Graphic design proposal

Graphic design proposal template

A graphic design proposal to download as a Word file or copy section by section: an itemized scope, an 8-week timeline, revisions, file formats, usage rights and pricing. Complete branding and UX/UI versions are further down the page.

Get the editable proposal

Download the Word file and replace every [bracket] and example figure, or copy the sections below. The .docx opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Apple Pages and LibreOffice.

Use the graphic design proposal for identity and collateral work. Use the branding version when the project includes discovery, positioning and a rollout plan, and the UX/UI version for research, user flows, prototypes, a design system and usability testing.

Proposal sections to copy

Project overview

What the client needs, why, and the headline scope, timeline and fee.

Section 1
[Client Name] is [situation, e.g., "launching a new product line and has outgrown a logo designed in-house five years ago"]. You need [scope, e.g., "a new brand identity and the core materials to launch it"] by [date].

We propose an 8-week project covering a new logo suite, color and type system, brand guidelines and [X] launch applications. The project fee is $[amount], paid in three stages.

The scope, process, revisions, files, usage rights and pricing are below.

Brand and goals

Show you understand the brand, the audience and what the design needs to do.

Section 2
What the new identity needs to do:
1. [e.g., Look credible to enterprise buyers, not just startups]
2. [e.g., Work at small sizes, including a 16px favicon and embroidery]
3. [e.g., Stand apart from [Competitor A] and [Competitor B], who both use blue wordmarks]

Audience: [who they are and what they value]
Keep: [e.g., the company name and the green the team is attached to]
Change: [e.g., the dated icon and the inconsistent typefaces]
Practical constraints: [e.g., two-color print for packaging, existing signage budget]

Scope and deliverables

List every deliverable. Optional items go in a separate list with their own price.

Section 3
Brand identity (included):
- Logo suite: primary logo, secondary lockup, icon, and one-color versions
- Color palette with HEX, RGB and CMYK values (and Pantone if needed for print)
- Typography: [2] typefaces with usage rules and web-safe fallbacks
- Brand guidelines: [20]-page PDF covering logo use, color, type, imagery and examples

Launch applications (included):
- Business card and email signature
- Social media profile images and [3] post templates
- Presentation template ([PowerPoint/Google Slides]), [10] slide layouts

Optional (priced separately below):
- Packaging design for [X] products, including dielines and print-ready files
- Brochure or catalog, [X] pages
- Signage and environmental graphics

Not included: printing costs, photography, copywriting and website design.

Process and timeline

Set out phases, approvals and the feedback window the timeline depends on.

Section 4
Example 8-week timeline:

Weeks 1-2: Discovery and concepts
- Brand questionnaire, workshop, audit of current materials and competitors
- Mood boards, then [3] distinct logo directions presented
- Milestone: one direction chosen

Weeks 3-4: Refinement
- [2] rounds of refinement on the chosen direction
- Color and type system developed alongside
- Milestone: logo, color and type approved

Weeks 5-6: Applications
- Business card, social templates and presentation template
- Milestone: applications approved

Weeks 7-8: Guidelines and handover
- Brand guidelines written and designed
- Final files prepared and delivered
- Milestone: handover call and file delivery

The timeline assumes one consolidated round of feedback within 5 business days at each milestone.

Revision policy

Say what is included and what triggers a change order.

Section 5
Included:
- [3] initial logo directions
- [2] rounds of refinement on the chosen direction
- [2] rounds of revisions on each application

A revision: adjustments to color, spacing, type, layout and imagery within the approved direction.
A change order: a new direction after one has been approved, new deliverables, or revisions beyond the included rounds. We quote change orders before starting. Additional revisions are billed at $[rate]/hour.

Files and usage rights

Name the file formats and state when ownership transfers.

Section 6
Files delivered:
- Logos: AI and EPS (vector), SVG (web), PNG with transparent background (digital), in full color, one color, black and white
- Print files: press-ready PDF with bleed and crop marks
- Templates: editable source files ([InDesign/PowerPoint/Google Slides])
- Brand guidelines: PDF

Usage rights: on final payment, [Client Name] owns the final logo and brand assets and may use them for any business purpose. Unused concepts remain ours. We may show the finished work in our portfolio unless you ask us not to.

Fonts: commercial typefaces must be licensed by [Client Name]; we will list the licenses needed and their cost.

Investment and payment

Price each package separately so the client can adjust scope. Replace the example items with your own rates.

Section 7
Example pricing structure (illustrative; replace with your own rates):

- Brand identity (logo suite, color, type, guidelines): $[amount]
- Launch applications (business card, social templates, presentation template): $[amount]
- Optional packaging design, per product: $[amount]
- Optional brochure, [X] pages: $[amount]

Project total (included items): $[amount]

Payment schedule:
- 50% ($[amount]) on signing
- 25% ($[amount]) on approval of the logo, color and type
- 25% ($[amount]) on final file delivery

Rush delivery (shorter than the timeline above): [X]% surcharge.
Print production: quoted by your printer; we can manage it for $[amount].

This quote is valid until [date].

Why us

Point to relevant, checkable work.

Section 8
- Relevant work: [two or three links to identities for similar businesses]
- Your designer from concept to handover: [Name]
- You review concepts and leave comments directly on the designs in [your client portal or review tool]
- [One specific proof point: an award, a reference client or a measurable outcome you can share]

Next steps

Three steps from yes to kickoff.

Section 9
1. Confirm the scope, including any optional items
2. Sign the agreement and pay the 50% deposit
3. We send the brand questionnaire and schedule the discovery workshop within [5] business days

This proposal is valid until [date].

How to use: Copy each section above into your proposal document. Replace the bracketed placeholders, such as [Client Name] and [amount], with your details, and replace any example figures with your own scope and rates before you send it.

Choose the version for your work

Use only the sections that match your engagement. Each version below contains its own complete working text or checklist.

Branding proposal

Use this version when the work goes beyond visual identity. It covers discovery and research, positioning and messaging, visual identity, brand guidelines, applications, rollout, revisions and pricing.

Edits stay in this page until you leave. Download a copy before closing.

UX/UI design proposal

Use this version for product and interface work. It covers user research, information architecture and user flows, wireframes and prototypes, a design system, usability testing and developer handoff.

Edits stay in this page until you leave. Download a copy before closing.

What this proposal template covers

Itemized deliverables

Logo suite, color and type system, brand guidelines and applications listed one by one, with optional print, packaging and social add-ons.

Concept-to-handover timeline

An example 8-week plan with an approval at the end of each phase and a stated feedback window.

Number of concepts stated

Says how many initial directions you present and how many rounds of refinement follow.

File formats named

Vector, raster and print-ready files listed by format and use, so the client's printer and web team get what they need.

Usage rights on final payment

What the client owns, when ownership transfers, and your right to show the work in your portfolio.

Itemized pricing

Each package priced separately with a payment schedule, so the client can remove an item rather than ask for a discount.

Tips for writing this proposal

  • State how many concepts you will present and how many rounds of refinement follow. Unlimited concepts is how design projects lose money.
  • Itemize the price by package, so a client with a smaller budget can remove an item instead of asking for a discount.
  • Name file formats and who they are for: vector for the printer, SVG for the web team, editable templates for marketing.
  • Make usage rights transfer on final payment, and say what happens to unused concepts.
  • Flag font licensing early. A commercial typeface the client has not licensed can block the launch.

Frequently asked questions

How many logo concepts should a design proposal include?

Two or three distinct directions is a common approach. Fewer can feel like no choice; many more spreads your time thin and usually makes the decision harder. State the number in the proposal, along with the rounds of refinement on the chosen direction.

What file formats should a brand identity include?

Vector logos (AI, EPS, SVG), transparent PNGs for digital use, press-ready PDFs for print, editable source files for templates, and the brand guidelines as a PDF. List them in the proposal so the client's printer and web team know what to expect.

Do designers handle print production?

Some do, for a fee. Either way, the proposal should say who deals with the printer, who approves proofs and who pays for printing. Many studios supply press-ready files and offer production management as an add-on.

Who owns the design work?

Usually the client owns the final approved work once it is paid for in full, while unused concepts stay with the designer. Most studios also keep the right to show the work in their portfolio. Put this in the proposal and the contract.

How does the revision process work?

Define a round as one consolidated set of feedback, say how many rounds are included at each stage, and say what triggers a change order: a new direction after approval, new deliverables or extra rounds.

Can clients comment on designs in AgencyPro?

Yes, on the Pro plan. Design annotation lets clients pin comments directly on a design, and versioned proofing lets them compare versions and approve in your client portal.

How design agencies run briefs, proofs and approvals in AgencyPro

Versioned proofing, pinned feedback and approvals in a client portal under your brand.

Related proposal templates

Collect design feedback on the design itself

On the AgencyPro Pro plan, clients pin comments on your designs, compare versions and approve in your portal, and you send proposals for e-signature from the same place.