundable minimum amount of [0.00] % of the project quotation total cost before the work commences or is supplied to them for review. The remaining [0.00] % of the project quotation total will be due upon completion of the work prior to upload to the server or release of materials.
• The [Client Company] will be provided with an Approval Form or Proof Email, and an Invoice prior to final publication. Any invoice queries must be submitted by email within [Time Period] of the invoice date. Publication and/or release of work done by [Graphic Design Company] on behalf of the client, may not take place before cleared funds have been received.
• Confidentiality
• [Client Company] and [Graphic Design Company] will agree not to misuse or disclose, during and after the completion of this association, any confidential information on each other that they may come across during this association.
• This will apply to their respective employees and third party associations as well.
• Cancellation Policy
• Cancellation of orders may be made initially by telephone contact, or e-mail, however, following this, [Graphic Design Company] will need formal notification in writing to the company’s postal address.
• The client will then be invoiced for all work completed over and above the non-refundable deposit that will have been made at the time of first ordering. The balance of payment dues must be paid within [Time Period] .
• Please note: Any cancellation which is not formally confirmed in writing and received by [Graphic Design Company] within [Number of days] of such instruction being issued, will be liable for the full quoted cost of the project.
• Warranty for Services
• The [Client Company] acknowledges that no computer system or software can be made completely stable or secure and that the provider cannot guarantee the stability, safety, or security of their network or data.
• The [Graphic Design Company] warrants that the Services will be provided in a professional manner, and in conformity with generally prevailing industry standards.
• The [Client Company] is solely responsible for implementing and monitoring appropriate operational and security procedures, and for making appropriate backup copies of all data.

Acceptance and Signature

Free Graphic Design Proposal Template

Draft an impressive graphic design proposal that highlights your skillful work and experience as a graphic designer. our editable design proposal template is specially curated for you that includes the best ideas and overviews..

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What is a Graphic Design Proposal?

A graphic design proposal is used by graphic designers to pitch their design services to prospective clients. It is a professional proposal that describes the capabilities of a freelance graphic designer or a creative agency and how they will address the prospective client’s needs. Businesses leverage their services for various purposes like creating impactful marketing and branding collateral, establishing brand identity, revamping website design, and many more. 

Who needs Graphic Design services?

Any company/business looking for content design, website revamp , logo design , marketing collateral design, and any other designing needs graphic design services. 

How to prepare a Graphic Design Proposal? What are its elements?

Cover page .

This is the first page your prospective client sees. The proposal cover page includes the graphic design agency's name, the prospective client's name, and the proposal's name. You can also add a gripping subtitle to capture the attention of the client.

Executive summary

This section makes your clients believe that you get them and their graphic design requirements. Write briefly about the pain points of your prospective clients and precisely mention what they will gain by opting for your services. Make sure to keep it crisp.

This is one of the most critical sections that explain your company and services to your clients. It has to be well written in a professional manner providing information about your unique brand. Mention the company values, vision, mission, expertise, and strengths. You can also add client testimonials to offer more credibility to your brand. Finally, do not forget to introduce your team members who create professional designs and help you gain new clients.

Our approach and graphic design services

This section reveals how your company renders top-quality services to the client. Mention the varied benefits you provide to your clients like quick turnaround time, competitive rates, and best quality visuals. 

Also, explain the approach and process of delivering the graphic design projects; here is an example: 

Discussion - Discussing with the client on the design requirements.

Sketch - Creating rough graphics/visuals as instructed by the client.

Approval - Once the designs are ready, they are sent to the client for approval.

Updates - Updating the necessary changes on the visuals.

Final design - Once the designs are approved with the final changes, they are sent to the clients in the required format. 

Project and timeline 

It is essential to provide a project timeline to your client. Give your client clarity on every action, milestone, and time consumed on the projects. This helps the client in keeping track of the project.

Add pricing tables and mention every service along with its price. A detailed breakdown of pricing helps the client to understand the cost of the project. 

Terms and conditions

This is one of the most critical sections that set out the legalities of entering into a binding agreement with the creative professionals and the client. To avoid any future conflicts, mention the rules, regulations, payment terms, warranties, special rights, liabilities, termination, and any other vital clauses based on your business needs.

This is the final section of the project proposal. Here, the creative agency/graphic designers and the client officially sign the project proposal and turn it into a formal agreement.

Tips: How to create an effective Design Proposal and win your clients?

Here are few tips to and create a successful client proposal:

Research  - To create an effective design proposal, do extensive research on the client's company, competitors, past projects, new projects, and pain points.

Focus on benefits - Highlight what sets you apart from the competition, what you bring to the table, and how it will help the clients in their business. 

Professionalism - A successful graphic design proposal provides a well-written solution to your clients. Keep it thoroughly vetted and formatted with no grammatical errors.

Simplicity - A graphic design proposal should be accessible and easy to understand. 

Pro tip  - Adding an effective color scheme will make the design project proposal template more catchy.

Convert potential clients quickly by using a professional Graphic Design Proposal template

Competing with numerous creative agencies and even freelance graphic designers makes it challenging to gain clients. A graphic design proposal template will help your company stand out from your competitors. Here's how:

A professionally written proposal creates an incredible impression on your clients.

It is easily customizable and helps in accelerating the proposal process.

It brings uniformity and structure to your proposal.

It simplifies the drafting process.

Partner with Revv- Create an effective proposal template that brings success to your business!

Revv, an all-in-one electronic signature and document automation system, offers advanced features that enable graphic designers and creative agencies to win clients. 

Legally vetted and easily customizable graphic design proposal template 

Revv's beautiful, well-structured, and legally vetted graphic design proposal template helps you to craft a comprehensive proposal in no time.

Modify your design proposal template with Revv's drag and drop editor 

You can quickly add/remove images, text and easily customize the proposal based on your business requirements. 

Built-in eSignature system

Revv's inbuilt electronic signature speeds up the signing process. As a result, both parties can close the business deal within minutes.

Collaboration within graphic design proposals

Revv's collaboration features like tagging, adding notes, and attachments let you have real-time communication within the project proposal and have quality discussions.

Real-time visibility

Revv helps in tracking the status of the project proposal on a real-time basis. It gives you insights into the progress of the proposal. 

Automated alerts

Revv sends automated notifications to both sender and recipient to take action on the proposal and keep them updated on all the activities.

Are you looking for a free Graphic Design Proposal template?

Check out the free graphic design proposal template provided on this page. It is carefully drafted, keeping your prospect's business at the center. Use this template to establish yourself as a design service professional and gain new clients.

Frequently asked questions

What is a graphic design proposal.

A graphic design proposal is a proposal that sets out detailed information about a design agency's services. The proposal has to be professional and crisp to win the potential clients. Use Revv's graphic design proposal template to create a winning proposal and gain more clients.

How do you write a graphic design proposal?

To write an effective graphic design proposal start by knowing your prospective client and find out what exactly they are looking for. Next, research about your prospective client's company as well the competitors. Structure the proposal properly and explain your solutions. Do not forget to use Revv to draft your proposal effectively.

What is the best graphic design proposal template?

Create winning graphic design proposals with Revv's graphic design proposal template. It is a beautiful, well-structured, and legally vetted template made to amaze your clients about your services and win them. Revv also offers a rich editor, collaboration features, automated alerts, eSignatures, and much more.

Related Templates

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What can be better than a comprehensive music event sponsorship proposal to convince your sponsors? Check out this Template!

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The 7 Must-Have Sections In Your Graphic Design Proposal

Being a Graphic Designer is getting harder. 

With competitiveness at an all-time high, designers need more than breathtaking design skills in today’s market. They also need to be able to communicate effectively with their clients.

This process can be challenging given the intangible offering of graphic design and the many bottlenecks in the process, including confusion and misunderstanding of expected deliverables. 

While every client proposal will be unique, there are a few essentials that every graphic design proposal should have.

Having these down pat will save you time creating your graphic design proposals and ensure client communication is transparent and effective. 

Here are the seven sections you need to include in your graphic design proposal. 

1. Introduce yourself 

Every graphic design proposal needs an introduction, regardless of how short or long. 

Introductions help brief clients what they can expect from the proposal and make the basic information clear. 

Pieces of these information may include:

• Client name
• Project title (the problem being solved) 
• Your name and title 
• Date of submission 

Here’s an example of what a good introduction section looks like:

2. The problem 

With the introduction out of the way, it’s time to identify your client’s problem.

Many graphic designers fail to acknowledge what problem their client is looking to resolve, causing them to rush into the solution. They get excited by their deliverables and forget to address the problem at hand.  This is something you want to avoid. 

Outlining your client’s problem will not only help you stand out from the competition, but will also strengthen your client relationship. It reaffirms that you understand the problem they’re trying to solve and this is key in gaining your client’s trust. 

A concise summary of the problem also acts as a point of reference for the project priorities.  

For example: 

3. The Solution

Now that you have acknowledged your client’s problem, the solution should be straightforward. 

Your solution should explain what you plan to do (i.e. design a logo) and how it will resolve their problem. It’s best to add how it will lead to business success on a holistic scale to strengthen your argument. For example, a new logo design and refined brand colors will increase engagement rate and dwell time on the homepage.  

Pointing out the wider business benefits will show your client the extended value of your graphic design services, and help increase the perceived value of your work.

Here’s an example of a well-written solution:

4. The deliverables 

Some graphic designers assume that the outcome of their design efforts can be easily visualized by their clients. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. 

Part of being a great graphic designer is the ability to communicate effectively, and a deliverables section will allow you to achieve this when it comes to the expected outputs. It helps your clients know what they’re actually getting for their money and also helps prevent scope creep. 

Here’s an example:

5. The process

Transparency is paramount in any service selling transaction. A major challenge that many clients face is the ability to justify the costs paid. One of the biggest factors contributing to this challenge is the uncertainty around the process of producing the deliverable. 

While you as the graphic designer are aware of how much work is involved, your client may not. Therefore, you need to make your client aware of the work behind the scenes and a ‘Process’  section is a great way to do this.

Some process steps you may want to include as a graphic designer:

• Graphic design research
• Moodboarding
• Initial sketches
• Building design
• Design revisions

Showcasing the amount of effort and time you are investing in the project will reiterate your expertise and skills whilst reassuring your client that their money is being spent well. 

6. The cost 

Most graphic design proposals are won or lost in the cost section.

Before you even start working on your proposal, ask your client what their total budget is. While this can be scary and you might get the sense that you’re encroaching on some line, you’re not. It’s critical information for you to know.

Besides, discussing the client’s budget out in the open before creating the proposal is a positive scenario for you both. This conversation will help the client develop a budget for the project, and it will also let you know whether or not the project is financially worthwhile for you before you put in the hard work of developing a proposal .

Once you’ve identified the budget, the breakdown of your costs should be comprehensive yet concise to quickly understand. 

A definitive report ties back to both the deliverables and process sections. It’s best to take time and be mindful when explaining how the total cost came to be.

Here’s an example of a comprehensive cost breakdown: 

7. Call to action 

Now that all the information is out there, including the deliverables, process, and costs, it’s time to prompt the prospect to take the next steps: to accept your proposal and kick off the project.

Ideally, you’ll want to give them a way to accept and sign off on the proposal straight away. If you’re sending your proposal as a PDF, Word, or Google Doc, this can be a little difficult as they don’t really have built-in acceptance or signature features.

To solve this, you could do any of the following:

• Ask the prospect to send you an email saying something like “Please proceed” 
• Link to contract (or other binding agreement) in a tool like Docusign , which gives them the ability to accept and sign.
• You can share an e-business card as a CTA. It can include contact details for them to reach out along with links to your proposal document and online portfolio.

Alternatively, if you use a dedicated proposal tool, it will allow your prospect to accept and sign the proposal right there from within it.

Whatever you do, don’t force your prospective client to print out your proposal, sign it, scan it and send it back. That’s time-consuming, particularly if someone doesn’t have immediate access to a printer, and research shows that it dramatically increases the time it takes to get documents signed off.

Bonus tips 

Send your proposal as a web page.

If you’re sending your proposals in a document format like PDF, you might be doing it wrong. After all, the PDF was invented in the same decade as the Palm Pilot, and I can’t imagine you’re using a Palm Pilot anymore.

By sending your proposal as a web page instead of as a PDF, you get the following benefits:

• Responsivity : Web pages are responsive, meaning they look great on all desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. With the majority of email being opened on mobile devices these days, you’re ensuring your leads have a great experience with your proposal.
• Security: Web pages can not only be password protected but you can also add time limits that ensure your proposals can’t be viewed after a certain date, as well as view limits, so they can only be viewed a certain number of times. You can even require prospects to log in using their work email address before viewing the page to ensure that only the right people see it.
• Interactivity: Web pages can have interactive content like video, audio, maps, forms, spreadsheets, InVision Prototypes and more embedded into them. You can even add things like pricing calculators that allow prospects to see what the pricing would look like when they add that extra upsell.
• Trackability : Every interaction your leads have with a web page can be tracked, so you can see when they view your proposal, for how long, what content they view, where they’re viewing from, and more.
• Accessibility: You can help build a world within easier reach. Because web pages use clear HTML markup, accessibility tools like screen readers are able to figure out what content is on the page—meaning the 50 million Americans who have a disability will have no trouble accessing your proposals and documents (and you won’t fall afoul of the Office for Civil Rights).
• Editability : Unlike a PDF, web pages can be edited at any time, even after you’ve sent it to the prospect. So if you discover you’ve made a typo, you can quickly go in and change it before anyone notices.

Tools like Qwilr make it easy to create your proposals and other sales and marketing documents as web pages. Use the WYSIWYG interface to add text, photos, videos, prototypes, and other features to create proposals and voila . All that’s left for you to do is email your prospective client a link instead of a plain old attached PDF.

Start with a template

There are some great pre-made proposal templates out there, like this one from Qwilr , that can give you a headstart on creating a great proposal.

They come with pre-written content like the sections mentioned above, beautiful images, pricing tables and more and can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes you to create and send proposals.

Recycle your best content

It’s likely that you’ll be writing many website design proposals over the course of your career, and it makes no sense to start from scratch each time.

So I recommend doing one or more of the following:

• Organize effective proposals in a dedicated spot: If you’ve created a proposal you think is particularly good, save it in a dedicated spot rather than just leaving it deep in your disorganized Google Drive or Dropbox. That way, when you need to create another proposal you can easily come back to it, make a few edits, and send it off.
• Put a pin on sections that you don’t change much: There are certain sections of graphic design proposals that don’t change much from proposal to proposal. Things like ‘About Us’ and ‘Our Team’ are great examples, and even the ‘Costs’ section can often be quite similar if you’re doing similar types of projects over and over again. So make a bit of a swipe file (even if it’s just in a Google Doc or Word Doc) where you drop in some of this reusable content, and then you can easily copy and paste it into new proposals in the future.

In conclusion

With more graphic designers entering the field every day it’s getting more difficult to stand out and win work.

However, by putting some time and effort into your proposals and implementing some of the advice above, you get a better chance of increasing your close rate, winning more work and growing your business. Keep learning more:

• What Elements Do You Need In Your Logo? Top Tips And Famous Examples
• 20 Design Ideas For Print That You Can Apply Right Now
• Top 10 Best Logo Designs to Inspire You
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Written by DesignCrowd on Thursday, March 12, 2020

DesignCrowd is an online marketplace providing logo, website, print and graphic design services by providing access to freelance graphic designers and design studios around the world.

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What's in This Template?

• A pricing section that will get clients to focus on value instead of cost
• Real-life examples you can tweak and apply to your projects
• Proposal sections based on both the persuasive problem/solution framework

Graphic Design Proposal Template: Your Blueprint for More Clients

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.

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.

What is a Graphic Design Proposal?

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…

Common Sections (and Structure) of a Winning Graphic Design Proposal

“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

• [Service] challenge. Pinpoint the specific graphic design need that led the client to offer the project. This will probably be only one or two of the graphic design services you could provide. Some of the most common examples are: visual identity, magazine and book layouts, print ads, posters and billboards, and product packaging.
• Design solution. Describe the specific service(s) you will use to achieve the client's goal. Make sure to explain how your services will improve the client's business (better reputation, market share, loyal customers, etc.)
• Investment. Set out how much it will cost to meet the client's design challenge.
• Next steps. Ask the readers to act, and give them a simple way to accept your proposal.

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

• Design goals and opportunities. Lay out the painful business problem(s) that pushed the client to offer the design project. This is a good opportunity to mention insights you've gathered through your own research and in your discovery call with the client.
• Project recommendations. Recommend specific design services (visual identity, packaging, print ads and billboards, etc.) that will solve the painful business problem. Explain how your services will work together to benefit the client.
• What to expect. Break down design services and any tools or technologies you will use to provide them. For each service, describe what the process entails and how it benefits the client.
• Timeline and milestones. Here is where you describe which pieces of the project will happen when. Tables are usually the best way to help clients visualize the process. The idea is to set expectations and create an easy reference point they can turn back to later.
• About us. What is it about your team, design process, and experience that makes you the best fit for this project? Discuss that in this section.
• Featured projects. Include a few examples of your past graphic design work. Before and after photos and/or screen shots are great here. Describing how your work improved past clients' businesses will make this section even more compelling.
• How to get started
• Terms and conditions

Questions to Ask Clients Before You Get Started

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:

• Are there any designs you love and/or hate? Which ones? Why?
• Do you have a company philosophy you want to reflect in your visual communications?
• Do you have any specific elements, colors, and typography preferences you'd like to incorporate in your visual identity?
• Have you worked with a freelance graphic designer or agency before? If so, what was your experience like? What did you like and not like about the process?
• In your mind, what makes a design successful? Which factors are you looking at to make that determination?
• What separates you from your competitors? (this will help you start brainstorming how to convey this when communicating visually)
• Which resources do you have available to work with us?
• Could you fill us in on your ideal level of involvement? (this could range from minimal to close oversight and creative input)
• Who is your target audience? Do you have demographic, customer support, and/or survey data to help us understand? Have you created use cases or customer personas?

Wrapping Up

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!

Preview: Graphic Design Proposal Template

{client_name}’s Goals and Objective

{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:

• Grab the attention of {client_name}’s target customers and stand out from competitors
• Inspire confidence among {client_name}’s customers and encourage referrals
• Project an image of professionalism, both online and offline

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.

Meeting {client_name}’s Graphic Design Needs

{my_company}’s graphic design services will create the following results for {client_name}:

• Created an unforgettable company logo to mark {client_name} as a true professional – As competition continues to increase in the market, it’s crucial to put your best foot forward. Our designers will work with you, creating a logo to match your vision for your brand and the message you want to convey to customers. We’ll use visual elements to get this message across in an appealing, unforgettable way.
• Designed professional letterhead and business cards – Conveying an image of professionalism online isn’t worth much if you follow it up with unprofessional offline materials. That’s why we’ll integrate your logo into critical print materials – letterhead and business cards – to polish your image offline.
• Developed a cohesive graphic identity that reflects {client_name}’s unique brand – Your logo, business cards, and letterhead aren’t designed in a vacuum. Each is a crucial element of your graphic identity. Our team sees the big picture, and they’ll work with you to create consistency across different materials they design. The more consistent your graphic identity across platforms, the more memorable it will be for customers.

Recommended Design Services

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.

Why Choose {my_company}?

{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}:

• {my_company} has offline and online design expertise – Our team, relying on a combination of digital and print design skills, knows how to bring its talents together to create the perfect look no matter where you do business.
• {my_company} includes unlimited revisions until you get the look you want – Some designers limit their clients to one or two revisions. We want to give you the exact look you want; “close enough” won’t cut it. That’s why we offer unlimited revisions. Our designers will work with you until they achieve the perfect look.
• {my_company} includes free printing and ships the materials directly to you – Hiring a designer to revamp your graphic identity is a strategic investment. We’ll help you make the most of it. Our services include printing of 500 business cards and letterhead. We’ll also save you time and trouble by shipping them directly to your office.

Project Timeline

Should {client_name} choose {my_company} to execute this solution as proposed, our timeline for this project is as follows:

To take advantage of this proposal and proceed with the project as outlined, {client_name}’s next steps must be to:

• Accept the proposal as-is
• Discuss desired changes with {my_company}
• Finalize and sign the contract
• Submit an initial payment of 50 percent of total project fee

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.

Terms and Conditions

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.

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• Graphic Design Proposal

Need a quick and easy way to create a professional design proposal for your next graphic design project or business partnership? No problem! Jotform Sign has you covered with this Graphic Design Proposal. Create and customize your ideal design proposal, send to your audience for approval, and collect acknowledgements and e-signatures in just a few clicks.

Customizing this Graphic Design Proposal is seamless with Jotform Sign ’s intuitive online form builder. Simply drag and drop to add or remove form fields, upload examples of your proposed designs, switch up fonts and colors, and more. You can even create an automated signing order that works for you and your clients. Bring your ideas to fruition with this Graphic Design Proposal. With Jotform Sign , you can create documents and collect e-signatures for them on any device.

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Free Business Proposal Template

Getting your business off the ground is no small task and might require gathering funding from investors. With Jotform Sign’s free business proposal template, you can present your new business’s needs, ideas, and benefits to potential investors — making it easier to get their buy-in. A business proposal template is a tool for entrepreneurs to quickly and effectively create professional business proposals without having to start from scratch. Just create and customize your proposal, then send it to your investors and other stakeholders for their e-signatures.Need to make changes to your business proposal template? No problem! With Jotform, you can drag and drop elements to personalize your proposal and match your company branding. You can add or remove form fields, create an automated signing order for multiple investors, upload logos and branding, and choose fonts and colors that work best for you. Work smarter with Jotform Sign!

Free Project Proposal Template

Don’t waste time creating multiple project proposals from scratch. With Jotform Sign’s ready-made Project Proposal template, you can generate and customize a professional-looking proposal that includes details such as an overview and description of the project, resources and budget, project goals, expected outcomes, and more. Update the wording however you see fit, then share it with clients via email to seamlessly gather e-signatures from any device.Want to personalize this Free Project Proposal to match your company’s branding with Jotform White Labeling? No problem! Using our powerful online builder, you can add or edit form fields, upload your logo and branding, include images, change fonts and colors, and make other design changes without any coding. Once both you and your client have signed this proposal, you’ll automatically receive a finalized document — ready to share, download, and print for your records.

Mobile App Development Proposal Template

Create a Mobile App Development Proposal Template that works for all occasions with Jotform Sign. With our entirely online signature and feedback collection process, you’ll be able to manage and reference signatures from your team members in one convenient place. Share via email or embed in your online team portal.Customizing this Mobile App Development Proposal Template is simple and efficient with Jotform Sign. Update the terms and conditions, add or remove form fields, change fonts and colors, and make other cosmetic changes with no coding required. Create your app proposal, send it straight to your team, and start collecting signatures and feedback instantly. Collaborate smarter with Jotform. To collect e-signatures on any device, create an e-sign document with Jotform Sign.

These templates are suggested forms only. If you're using a form as a contract, or to gather personal (or personal health) info, or for some other purpose with legal implications, we recommend that you do your homework to ensure you are complying with applicable laws and that you consult an attorney before relying on any particular form.

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Free Proposal Templates

Write a winning proposal in minutes with Jotform’s Proposal PDF Templates. Whether you need a business proposal , bid proposal , or project proposal, these free proposal templates will help guide you in creating an attention-grabbing proposal that contains key information regarding objectives, strategy, and budget. Proposal submissions will automatically be converted into PDFs that are easy to print, pitch, and present.

Personalize your proposal for your company or potential clients using Jotform’s PDF Editor . If you need to start from scratch, you can always get started generating a custom proposal for free! In any case, you’ll be able to modify your proposal template however you’d like, from writing additional form fields to changing fonts and colors. Jotform simplifies the proposal process so you can spend less time drawing up your proposals and more time closing deals.

Seeking new investors or clients? Use Jotform’s free business proposal template here to highlight the potential, ideas, and benefits of your business.

Need to write a project proposal? Get started with one of Jotform’s free project proposal templates here to save time and effort.

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What is a proposal?

A proposal is a formal offer written in response to a specific request or opportunity with a prospective client. As the name suggests, it proposes a unique idea or a solution to a client’s problem. Proposals are evaluated on whether they meet a client’s expectations regarding goals, timelines, deliverables, and budget.

What are the different types of proposals?

From sales proposals to construction proposals to book proposals, proposals are written for all purposes and industries. Some of the most common types of proposals are grant proposals, research proposals, and business proposals. Business proposals are either solicited or unsolicited. A solicited proposal is one that has been requested by a client or written in response to an RFP (request for proposal) . RFPs are sent out by companies and agencies and list specific requirements. Unsolicited proposals initiate the sales process without responding to a request and are generally considered to be more challenging to write.

What should I include in my proposal?

Our free proposal templates already include everything you'll need for your proposal. To learn more about proposals, read our article on items to include in a proposal!

How should I write an effective business proposal?

It takes a lot more than a good idea for a proposal to be successful. Check out our tips on how to write a winning proposal .

What makes a proposal different from an estimate, quote, bid, or business plan?

Unlike estimates, quotes, and bids, proposals include information beyond the specific cost of a project or service. Proposals provide an in-depth explanation of the work being done, with details about scope, deliverables, milestones, and qualifications as well as budget.

While a business plan and business proposal might sound like the same document, one focuses on a company’s internal operations while the other seeks to create a business relationship with another company. A business plan, usually written with the intent of securing funds from an investor, summarizes a company’s overall goals and objectives. On the other hand, a business proposal focuses on a specific project or service for a prospective client.

Can a proposal become a contract?

For a document to be considered a legally binding contract, it must consist of an offer, consideration, and acceptance. A proposal can serve as the foundation for a contract, but it will generally only require a client’s signature, whereas a contract needs signatures from all involved parties.

A signed proposal may become a contract only if it contains signatures from each party and contractual language such as terms and conditions. However, it’s best to keep your contract separate from your proposal in case your client disagrees with your offer and requires a new document outlining the negotiated terms. If you need inspiration for your contract, we recommend our free contract PDF templates.

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How To Write A Design Proposal

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A comprehensive guide to writing effective proposals that help you win more clients as a designer and charge more for you design work.‍

In this article, I’m going to show you how to craft effective design proposals.

‍ Whether you’re a freelance graphic designer or a studio owner , then before you start investing hours in creating a proposal, you should know what clients actually want to see.

And how to structure your pricing and timeline in a way that makes them wanna hire you.

Because when it comes to proposals, there are certain industry best practices—and if you follow them, then you’ll be much more effective in turning your leads into actual clients.

Do you spend hours and days working on a proposal that ultimately don’t turn into business?

Now, imagine having a proposal template that helps you win at least half the jobs!

In this article, I show you how to create your own proposal template so that you can close more leads, and stop leaving money on the table.

Writing A Design Proposal:

• What is a design proposal?
• Why clients ask for proposals?
• When to send a proposal?
• What clients want to see?
• How to build a proposal?

If you're working on some kind of a design project, whether it's a logo design , packaging or website project—use these tips to win your next job!

You will be able to remove the guesswork from the equation and create a proposal template that converts.

A proposal that you can reuse for ever lead that comes your way (with small changes of course).

PS. You can also watch this tutorial on my YouTube channel.

Also check out my article— 5 Best Graphic Design Proposal Templates.

So first, starting with the basics, let’s quickly define what IS a design proposal?

1. What is a design proposal?

A design proposal is simply a document that states what design work you propose to do for your client.

And in exchange for what money and in what timeframe the projects is going to get done.

Basically, it’s a written offer from a seller (you as a designer) to a potential buyer (a client who needs some designs).

Keep in mind that a proposal is not a pitch, so you should never send one without having a conversation with your client first.

This is super important—proposal are NEVER the first step in the sales process.

You must have a call with your client prior to sending one—You need to qualify your lead first!

Have a conversation with your potential client either on the phone or in person to see if it would be a good fit for you.

Are they even in the same ballpark?

What are their goals and objectives for this project?

Do they have a specific deadline that you need to meet?

So before you actually start putting time into crafting a proposal, you need to know a few facts about the project.

Also be aware that clients will usually reach out to multiple designers in order to find a good fit for them. ‍

Clients often use proposals to gauge the risk of going with a particular designer.

2. Why clients ask for proposals?

Now there are many reasons why clients ask for proposals, some are more genuine that others .

An obvious reason why clients ask for proposals is because they want to find more information , right?

However, be aware of time-wasters, meaning those who don’t actually have a job for you, they’re just gauging the market.

As I mentioned earlier, you shouldn’t be sending proposals to every single inquiry that comes your way.

First, have an upfront conversation with your client about the money , the time and the project scope .

Another reason why clients ask designers for proposals is because they just wanna say "no” politely. ‍

If you’re on the phone with your client, and you feel that the conversation doesn’t really go that well.

Meaning: they’ve been asking you some difficult questions , or they’ve had some objections that you didn’t handle well.

Well, then they may simply say “Can you send us a proposal?" , which is a polite "no"—so be aware of that!

But if you feel the conversation DID go well, and they’re within your ballpark and they like your process and your work and so on.

Well, then it’s a genuine ask, and they welcome you to the competition and they simply want to compare your bid. ‍

Because look—Clients usually have many options to choose from, right?—You're not the only designer who can do the job.

And of course, in the best case scenario, a client will ask you for a proposal, when they’re TRULY ready to hire you .

So if you’ve agreed more or less, on the budget, and the timeline, and the scope of work.

Well then, their ask is basically a verbal agreement and they really wanna work with you.

So now it’s just a formality—they need to see a written proposal because they’re ready to get started.

3. When to send a proposal?

Timing here is really important here—sending a proposal should never be the first thing , and hopefully it’s not the last one either.

A proposal should only be sent once you qualified the lead and it’s just more of a formality now . ‍

As I mentioned earlier if you feel like it’s a good fit, then you naturally sent a proposal to seal the deal.

Since it all basically comes down to your prior conversation with the client—Now let’s talk a bit about that sales conversation that precedes sending a proposal.  

And as Jonathan Stark advises, there are 3 WHY questions that you should ask your client:

• Why this? —Why do you need to design this? Why you need a new logo?
• Why me? —Why you want to work with someone like me? Why not hiring a designer of Fiverr?
• Why now?— Why do you want to do it now? Can't this project wait? What's gonna happen if you don't do it?

The goal of asking these questions is to qualify your lead .

Whatever you’re working on a logo design, a website, or packaging—it doesn’t matter.

You should always ask these questions before sending a proposal.

The thing is that the project must be important to you clien t, because otherwise it's going to be really hard to charge premium rates (or even “fair” rates) as a designer.

Let's describe these questions in a bit more detail.

The goal of the first question— Why this? —is to uncover the real business objective behind this project .

They usually have in mind some kind of an outcome, like for example:

“We want to redesign our logo because it looks outdated"

So then you ask again:

“Why you need it?”

and then they reply:

“Because the current logo doesn’t make us look good”.

And then you add this:

“So what happens if you have the right logo?”

And they respond:

“Well, with a new logo and branding we hope to gain competitive, increase sales....”

Aha!—"gain competitive edge", “increase sales”—that’s how you uncover real business objective (and you can be more specific here as well and talk numbers).

Anyways, now you can use these findings later on in the proposal.

The purpose of the second question— Why now? —is to remind them that project has some urgency.

Because if they've been trying, let's say, to redesign their logo in-house for over 6 month, but without any success, then they understand that they need to work with an outside expert who can help them get it done successfully.

Or perhaps they have a certain deadline in mind e.g. they need a new logo and identity, because they’re preparing a pitch deck for investors and this needs to get done by certain time.

If the project is NOT urgent, then the client will slack with making a decision, they'll be putting it off.

So make sure this project IS important to them and it needs to be completed within a specific timeframe.

Or otherwise they will either keep losing money, or won't get funded, or will lose to competitors etc.

The last question—Why me?—is there to see why they actually contacted YOU in the first place.

Why they think you’re a good fit for this project?—Maybe they liked your portfolio.

Perhaps you have a certain industry experience, or maybe someone recommended you.

Whatever it might be—You want to know WHY.

IT will also remind them that you ARE the viable option for them, since they’re reaching out.

That way they will actually see the VALUE that you can create for them.

4. What clients want to see?

Once your lead is excited to start working with you, then it’s your job to customize the proposal to uniquely address their goals & objectives.

Basically all clients want the proposal to confirm the four following things:

• How much does it cost?
• How long does it take?
• Do you understand them?
• Can you really help them?

It’s in your best interest to prepare a proposal that answers these questions.

Starting with the obvious one—How much does it cost?

Here they want to know not only how much you’re going to charge them for that logo or a website, but they will also need some help to be able to justify the price for themselves. ‍

So it’s your job to break it down into smaller pieces that gives your client more clarity about the total cost. ‍

If you go too granular here, you risk a chance of getting a request to remove some pieces just to lower the overall price—but this is exactly what you want to avoid!

You don’t want clients to haggle with you about every single item on your list.

This is your process and this is what allows you to produce great work.

On the other hand, if you just put a single rounded number in your proposal, then you risk a chance of it looking too arbitrary and it will just turn them away . ‍

A good practice is to break it down into a few segments and using some numbers that don’t look fabricated.

Like for example, say $2,950 dollars instead of $3,000 ‍

The second important thing that every client wants to see in a proposal is the timeline of course, right?

Meaning—how long is it going to take you to complete that logo redesign for example.

You see, in the business world “time is money” and no client wants to drag their project endlessly.

However, if you overpromise here, then it might look like you’re either NOT serious o r you don’t really understand them and their needs (or the project scope).

That’s why it was important to ask the question “Why now?” in the sales conversation—So that now have a specific deadline in mind, or at least their expectations.

And you can combine it with your past experience with similar projects and your availability in order to estimate some reasonable timeline for this project. It’s also a good practice to use some deliverables/meetings and link them to your payment structure—that way, your client can clearly SEE, how the projects is going to progress.

And then, of course they also need to know that you UNDERSTAND the assignment in the first place.

Here you need to use their vocabulary: the words and phrases that they used to describe things.

This will show that you understand their problems, and it will assure them that you’re on the same page.

So don’t offer here no solutions, just list their goals and objectives or talk about their problems.

And lastly, they also need to know that you’re a pro— that can actually help them succeed. ‍

Here you can obviously talk a bit about your experience and list some credentials.

And of course, you need to show some case studies or just relevant work in general—so that they feel comfortable hiring you.

For example, if they operate in a cannabis space, and you’ve designed a logo for a cannabis brand before—Then they might feel more comfortable working with you , since you already know the space.

But on the other hand, you can also use it to your advantage and address their objections .

For example, if you’ve never worked with a cannabis brand before, but they asked about this, well then you can say something like:

“We haven’t worked with a cannabis brand before, but we’re quick learners and we have a proven process that we follow and we also believe that we can be actually more creative—approaching it from a new angle.“

Ok, so that’s basically it — that’s what clients search for in every design proposal.

Now, let’s talk about how to put this all together.

5. How to build a proposal?

You can have more or less pages, or you can structure your proposal a bit differently as long as you include everything that your client needs to see.

Here’s the structure that I use—I created a template that I’m able to reuse to save me some time.

Otherwise it would be really time consuming having to create proposals from scratch each and every single time.

You can basically use any kind of software to create your proposals, it could be a Keynote , or using some online tools like Qwilr etc.

I like to build my proposals in InDesign, and then I published them to the cloud and then I send them the link.

That way the client can view it online in the browser or they can download that PDF and print it out if they want to (it’s letterhead format as well)

It’s a good practice in general to send a link rather that an attachment so that things don’t get lost in the inbox.

I use my master template and then I change a few things like:

The company name, the contact name, information about the project, scope of work and of course I include custom pricing and timeline that is based on their needs and so on.

Starting with the Cover Page —here we’ve got the company name, the contact name and the date.

Next, on the first page inside I like to have an introduction in the form of a short letter. ‍

Basically I just address the person i spoke with before and I thank them for the opportunity and then I shortly describe what’s inside this proposal.

Next, in the first actual section I like to include information about their project.

Remember when we were talking about assuring client that you understand them? ‍

That’s why I like to have a couple of sentences here—talking about what we’re doing, and why we’re doing it.

For example:

“You’re looking to design a logo and identity for Company Name In order to XXX“.

This is where you list their major goal or business objective.

On the next page you can also break it down into smaller pieces as well.

The next section is About Us —this is where you re-introduce yourself.

You have the right to brag about yourself here, your capabilities, and your experience.

‍ You can also list your services, any recognition, awards you might have won etc. ‍

You should include a picture of yourself here as well, even if it’s the same small photo that you’re using on social media.

If you have a nice office, you can include a photo of you and your team working together as well.

I like to also talk about my design process and my unique approach here.

In the next step we have the investment & timeline section where I basically break-down the pricing into smaller segments as I already mentioned before.

The way you structure your pricing will pretty much define your relationship with the client.

For example: besides the logo design, you also list other items like: brand strategy that precedes logo design, and also stationery design or a style guide that follows logo design etc.

A good practice is to give the client either a price range (if you charge a flat rate) or you can estimate hours (if you charge per hour).

I personally like to either give a price range options for bigger projects or I charge a weekly retainer, if this is a smaller client.

However, I always want to give the client more than 1 option to choose from—I usually present them with 3 different incremental options e.g. base, plus and pro.

I simply list what I can do to help move the needle at that particular price point.

For example: the option one would be exactly what they wanted e.g. a new logo and identity design.

Then Incrementally, option two would include some extra things that would give them more benefit.

For example, apart from logo design, we can also do a style guide.

And option three would give them even more benefit than the previous two options.

For example: we can also redesign your website to match that new branding.

The goal of doing this, is to give your client MORE options (and you can upsell here as well).

Basically, you’re doing this so that instead of it being a “yes” or “no” answer—it becomes more of a “which option do we go for?”. ‍

Finally, in this section as well I like to include a page titled “why me” — where you can address some of the client objections again, based on the sales conversation.

Here you can list some things that make you special.

For example: If they were concerned about working with someone who doesn’t have an experience designing logos for cannabis brands, then you can bring it up here and address that issues.

For Example:

“We have no experience working with your industry and that’s why we believe we can be more creative”

You can also talk about other reasons that make you unique or a good fit for this project.

After that I include estimated project timeline for each option.

This section is just to simply help the client visualize of how long each option could take.

It’s an opportunity for you to schedule the meetings or deliverables that are linked to the payments and so on. ‍

At the end I also include a section with some case studies.

To keep it simple, you may just as well add a few images of your work that link to your Behance project pages, or your portfolio website, so that they can click to learn more.

You should also include a testimonial or two from your past clients as well (social proof).

If you don‘t have testimonials yet, then write them for yourself, and then ask your past clients if it’s ok to use it, or if they'd describe working with you in other words.

Usually they will say “yes” if you’ve done a good job.

Finally, at the very end I will call them to action—I give them clear steps on how to start the project.

If this is a small client, then I just usually embed PayPal buttons in that proposa l, so that they can click and pay a deposit to start the project.

For bigger projects, the next step would be naturally to sign a contract. ‍

That's really it!—it's been very successful for me over the years.

It doesn't have to be a giant proposal for even a bigger project, nobody wants to read dozens of pages of text.

‍ Keep it simple and make sure you double check everything, especially the numbers and the typos, before you actually send it to your client.

Conclusions

Remember that your proposal is just a formality, it’s the tangible representation of the deal you’re making with your client.

Therefore, proposals are NOT there to substitute for making that deal , the deal you make during your sales call.

That's why you shouldn’t send proposals to clients if you haven’t talked to them first.

Don't waste time on proposals before getting that verbal agreement to your overall pricing and your timeline. ‍

If you want to save time on crafting your proposals—then check out my InDesign template .

‍ The exact proposal that I use with my clients when they inquiry about branding services comes in.

You can just change the colors and fonts, and swap the logo to match your brand.

And of course, you will customize a few details, but the overall structure and description are in place. ‍

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial on how to create effective proposals.

I’d like to hear from you?—What’s your process of working with clients?—Leave a comment below. And also check out my other tutorials on how to design logos strategically , and then how to present logo concepts to your clients to get their approval, and how to deliver a logo package or create a style guide .

I have some been more active recently about sharing my experience as a designer—hoping that it will inspires you to grow your design business.

I'm a branding expert and graphic designer based in NY. I specialize in the development of brands: brand strategy, identity & web design. Need help with your project?— Get in touch

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15+ SAMPLE Graphic Design Proposals in PDF | MS Word

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1. arts and illustration design proposal, 2. publication graphic design proposal, 3. packaging design proposal, 4. brand and visual identity design proposal, 5. user interface (ui) design proposal, 1. price and process comparison, 2. amicable agreement, 3. highlight credibility, 4. showcase design process, step 1: identify definite goals, and objectives, step 2: write a concise overview of the graphic design project, step 3: present the creative design solutions and methodology, step 4: provide the project timeline and budget, step 5: feature the unique value, step 6: prepare the final draft, share this post on your network, you may also like these articles, 21+ sample demolition proposals in pdf | ms word.

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