How do you incorporate feedback and revisions into your proposal graphics?

I design proposal graphics using Adobe Illustrator, but if you don't have someone who knows how to use that software, just know that the maximum width of a graphic for a Word document with 1" margins all around is 6.5" (8.5" minus 2"). Set your canvas width to 6.5", then set your font size from there, making sure to consider any RFP guidelines. This way you can guarantee you are compliant with the minimum font size requirements for graphics for your bid.

I work with clients in the AEC industry. The SME or Project Manager will normally visit the site and take pictures. I like to use them in the Scope of Work section of the proposal describing the methodology that will be used to complete the requirements outlined in the SOW. I also like to use pictures of the client's team onsite performing similar tasks to the work in the SOW. Showing your team doing the work is powerful.

Graphics within proposals can also be a great exercise for the proposal team to fully flush out an idea for a process or structure within the proposed program. The exercise of working with a designer and seeing the layout of what you're presenting, whether it be a flowchart, org chart, or anything else can greatly benefit the team in being able to effectively communicate their approach and value added propositions.

I conduct iterative reviews on graphics. I don't wait until I have produced a draft or final proposal to review them. Pictures or graphics can often be more subjective than text, so checking them early and often is good.

Getting your designer involved at the early stages of a proposal effort can create great outcomes for the final product. This allows the designer to have a clearer picture of overall messaging within the project and helps align them within the team so they know which SMEs can help them with various subjects. By working with those SMEs and other members of the effort, the designer is receiving feedback throughout the process instead of at the finish line.

I receive feedback from multiple channels (in-meeting, email, tagged in a comment) throughout the proposal process. One way that I keep track of it all is to make sure we save drafts of both the proposal and each graphic. If a graphic needs some changes made after a review team, I'll archive the original and make changes in a new copy both to keep a record of changes and also in case someone changes their mind and decide they'd rather have the original. We also track graphics using a slug number, which is just an identification code for that specific graphic. We put a slug number that incorporates short forms of the agency, opportunity, graphic number, and date into both the graphic and file name for easy reuse.

I have a specific workspace setup and a "new graphic template" saved to my desktop for Adobe Illustrator that has our company's color palette and the tools I use most, along with a blank 6.5" wide canvas so that I don't have to setup all those things each time I need to make a new proposal graphic. I also create templates and reuseable versions of bid-specific graphics and add them to a shared library so that our BD and Proposal teams can easily find and modify them for future bids.

One of the biggest game changers for our business has been setting our graphic down in front of someone who hasn't been involved in the proposal process and asking them to summarize what our graphic is saying. Oftentimes there are gaps within an illustration of a process that the proposal teams' brains would automatically fill in when looking at the graphic but that an outsider notices right away. Catching these will greatly help the comprehension of your reader and guarantee a clear message within your proposal.

Try not to view revisions as negativity. Instead, see them as opportunities to learn and refine. Analyze the feedback: was a specific chart confusing? Did an image miss the mark? Collaborate with your team – their insights are invaluable. Consider building a design library! Create a library of successful graphics and rejected concepts. This allows you to leverage past wins and avoid repeating mistakes. Consider A/B testing different approaches on internal proposals to see what resonates best with your audience. Feedback is an ongoing process. This continuous loop ensures your proposal graphics become progressively more impactful, setting your firm apart in the competitive landscape.

Don't forget accessibility in terms of alt text, colors (avoid red/green), contrast, font sizes. Also, think about how your proposal will be consumed. Will that graphic look great if it's printed in black and white?

To second Ceri, accessibility is often disregarded when it comes to graphics, unless it is required in the RFP; however, there are tons of tools available that can help you quickly and easily make accessible graphics and write alternative text. When I make graphics myself, I try to imagine how I could interpret graphics and other visual elements of a proposal if I could not see them or if I had low vision. Whatever you can't see with your eyes needs to be described in some other way, like through alternative text.