Proposal Template for a Design Agency (Copy Outline)

How to use this template

Copy the outline into your own document and replace the bracketed placeholders. Wherever it says "your rate", enter the figure you have decided on; the template deliberately contains no prices, because the right number depends on your market, your experience and the client.

A proposal is longer than a quote and shorter than a contract. Its job is to show the client that you understood the problem, explain how you will solve it, and make the next step obvious. Delete any section the project does not need: a small job deserves a short proposal.

Design agency proposal: outline

PROPOSAL FOR [client name]
Project: [project name]
Prepared by: [your agency] on [date]. Valid until: [date]

1. WHAT WE HEARD
In the client's own words, the problem and the goal.
"[quote or paraphrase from the brief]"
What success looks like: [one measurable outcome]

2. OUR APPROACH
Phase 1: [e.g. research and direction]. What you get: [output]
Phase 2: [e.g. concepts]. What you get: [output]
Phase 3: [e.g. refinement and delivery]. What you get: [output]

3. SCOPE: WHAT IS INCLUDED
 - [deliverable and format]
 - [deliverable and format]
 - [number] rounds of consolidated feedback per phase

4. NOT INCLUDED
 - [e.g. printing, development, stock licences]
 - Anything not listed in section 3, quoted separately as a change order

5. TIMELINE
Kick-off: [date, after deposit and materials received]
Phase 1: [date]  Phase 2: [date]  Final delivery: [date]
What we need from you, and by when: [feedback windows, assets, approvals]

6. WHO YOU WORK WITH
Lead: [name, role]. Team: [names and roles]. Main contact: [name]

7. INVESTMENT AND PAYMENT
Total fee: your rate
Deposit to begin: your deposit amount, due on acceptance
Balance: [how it is split across phases or due on delivery]

8. TERMS
Ownership and usage: [when rights transfer]
Changes: agreed in writing and priced before work starts
Cancellation: [your kill fee wording]

9. NEXT STEP
Reply "Approved" or sign below to accept. We will send the deposit invoice the same day.
Name / date: ____________

Why the proposal opens with "What we heard"

Clients read the first section to decide whether you listened. Restating the problem in their words, before you describe any solution, is the most persuasive thing a proposal can do. It also exposes any misunderstanding while it is cheap to fix.

The scope and exclusions sections do the protective work. A specific scope of work with a named revision allowance stops the quiet growth of a project, and the exclusions list turns later disputes into a quick reference. Anything beyond it becomes a change order.

Before you send it

Check that every figure and date is yours, since the outline contains none. Have the ownership, payment and cancellation language reviewed for your jurisdiction; this page is a structure, not legal advice. And set a date to follow up when you send it, because many proposals are won on the second message.

If writing the proposal is the bottleneck, Viznerve drafts the reply and a priced quote from the inquiry, in your voice, for you to review and send. See quotes and follow-ups and the glossary entry on the proposal.

Proposal template for a design agency, as a copyable outline.

How to use this template

Why the proposal opens with "What we heard"

Before you send it

Common questions

How is a proposal different from a quote?

Does this include prices?

Can Viznerve draft a quote like this for me?

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