I’ve heard it again and again: Proposal development does not need attention to design. You just need to be able to cram 15 pounds of text into a 1-pound box. Although there is some truth in there, I believe the stringent requirements of proposal development require a greater understanding of design principals and their application than those projects that offer more creative license.
Although the RFP typically does not request an aesthetic page design, proposals that are easier to read are more likely to rise to the top of the consideration pile than the ones that make the reviewers work more difficult. Appropriate and creative application of design principles can result in a far better looking and easier-to-read proposal. And the better looking and easier-to-read proposal is more likely to win the award.
Figure/Ground
When we process visual information—for example, the elements that have been placed on a page—our minds subconsciously look for horizons, lines, structure, and other common visual elements in our physical world. A single horizontal line on a page implies ground. A vertical line implies an object in front of that horizon. This object, in our minds, has weight and would be affected by gravity. As page designers, we are able to cause an unsettled feeling in the reader’s subconscious by haphazard placement of the page elements. If the page is off-balance, the reader will sense the imbalance and will subconsciously sense that something in this proposal is off-kilter.
Positive space (text, callouts, graphics, etc.) must be “aired out” with negative space (white space, areas of the page that contain nothing). Due to the page limitations in most proposals, this is a particularly difficult thing to accomplish in proposal design. But an understanding of this concept will help the designer to prioritize the ways in which he or she will attempt to fit the maximum amount of text onto the page.
The designer who is aware of the visual design aspect on the page will seek to balance the page through careful positioning of text, callouts, and graphics in an effort to provide visual relief from the potential sea of gray text. Well positioned graphics will break up the text, giving the reader’s eyes a break as he scans the page. This, in turn, provides an subconscious impression that there is air (white space), even when that white space is at a minimum due to the page limitations.
Some tools to keep in mind
- Work on visual symmetry in each proposal page. When creativity is constrained and textual real estate is at a premium, visual symmetry is one of the best ways to bring balance and airiness to the page.
- Try to place larger, margin-to-margin graphics low on the page. This provides a visual foundation to the page so the reader is not unsettled by what appears to be a heavy object floating in mid-air, against the forces of gravity.
- Carefully choose the color and style of callouts in a way that help to balance the weight of the elements on the page. Remember: darker elements give an impression of greater weight than lighter elements. So a large light-colored elements may be balanced by a smaller dark-colored element.
- Maintain acceptable spacing. Don’t give into the temptation to remove all cell padding from tables and all spacing between paragraphs. If leading and paragraph spacing become too tight, the document becomes difficult to read. At the least, the reviewer will sense that this proposal is causing him extra work. But the more astute reviewer may realize that the submitting contractor is trying to cram way more onto the page than they should. This will raise a red flag in the reviewer’s mind and may be used as a mark against the company who submitted that proposal.
Many of these suggestions require some interpretation and a balance against the needs of the proposal writers. That’s the reason you’re the designer. You get to make those life-shattering decisions.
Have fun. Be creative. This is a great job!
