An editable graphic design proposal covering concepts, revision rounds, ownership, timeline, pricing and next steps, with a filled-in example. No email required.
Fernhill Coffee Co. needs a brand identity refresh. Here’s how we understand the goal.
02
Our approach
Discovery → Concepts → Refinement → Final artwork and handover.
03
Investment
$5,985.00 in total, split across 4 phases.
04
Next steps
Sign to accept, pay the deposit and we’ll book the kickoff.
How to write a graphic design proposal
A good graphic design proposal is about the client, not you. It shows you understand their situation, proposes a specific way forward and makes the price and next step easy to find. Designers usually quote a fixed fee per deliverable with a set number of revision rounds, and charge an hourly rate for extra changes.
Open with their situation, using the words they used on your call.
Make objectives measurable where you can, so success is shared.
Explain your approach by phase — for graphic designers, typically discovery, concepts, refinement, final artwork and handover.
Break the price down so the client can trade scope rather than question your rate.
Say what’s not included, such as printing and production costs.
End with one clear next step and a validity date.
The template
Cover
Proposal: [Project name] for [Client]
Prepared by: [Your name, business]
Date: [Date]
Valid until: [Date]
1. Your situation
[In the client’s words: where they are now, what they want to achieve and why now.]
2. Objectives
[Objective, ideally measurable]
[Objective]
[Objective]
3. Our approach
Discovery: [What happens and what the client sees]
Concepts: [What happens and what the client sees]
Refinement: [What happens and what the client sees]
Final artwork and handover: [What happens and what the client sees]
4. Deliverables
[Final logo in SVG, PNG and PDF, colour and mono versions]
[Brand guidelines PDF]
[Print-ready packaging artwork with bleed]
[Editable source files on final payment]
5. Timeline
Phase
Dates
Client input needed
Discovery
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
Concepts
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
Refinement
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
Final artwork and handover
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
6. Investment
Item
Description
Fee
Discovery workshop
[Half-day brand workshop and summary]
[Fee]
Logo design
[Three initial concepts, two revision rounds]
[Fee]
Brand guidelines
[12-page PDF: logo use, colour, type]
[Fee]
Packaging artwork
[Two bag sizes, print-ready files]
[Fee]
Additional revisions
[Changes beyond the agreed rounds]
[Fee]
Total: [Amount, excluding tax]
Payment schedule: [e.g. 40% to start, 30% at milestone, 30% on completion]
7. Not included
[Printing and production costs]
[Stock images, fonts and other third-party licences]
[Copywriting beyond product names]
[Revision rounds beyond those agreed]
8. What we need from you
[Existing logo files and any brand assets]
[Product names, copy and packaging dimensions]
[One person to give consolidated feedback]
9. Why us
[Two or three sentences and one relevant example or result. Keep it about the client’s problem.]
10. Next steps
[Sign below or reply to accept]
[Pay the deposit]
[Kickoff on date]
Accepted by: [Name, title]
Signature: [Signature]
Date: [Date]
How to fill it in
Write the client’s situation and goals in their own words, from your discovery call.
Turn goals into two or three objectives you can both recognise as success.
Set out your approach by phase and the deliverables at each step, such as “Final logo in SVG, PNG and PDF, colour and mono versions”.
Add a timeline that shows where you need the client’s input or approval.
Price the work by item or phase, with a payment schedule.
List exclusions and what you need from the client, then add a clear way to accept.
Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
PDF
Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).
Example: Northlight Studio’s proposal for Fernhill Coffee Co.
Key sections from a proposal for a brand identity refresh. Both companies are fictional.
Your situation
Fernhill Coffee Co. wants a brand identity refresh. You told us the priority is getting it right first time, with clear approvals and no surprises on cost.
Our approach
Discovery: Final logo in SVG, PNG and PDF, colour and mono versions
Concepts: Brand guidelines PDF
Refinement: Print-ready packaging artwork with bleed
Final artwork and handover: Editable source files on final payment
Investment
Item
Description
Qty / time
Rate
Amount
Discovery workshop
Half-day brand workshop and summary
Fixed fee
$900.00
$900.00
Logo design
Three initial concepts, two revision rounds
Fixed fee
$2,400.00
$2,400.00
Brand guidelines
12-page PDF: logo use, colour, type
Fixed fee
$1,500.00
$1,500.00
Packaging artwork
Two bag sizes, print-ready files
2 items
$450.00
$900.00
Additional revisions
Changes beyond the agreed rounds
3 hours
$95.00
$285.00
Total: $5,985.00 excluding tax
What we need from you
Existing logo files and any brand assets
Product names, copy and packaging dimensions
One person to give consolidated feedback
Proposal mistakes that lose work
Starting with your history. The client cares about their problem first; your credentials belong near the end.
A template that reads like one. Replace every generic sentence with something specific to this client.
Hiding the price. If they can’t find it, they can’t say yes.
Vague deliverables. Specific deliverables make the proposal easier to approve and the project easier to run.
No follow-up. Agree when you’ll check in before you send it.
Angelwood’s proposal software builds proposals and agreements from your own templates, shows when the client has opened them and collects e-signatures, with a countersignature to execute the agreement.
Open with the client’s situation and goal in their own words. For a brand identity refresh, that means the outcome they want, not the services you sell. It proves you listened before you start selling.
02
Make scope easy to approve.
List deliverables and exclusions plainly. For graphic designers, the usual disputes start with printing and production costs.
03
One clear next step.
End with how to accept, the deposit and the kickoff date. A proposal that ends with “let us know” waits in an inbox.
Your understanding of the brief, the deliverables and file formats, the number of concepts and revision rounds, a timeline by stage, the fee and payment terms, and how ownership of the final design passes to the client.
How long should a proposal be?+
As short as it can be while still defining the work. For most service projects, three to eight pages is enough. The client should be able to find the scope, price and next step in under a minute.
Should I put the price in a proposal?+
Yes. A proposal without a price can’t be accepted. Present it after the approach and value, broken into items or phases, and consider offering two or three options.
What’s the difference between a proposal and a contract?+
A proposal sells the work and sets out scope and price. A contract sets the legal terms. Many firms send a proposal that, once signed, incorporates their terms, or follow it with a separate agreement.
Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?+
Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.
How do I save it as a PDF?+
Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.