10 Things To Avoid When Creating A Logo Design Proposal
Here are some of the things to avoid when preparing one.
Working as a designer demands more action, research, and proper planning. IT is not only about drawing and being creative; one needs to get everything right, even on the proposal. A proposal, in general, is used to pitch a job to a company or potential client. You might have to work with a lot of aspects and projects, including logo design.
In many cases, logo creation projects come with a lot of preparation. It includes before the job and the contract, in which creators need to pitch customers with their logo design proposal. The suggestion and offer itself is a very important matter, considering this is where you show your intent, solution, and abilities for the company.
It makes the process of working as a logo maker more complicated. The document and pitch you sent to the company are your first impression of yourself. How you write and present the design is judged by your writing. Your ideas and potential are also shown in the document. That is why avoid some of these mistakes to improve the document's effectiveness.
1. Making Your Proposal As A Brief
Mistakes and pitfalls in design proposals can happen to everyone, especially newbies. The idea comes around the fact that you are trying to showcase your ability as a designer. That is why you focus on highlighting the logo design without telling what it should show to the customer. The key is to never be brief for your work, but a whole document to communicate.
Pay attention to how you showcase and explain your idea on the proposal. It is similar to other similar documents to suggest, offer, and provide solutions. So, underline that a logo design proposal is unlike the brief. It has a different and crucial reason since it is made from the creation and made for the client. It means you are telling your idea of thinking.
On the other hand, briefs are from the client to the creative or creator. It consists of a pretty direct approach to the design factors and points, such as the purpose, details, elements, or company branding. However, when you are creating a logo proposal, it should be the other way around. In other words, you are trying to explain everything you presented in the document.
The idea mainly helps make it easier for the designer or creative and art director to assess your current state of the logo, brand, style guide elements, and branding for the proposal. You need to state why you are using the color, what are the concept and reason for the logo, what makes you create the design, and other details.
Again, you need some proper research to pull out the best description and ideas behind your logo design creation. And with that in mind, you will make a proposal that fully showcases the information. You can provide detail on how thorough and well-informed you are about the brand you want to give on the proposal. Thus, it provides a solution, not a suggestion.
2. Sending It For Cold Prospect
There is a reason why a proposal is more than just showcasing your logo design. Your proposal is the way to pitch work with a certain company. And to get their attention, one needs to make sure the document hits the real target. So, in this case, the creator needs to set the pitch for a warm client or someone you already know or communicate with.
Cold prospect refers to the client that knows nothing about you. The cold relationship will only make your proposal mean nothing because many companies will want to know who they are working with before deciding to seal a deal. This is where many freelancers, creative workers, and designers decide to establish some form of communication with the client.
It is important to have the "I know or ever heard about this person" impression before you pitch the design work. It can be done in many ways, including introducing yourself long before the proposal pitching. Get information about the company, and get into their contact for better communication. But why should you do this?
Remember the fact that logo design proposals are not only from you. You will have to compete with many other people or applicants, which means having that warm connection will open a bigger path. Even though it is possible to wow the client with your proposal and logo design, the lack of community tends to hinder the chance of commission and job.
If you are okay with the idea, try to reach the company beforehand. You don't have to force your name to be memorable. But there is a trick to doing it. You can reach out to the company through a sales and marketing representative. States your opinion about the current state of branding. It will inform you about the future of the company.
A similar idea comes with speaking to your client before you begin. When it comes to showcasing your proposal and ideas, you will need the best approach to provide a solution. The key is that some clients might have come with some detailed brief or request. If so, you can always ask for more details for a better logo and final design.
Keep asking and ensure what kind of goal the client needs. Sometimes, there is a visible gap between what the customer wants to achieve, the goal, and how they design their brief. That is where you came out providing solutions and information. In this case, you don't have to meet face to face. You can also contact me through email or chat.
3. Not Doing Research Properly
Professional designers know that sometimes the longest process of the logo design project is not the making but the researching. It is not a surprise that many will skim or even skip the research process, especially when the idea is working with a popular company or brand. But it can be your proposal pitfall.
Many points will state your design prowess more than just how it looks. And one of them is how much you know about the project and the company. This is one of the keys to the logo design proposal. Learn about the company and out. What is the public knowledge of the product, the brand, and its reputation?
How about the inside of the company? What are the ideology, goal, vision, and mission? Sometimes, you will need to go beyond their website or our page. You might have to find more reviews about the client. Thus, you can create the best logo design proposal that hits the real target and fully encompasses them in one graphic representation.
When you can manage to find all the possible points, you might be able to be an expert in developing their style and color palette. Good research on the client and company is also a proper way to find the real brand of the company. You can refer to the previous iteration, visual identity, and other branding.
It was also good to show your research result on the proposal. You can make clear every point on the design, such as the color pallet, shape, or other exclusive ideas on the work. When you manage to hit the proper nail, the good reasoning of each point will increase your proposal likeliness. The result supports your design, making your logo better in every part.
4. Copying The Competitors
Looking and finding information about the competitors is part of the research. Don't skip this idea since you won't want to share a proposal that looks like a copy of a competitor's design. This is one of the worst pitfalls of logo design proposals. Your mistake on the logo work will showcase how you are lacking in research and have shallow work.
Don't underestimate the clients' research team. While some bad designers do not do research and copy the competitor with the assumption that they would not know, it will only make your work look worse. Unfortunately, the copying problem is continually on the rise. Being similar or copying the design only makes the company lose its identity.
When you are working with logo design and its proposal, you should plan and make one that is distinct, original, and unique. The logo should match the client's business, no one else. In the latter state, your proposal will highlight how the logo is the company's symbol. As a symbol, is the same or similar is not tolerated even for the initial state of the project.
5. Using Trend-Driven Logo
Using a trend-driven design logo is not wrong but can be a huge pitfall for your proposal. The function is to explain and introduce your idea on the project. Your design and proposal detail showcase how much you understand the company's brief, desire, goal, and work. So, being sincere, different, and unique is the key.
On the other hand, going with trends only proposes short-lived work. Many designers know that trends won't last long and are mostly seasonal. That is why a long-lasting and versatile logo design proposal will likely win. Even though the idea of joining a trend allows you to be part of the bandwagon and ride the trend wave, it won't do justice to your proposal.
Timeless logo design can help develop stronger and long-lasting work. Take an example of Coca Cola company. It is a pretty simple lettering logo, but the work stays last without the need for alteration. If you can get those ideas for your proposal, it will add a great point to the design acceptance. It is not easy, and you might have to create a specific identity.
6. Not Giving Your Best On The Design
Ugly design can signify you are not doing or giving your best in the project. It happens quite often for various reasons, including not having proper design research, ideas, or simply half-hearted work. Such logo design only tarnishes your proposal. Even with good work on detailing and meaning, it won't mean a thing without a logo that fully embraces the company.
Even though ugly is objective, one can tell how you put your hand into it. Logo design that lacks effort is mostly visible in the color pick and lazy concept. It indicates that ugly and bad do not only deal with aesthetics. Some conceptual issues will disrupt the development of your logo, which makes a poor logo aesthetic result.
7. Selling Yourself Too Much
Don't put a wrong mindset when developing a logo design proposal. Remember that you are doing one pitch work and appease your client. It means not only will you care about your qualification and credential. What you need to do is to talk about your design and how it fits the logo for the client. That is the key to your proposal.
Remember that you are facing a client who has a problem and wants to look for an answer. With you as the logo designer, your job is to give that solution and solve them. So, frame every proposal part to tell your plan on how to help them win. You could tell them how deep your understanding is of the company.
Remember that you are not talking about yourself. Rather than specifying how you find the answer, it is better to showcase and highlight the logo design. Show everything on the proposal, including the process you are creating one, the meaning of its stroke and detail, and how your work will solve the problem. That is what you need for the proposal.
8. Not Showing Your Full Value
Your logo design proposal should compose almost every detail, including the services and their value. Believe it or not, you are not only bringing or providing a good logo but also a good deal. Without any value or price on what you offer, the proposal means nothing. To give you a clear idea, try to put yourself in the client's shoes.
You are trying to make a logo that fits the business. It is not a cheap project. Thus, you will want to be sure of where those dollars are going. Now, what if you, as a designer, do not mention any price on the proposal? Your client will doubt your idea, considering design and logo work' pricing can range from cheap to the most expensive project.
That is why you should never forget to lay all of the needed values on the design proposal. You can show every service you can or will provide for them. Talk about any possibilities of design revisions and iteration. You can also mention other services such as consultation, reviews, style guide, rules, and other details that might need some extra money.
9. Not Giving Solutions And Results
One pitfall of a design proposal is not giving solutions and results. It is less obvious, but many creators only show their ideas and tasks compared to solutions. When it comes to pitching work, you got to ensure what you present will make them want to work with you. So, it is not only about the "my" logo. But rather, it should be "my" logo design that will help you achieve those goals.
You can highlight the discrepancy between the product and its target. Or you can pinpoint how the website and the previous logo did not add better conversion due to the lack of distinctive factors. After you find the problem, your next move is to solve them on the logo design proposal. Provide solutions by giving the best logo and design that can do better.
10. Not Presenting Options For The Clients
The last thing that you don't want to miss in the proposal is options. In many cases, the designer or creator only provides yes or no options. While it is okay, it can be a risky business. It is either closing the deal or getting the deal. But, the design itself is varied and has varying possibilities. It means you can propose more options for the logo project.
The best option that you can try is to give at least three packages or options, basic, premium, or special logo design. You can give the plan in different names. The key is to provide a different level of services on each plan with its level of investment. You can bring the details, such as extra revision, including coloring, rendering, etc. Thus, the proposal will be more profitable.
Final Words
Since the proposal is pretty vital to your pitch for the job, it is best to pay a lot of attention to it. Consider it as an attempt and way to communicate with your customer. You will try to show your best, attract their attention, and get the value right. With that in mind, it is always better to prepare everything and avoid working with cold companies.
The key is to understand your target audience and a potential client. After that, you can show them your best logo design proposal by bringing the solution to them. It is not only about showcasing your expertise in logo creation; your design should be in line with the company's ideas. Thus, the proposal and your offer will attract their attention.
