InsightA Winning Vision: Designing Major Proposals and Bid Submissions
To help our clients succeed with major proposals and bid submissions, there are a number of issues it is helpful to understand as early as possible in the working relationship. The following discussion is based on our ten-plus years of experience creating major bid packages and visioning documents for the likes of the NYC 2012 Olympic Bid (pictured above), Princeton University, Van Wagner Communications, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Brookfield Properties, and Cornell University.
We have learned that putting together any major document involving multiple parties is an intense and sometimes unpredictable undertaking, but it can be highly rewarding and exhilarating as well. To ensure that the excitement comes from putting together a winning package and not from costs and schedules running out of control, we encourage would-be proposers to take the following issues into serious consideration.
SCHEDULE
What is the final deadline for submission? Subtract up to two solid weeks for production time from that date, and that is your actual deadline for development -- all content and design must be completed by that date. The rest of the timeframe will be consumed by printing, proofing, binding, assembly and shipping. Any final "tweaks" or changes during this time will be costly and compromise your ability to deliver on time.
TEAM
What is the structure of the project team? Who is the lead? Who are all the other partners or subconsultants and how are they organized? To whom will the design firm be contracted? Where will the key players meet and how often?
In our experience, it's helpful to clarify two key roles on the client team: a project manager and a decision-maker. It can be the same person, but often is not. The client project manager acts as the day-to-day contact with a counterpart on the design team -- usually the creative director or senior designer -- and provides information, materials and feedback from all stakeholders. Availability, access and good communication skills are key in this role. Physical proximity is also helpful, especially in the latest stages of the process.
The decision-maker shares the vision for the project with the design principal-in-charge and creative director, and is empowered to make decisions on behalf of all of the client stakeholders. This project "owner" must be trusted by all members of the client team to represent the best interests of the group. Regularly scheduled progress meetings can help the decision-maker align various members of the client team with the vision as it evolves during the development process.
STRATEGY
Why is your team going after this particular opportunity? What is your team's point of view? What are the differentiators in your proposal that will help you win against the competition? What kinds of evidence -- stories, data, images, individual talent, experience -- do you have to back this up? These are the most critical questions to answer before embarking on the proposal development process.
Who is your audience? What are their most pressing concerns? What is the single most important thing your proposal must communicate to them? What else needs to be said?
The answers to these questions will help the designers frame the visual strategy, establish the hierarchies of messages and information, and facilitate the development of a unified vision for the project.
CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
Text
Who will be doing the writing? Who will be editing for a consistent voice and checking for continuity? The writer and editor may or may not be the same person. The larger the bid package, the more efficient it will be to have writer and editor roles performed by two different people. Ideally a third party should be used for proofreading all final documents.
Financials
Who is preparing financial information? Are there confidentiality requirements that will affect when, how and where the design and layout of the financial information can be done? Sensitive financial information may have to be handled in the client's office rather than at the design studio, and may need to be produced separately from the rest of the package. If the design team is aware of this up front, we can plan ahead and be organized accordingly.
Imagery
How much imagery will be needed, what kinds, and for what purpose?
Information Graphics
Proposals often benefit from information graphics, since they are a powerful way to communicate key data points and supporting statistical evidence at a glance. A coordinated approach to their design will give a bid package a professional polish. If there will be multiple info graphics, the design team will establish one general look-and-feel for all of them, then work with base data, ideally provided in "live" electronic form, to develop each unique graph, chart, diagram, or illustration to best communicate the point the images is being used to make.
Photography
If you intend to use photography, do you have access to those images and if so, in what form? If not, will you be doing photo research or will you need the designers to take on this task? Is there an intent or budget to use original photography? Do you need the designers to source and art direct a photographer?
Original photography gives you the most control over shaping the image, but it is also the most expensive and time-consuming option. Second best, and the most efficient time-wise, is to allow the design team to choose from a collection or database of images to which the client already owns the copyrights. A third alternative is for the design team to work with a stock photography agency to select images from a vast library. In this case, a price structure for use rights must be negotiated with the client and the agency.
Renderings
Will you be using renderings to show how a built project might look? The graphic designers usually rely on the client project manager to provide renderings that have been commissioned by the team's architect or landscape architect. We take the rendering files (in electronic form) and figure out how to use them in the document layout, crop them if necessary to highlight a key element, and adjust colors to match other imagery in the document. Occasionally, we will coordinate with a renderer to incorporate graphic elements, such as signage, branding or banners, to add another dimension of visual communication to an illustration.
Branding
Are there branding requirements for the team or submission? Does this involve using existing brands (as for the client organizations) in addition to creating a graphic identity for the submission? Artwork for any required graphics, such as company logos, proprietary fonts, graphic standards, etc., must be provided up front so the designers have the opportunity to understand their opportunities and limitations in conceiving the design strategy.
PRODUCTION
What are the physical submission requirements? What is needed in the way of books/booklets, packaging, sealed bids, etc.? How many sets of the final package will be needed, including originals and duplicates for the submission, plus copies for the team members and designers?
See note above under "Schedule" about the time required to produce customized packaging. Physical elements are often interdependent -- for example, a slipcase cannot be finished until we know how thick the books are that it will house -- so the need to allow enough time for final production cannot be emphasized enough.
BUDGET & PAYMENTS
What is the team's level of financial commitment to the project? Is there an understanding among all the team members about how much they are willing to invest in the process? The client team should be aware that there comes a "point of no return" when it can't back out, costs can no longer be negotiated, and it must do (and pay) whatever it takes to finish and meet the deadline.
The recommended budgeting framework is for the client team to agree to a target design fee. When the design team's time costs approach that limit, we advise the project manager and provide an estimate of the additional services costs. The actual time commitment and costs are usually lower in the early days and peak in the final weeks of the schedule.
Payment for production, particularly any custom elements such as boxes, book covers, or specially ordered paper, is usually due up front; the vendors will not work without the money in hand. The project team should be prepared for this requirement.
SUPPORT COMMUNICATIONS
Consider whether your team may need to produce an executive summary, presentation, or other outreach materials to promote your bid. If it is a public project and you are selected as a finalist, you may wish or be asked to prepare material for a public event or exhibit. The cost of these elements should be considered in addition to the cost of producing the bid itself.
We hope these questions inspire you to bring your team together and work through these issues. You will be a stronger and better organized team for it, and it will show in your proposal.
