Proposal Design Ideas and Expert Tips

When you look up “proposal example” online, you’ll find a wide variety of templates—from simple one-pagers to complex, multicolored proposals. You’ll even come across pitch decks and animated slides with videos. 

With so many options available, how do you determine the best practices for designing a winning proposal?

Great proposals break up text into shorter, easily digestible sections and use headers to visually distinguish sections. Additionally, functional features like a clickable table of contents (TOC) and an eSignature page can significantly enhance the buyer’s experience.

In this article, we’ll explore some proposal design ideas and expert tips to help you make proposals that look and sound great.

Simple vs dynamic proposal design 

Proposals have come a long way since the days of simple PDFs. Nowadays, web-based proposals can include videos, images, and even transitions. 

With proposal creation software like Qwilr and Storydoc, you can create proposals that look more like landing pages than traditional documents.

So does this mean modern proposals do better than traditional-looking proposals? 

Not necessarily. While videos are often touted as one of the best conversion tools for product landing pages, a study on business proposals says video doesn’t improve proposal conversion rates. 

This makes sense because the buyer behavior is different: in a proposal, the primary content is the document itself, while the video is just supplementary material. Often, prospects will read the proposal and sign it without ever clicking on the video.

What matters in proposal design? 

So if fancy transitions or video don’t affect conversion rates, what does? 

When we talk about proposal design today, we’re not just talking about the color psychology or the “optimal” layout. 

That’s not to say that things like visual hierarchy and accessibility are no longer important–it’s just that the real focus has shifted to enhancing the buyer experience through practical features.

The rise of practical design because of modern proposal software 

In 2023, the proposal management software market was estimated to be worth around 3.8 million USD, and trends show that it’s only going to be a bigger market from here. 

As more teams adopt proposal software and response management tools in their RFP process, it’s clear that a new standard for buyer experience in proposals is emerging.

The evolution of proposal design isn’t just about flashy layouts but about integrating features that make the buyer experience smoother and more efficient.

If you’re still using static PDFs, here are some stats that might convince you to upgrade:

eSignatures drive conversions 

eSignatures can boost document completion rates by up to 20%. This feature allows users to sign a document online instantly, eliminating the hassle of downloading, printing, scanning, and sending back the proposal. 

With eSignatures, prospects can simply sign on the spot, making it much easier for them to complete the process and convert.

Payment integration is a game-changer

Modern proposal software goes even further to improve conversion rates. Some end-to-end platforms now include payment integrations, allowing recipients to pay immediately after signing.

Why is this a game changer? We know that buyer friction often leads to abandoned purchases in B2C. According to PayPal, 46% of users frequently abandon their carts due to a lack of payment options, and 24% because of complicated payment processes.

While B2B buyers have traditionally been more lenient with complex invoicing, there’s a shift on the horizon. According to a study that involved the analysis of 180,000 business proposals, 52% of those got paid directly online rather than through invoices, and this number is increasing each year.

It’s only a matter of time before B2B buyers start expecting more streamlined contract lifecycle processes.

Mobile-friendly proposals are better than static PDFs

The study also revealed that over 34% of proposals were first opened on mobile devices, compared to 42% on PCs or desktops. What’s the takeaway? You’d benefit from having a web-based proposal that’s actually mobile-friendly.

Unlike static PDFs, web-based proposals adjust their layout based on the device your prospect is using. This means they won’t have to zoom in and out to read the details, resulting in a much better reading experience.

A seamless, user-friendly experience can make a significant difference in how your proposal is received and how quickly your prospects can engage with and respond to it.

How to make a proposal look good: design 101 

While the user experience (UX) aspect of proposal design is becoming increasingly important, the user interface (UI) or visual design elements are still crucial to the overall design process. 

The best news? Creating a great proposal doesn’t require you to be a graphic design prodigy.

In this section, we’ll walk you through some basic design principles that can significantly enhance readability and user experience, even if you’re not a designer. 

These tips are particularly relevant for business proposals, where there is more flexibility in design compared to grant and research proposals, which often have strict formatting requirements.

Read more: 

• How to Write a Grant Proposal
• How to Write a Research Proposal 

Introduce visual hierarchy with different headers, images, and layouts

A small study suggests that reader fatigue is real, and that it comes on around 15 minutes of continuous reading. This fatigue can cause readers to lose focus and reduce their comprehension, making it harder for them to retain crucial details within a business proposal.

Think of your proposal as a conversation with the reader. Just as you wouldn’t speak in long, uninterrupted monologues, your written content should also offer natural breaks and visual variety to keep the reader interested and engaged.

It’s all about breaking up your content into smaller, more digestible sections to keep the reader engaged. 

Instead of lengthy paragraphs, use bullet points, tables, and charts to clearly illustrate your ideas and make the content more dynamic and interesting.

Here’s what it practically means in terms of designing your proposal:

• Distinguish sections with different header sizes. Start with a large, bold header for your main sections (H1), followed by slightly smaller subheaders (H2) and even smaller sub-subheaders (H3). This creates a clear hierarchy and guides the reader through your content.
• Use color and font weights to differentiate levels of information. Use a consistent color scheme where primary headers are one color, subheaders another, and body text a neutral color. Choose fonts that complement each other but offer enough contrast.
• Use images and infographics to convey your narrative. Place relevant images or infographics next to the text they support to break up text and provide visual representation of the information.

Be mindful of whitespace and balance 

Whitespace, also known as negative space, is just as important in layout and design as the more “present” elements like images and text. 

Whitespace acts as a visual cue, helping readers understand that certain pieces of information are grouped together. It also allows you to highlight sections that need direct attention, such as disclaimers or important notes.

So how can you effectively use whitespace in your proposal? Here are a few practical tips:

• Group relevant content together. Keep related information in the same section, and use page breaks to clearly separate different sections. This helps the reader follow your proposal more easily and prevents it from feeling cluttered.
• Use highlight text boxes. Draw the reader’s attention to specific information, such as disclaimers or references, by placing them in highlighted text boxes. This not only makes important details stand out but also ensures they don’t get lost in the main body of the text.
• Maintain a consistent visual layout. Apply similar spacing rules for similar elements throughout your proposal. Consistent use of whitespace around headings, paragraphs, and images creates a cohesive and professional look.

While many design choices are subjective, ideal rules around line spacing are fairly objective. The ideal line spacing is usually around 120% to 145% of the font size (or 1.2 to 1.45 if you’re using a visual editor). This range allows for enough space between lines, making it easier for the reader to follow along without feeling cramped.

Use data visualization tools to improve retention rates 

Infographic software Venngage released a study that mentioned how B2B users get more out of their content when they use data visualization tools like charts, graphs, and mindmaps. 

Venngage’s infographic maker, for instance, simplifies the process of creating these visuals. It enables you to present complex data in a more accessible and streamlined way, which can greatly enhance your proposal’s narrative. 

By incorporating visuals, you can highlight key data points, trends, and relationships that might otherwise be lost in lengthy text. This is especially crucial in B2B proposals, where decision-makers often have to review numerous documents and appreciate clear, concise, and visually appealing presentations.

Some quick ideas: 

• Instead of describing the project timeline, use a Gantt chart to outline all the project phases, tasks, and deadlines. This chart will give everyone a clear, visual representation of the entire schedule, making it easy to see task dependencies and important deadlines at a glance.
• Instead of writing how the budget is going to be distributed, use a pie chart. This chart can quickly show the proportion of funds allocated to Marketing, R&D, Operations, and other areas, highlighting where the major investments are without needing a detailed explanation.
• Instead of describing the age distribution of your customer demographics, use a bar chart. This bar chart can easily illustrate the primary age groups, such as 20-30, 31-40, and 41-50, helping you understand and tailor your marketing strategies more effectively.

Be consistent with your brand’s identity 

Remember, your proposal is just like any other touchpoint—it’s an extension of your brand. 

Thankfully, most modern proposal software includes a feature called the Brand Kit. This tool allows you to quickly personalize any proposal so it perfectly matches your other sales materials. With the Brand Kit, you can set your brand’s colors, fonts, and layout preferences, ensuring that every proposal you send out looks polished.

Instead of individually setting fonts or painstakingly changing colors for each proposal, the Brand Kit simplifies the process. Once you’ve set up your Brand Kit with your specific branding elements, these settings automatically populate in every proposal you create. This not only saves you a ton of time but also ensures a cohesive and professional look across all your documents.

Consistency in design reinforces your brand’s identity and makes your proposals stand out in a crowded market. Not only that, you’re also demonstrating that you pay good attention to detail. 

Think about color psychology and accessibility 

There’s no denying that color psychology significantly impacts how people perceive brands, and proposals are no exception. Just like any touchpoint, the colors you choose for your proposal can influence how it’s received.

However, one important aspect often overlooked in design articles is the need to consider color psychology within the context of accessibility. 

For instance, while neon blue might communicate youthfulness and vibrancy, it may not be the best choice for font color or even an accent button in a proposal. The reason is simple: readability and accessibility.

Neon colors can be hard on the eyes and difficult to read, especially for individuals with visual impairments or color blindness. Consider using colors that align with your brand’s message but also prioritize accessibility. 

Here are some best practices you can observe to improve your proposal’s accessibility: 

• Venngage has a free accessible color palette generator that lets you generate a color palette based on different considerations like contrast or vibrancy.
• Be mindful of background color contrast. Colorado State University has a simple and helpful infographic demonstrating the importance of contrast in design. Use colors that are high in contrast to make sure your text is easy to read. Use accent colors for buttons, CTAs, and links to bring attention to clickables and other interactive elements of your proposal. 
• The British Dyslexia Association recommends Arial, Comic Sans, Verdana, Tahoma as the top dyslexic-friendly fonts because of the open spacing. 

How do you structure your proposal? 

Good proposal design isn’t just about having nice colors or helpful tables. Clients have certain standards and expectations when they receive a proposal, and meeting these can make a big difference.

Here are some “standard” proposal rules for writing one: 

The ideal proposal structure 

Although business proposals vary depending on the use case, there is such a thing as an ideal proposal format:

• Title / Cover Page: Include the proposal title, your company’s name, the client’s name, and the date.
• Table of Contents: List all sections and their corresponding page numbers for easy navigation.
• Executive Summary: Provide a brief overview of the proposal’s key points and objectives.
• Problem Statement: Clearly define the problem you’re addressing with specific details.
• About the Team (or Yourself): Introduce your team or yourself, highlighting relevant experience and expertise.
• Solution and Implementation: Detail your proposed solution and the step-by-step actions for implementation.
• Qualifications and Proof of Expertise: Provide evidence of your qualifications, such as case studies or testimonials.
• Timeline and Deliverables: Outline the project timeline and specify the deliverables the client can expect.
• Cost: Clearly state the cost of your services, breaking it down into manageable sections if necessary.
• Conclusion: End with a strong conclusion that reiterates the benefits of your proposal and encourages the client to move forward.

If you want a deep dive and writing examples for each section of a business proposal, you can read more from: 

• How To Write Business Proposal
• Best Proposal Writing Examples: Learn & Implement Today 

Include a TOC for navigation 

Unless you’re writing a one-page proposal, it’s a great idea to include a table of contents. This helps the reader quickly reference different areas of your proposal and navigate through the document with ease. List each main section and the page number it starts on for clear and straightforward navigation.

If you’re sending an online business proposal, consider using anchor links or a clickable menu instead of traditional page numbers. This allows recipients to easily jump to different sections of your PDF or web-based proposal with just a single click, enhancing the user experience.

Some online proposal platforms, like Proposally.ai, offer interactive tables of contents and navigation menus. These features make it even easier for your audience to find the information they need quickly and efficiently, adding a layer of professionalism to your proposal.

Proposal templates and design ideas 

With so many proposal templates available online, how do you know which ones are actually good? Here are a few examples to give you an idea of what works well and how you can adapt them for your needs:

Template 1: Simple service proposal template

This service proposal from Jotform is a fantastic example of simplicity done right. While there are many flashy design proposals out there, something with plenty of white space like this is highly effective for clients.

The focus here is on clarifying the pricing and duration of the service, which is perfect for service proposals. The clearer the information, the better. This also allows clients the opportunity to make changes or request adjustments to your proposal.

Template 2: Agency proposal template 

This template is excellent for agencies, particularly digital marketing agencies, looking to upsell to their existing clients. There’s space to showcase your portfolio and highlight glowing testimonials from previous clients.

The stock copy in the development process section is especially useful—you can tailor it to fit the specific details of your process. Keeping this section detailed provides transparency, which is particularly reassuring for clients who might not be very tech-savvy.

Template 3:  Product package proposal template 

This template is ideal for introducing multiple packages. It starts with a quick overview section where you can explain the reasoning behind your initiatives and provide a high-level overview of the project goals. The product package section is reusable—just plug in your unique services.

There’s also a page for events, which is great for hybrid-type proposals that include milestones. You can repurpose this section to track events or key deliverables in your own proposal.

👀 for more proposal design ideas and tips?

If you’re looking for more tips and inspiration for proposal design, here’s a shortlist of resources for you:

• 15+ Marketing Proposal Examples and Ideas
• 20+ Business Proposal Examples and Ideas
• Business Proposal Format: An Ideal Proposal Structure

At Proposally, our dream (cheesy, but true) is to help businesses and freelancers scale their conversion game.

Our end-to-end proposal software makes it easier for any business owner to create, customize, send, and track proposals. Proposally lets you create different versions of the same proposal so you can A/B test for different user segments. You can also track views, opens, and clicks, giving you insight on which copy, templates, and resources convert best.

Unlike most proposal software, we know exactly how important it is to present data with your proposals. Our editor lets users add data visualization tools such as timetables, flow charts, and graphs that you can autopopulate with CVS imports. You can then send and track your proposal’s opens, views, and shares of your existing proposals.