Proposal Samples
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- spookykat
I'm working on my first proposal for a company and have no idea what one actually looks like. I've done one in school a couple years back but does anyone have professional samples for show? Thanks
- bigtrick0
proposal for what?
- spookykat0
Sorry didn't explain well. Its for a company that wants me to do an ad campaign as well as other promotional materials and maybe a website. Since this is essentially my first real proposal, I have no idea if its suppose to be one page well designed or typed in word, etc. And I can't seem to find any good designed ones on Google search.
- pauliusuza0
Are you on Mac or Windows?
- spookykat0
Have both
- pauliusuza0
For designing the proposal use Pages on Mac. Start with one of the default templates and modify to your needs.
As for the content:
1) First, describe the subjects in few short paragraphs
2) Create a table with a simple timeline (step1 - x days / y cost, step2, step3, etc)
3) Put total cost in a separate paragraph, mention your delivery and payment terms
4) One page about yourself / your company / links to examples of work, etc.
5) Finally add one page with your contact information
- vaxorcist0
1. Do they have a creative brief they're asking you to follow?
2. Do they know what a creative brief is?If 1, then use that a LOT for your guidelines
ir 2, then make damn sure you make time in your estimate for educating of your client, as they may be all over the place idea-wise and assume everything costs nickels...
- maikel0
if it is a large company (or a large campaign) try to get a senior friend to lend you a hand. you will have to split the earning but a happy client will work with you again.
- SeriousFreelancing0
Mac Pages?
Sounds like this guy needs to start learning InDesign... but then again it certainly doesn't matter which PROGRAM you use... and you should be able to logically work out what your client desires in the proposal.
- meffid0
You'll find a lot of people won't share these as they're what sets people/firms apart from each other.
A good pitch doc will be a pdf, printable and something you can display on screen and talk over, if need be.
If you want $5k from them, it will be 3-5 pages.
If you want $50k from them it will have a custom cover (Ie. brushed aluminium for a aluminium company, a sewn medical gown for a medical company etc.)
If you want $500k from them, you'd be hiring someone to pitch for you.I will email you some I've done, but I won't post links to them.
- meffid0
If you pitched to me in Pages or PowerPoint as a designer, I'd tell you to GTFO.
- +1SeriousFreelancing
- yes.... powerpoint sucketh, but it does seem to wow the suits sometimes, not the creativesvaxorcist
- SeriousFreelancing0
This is a case in point of why "art schools" absolutely do a piss poor job of preparing students for the real world... where art direction and design mean nothing in comparison to business and the business owners who pay us.
- vaxorcist0
true..... more than half of a creative's skill these days is in convincing clients to actually DO stuff.....
When I was teaching at a certain art college, many of my students came into class actively disdaining business, marketing,etc... and only a few knew what a creative brief is...
- spookykat0
Well its definitely not over a couple k lol. I was surprised when they asked me to do one, kinda nervous really. I'm making one up in inDesign as I type but so far I only have a page, which I assume is what they want from me at most. Its pretty hard to fit all the terms and conditions in one page too.
- SeriousFreelancing0
When I was working at BBDO, 90% of the designers couldn't spell, let alone an entire brief with persuasion, detail, properly structured thoughts, etc.
I recommend that all Jr Designers find two mentors. 1) copy writer. 2) account executive.
- boobs0
Designing is easy. Using the software is easy, but time-consuming. Finding clients is the real work in designing.
- SeriousFreelancing0
You mean, "finding clients is the real work" in your way to self sustainability!
- vaxorcist0
okay, if small budget, small company, then it's not so much about the layout or design of the proposal, but of the confidence the proposal inspires in a business-minded person.
It has to look good enough for somebody to be willing to spend a few thousand on, imagine target audience of any small businessperson you acutally know, think from their perspective...
It's also a bit of a contract in their mind, so whatever you say you will do, be willing to actually do, assume that they will want to ask questions and make changes not because they're evil, but because they're unfamilar with this....
- I think thats why they want to hire me, I'm cheap labor compared to hiring a design agency. Its not a big company but their products are decent.spookykat
- sublocked0
- where is the second page lol
I use http://www.bidsketch…
(:Pbrodster
- where is the second page lol
- spookykat0
*sigh* design is so depressing. Everyones basically a starving artist.
- formed0
Don't worry about 'designing' a proposal. A proposal should have basic information, explain what you are proposing (perhaps why you are proposing, but keep in mind people have very short attention spans).
Software - make no difference what software you do it in. Really, 0 difference. Make a PDF, email and print. Done.
Clarity - make sure that they can clearly see what you are proposing, what it includes and how much it'll cost. 99% of the people will skip everything and get to the numbers (as that, ultimately, is the crucial part).
- Yeah thats what they wanted instead of all the about me stuff.spookykat